01x01 - Academy City

[bunniefuu]

[Music]

That's my rotten luck for you!

Get back here, you scrawny punk!

Running won't save you kid!

My name is Toma Kamijo...

And this little chase scene

is just another event in an adolescence riddled

with nothing but rotten luck.

[Music]

It was July th...

I entered the restaurant,

excited that summer break was beginning the next day...

I intended to order myself a nice big meal

to celebrate the start of the vacation...

but that's when I saw it.

I could tell that sleazebag was up to no good...

I had to step in and help the poor girl...

What else could I do, really?

Well, honey...? Let's go.

Excuse me...

You should go...

You're bothering the young lady.

-I'm starving. -Tell me about it.

Want something, kid?

A b*ating, maybe...?

Well?

Man, what was I thinking...?

With my luck, I should've known this would happen!

Finally...! They got tired of running.

What was all that about?

Playing the hero by protecting some dimwitted thugs...?

What, are you a teacher or something?

So they only stopped running after me because...

You got it...

They were starting to annoy me,

so I dealt with them.

Yeah, it figures.

Hey, hero...

you ever heard of...

a railgun?

Railgun...? Um...

A super-electromagnetic g*n...

It's an application of Fleming's kinetic momentum theory...

You use it to launch projectiles

with a little extra oomph.

Allow me to demonstrate it for you...

Catch!

When it's launched at three times the speed of sound...

Even something small packs a big punch.

Is that what you used to take care of those guys?

Don't be such a moron.

There are easier ways

to take care of a bunch of level zeroes...

And I know them all.

Yep. As it turned out,

it wasn't her that needed saving...

It was those poor saps

who were careless enough to get on her bad side.

So, you're one of the seven Level espers in Academy City.

Tell me, are the other six this rude,

or are you just special?

You could stand to be less condescending...

Humility's a virtue you know.

Y' must be good...

or you wouldn't talk to me that way.

Wa-wa-wa-wait...!

I'm just a Level Zero.

So... If you're really a Level Zero like you say...

Explain how you don't have a scratch on you.

I don't know what to tell you.

Maybe it's coincidence...

or just plain bad luck.

Either way...

this really isn't your night.

Last night's lightning caused a power outage...

which turned my place into a sweltering cesspool.

Hot...

It also meant that everything in my refrigerator

had become toxic.

On top of that, I lost my emergency rations

when they fell in the sink...

I crushed my cash card

when I was looking for my wallet...

And then someone called to inform me

that I'm such an idiot,

I need to take a remedial class.

Just my luck.

All right, it's a nice day outside...

Maybe airing the mattress out will improve my mood.

Yep, my future might be dark and gloomy...

but at least it's a beautiful, sunny day!

Then again...

now that I said that, it'll probably start pouring rain.

Huh?

I already hung something...?

That's strange...

That's... a girl...

What's she doing on my balcony?

That clothing...

she looks like a Sister!

I'm guessing she's not from around here....

I'm so...

I'm so very... hungry.

Very, very hungry.

What was that?

I said I'm hungry.

What... the...

Are you listening to me?

I told you, I'm hungry.

So, uh... just out of curiosity...

Is this something you make a habit of?

Randomly appearing draped over people's balconies?

It's also called curb-croaking.

So... Do you have any food in there?

I'm really starving...

Please feed me!

I think she'd be better off some place

far, far away from here.

Do you think this'll do the trick?

Yes, thank you...!

Sandwiches are my favorite!

Wonderful...! This tastes fantastic!

Oh... Really, it does?

That's a surprise,

considering it's a stir-fry made of spoiled ingredients

from a dead refrigerator.

I know what it is...!

There's some sour flavor in here

that's really waking up my taste buds.

What a great idea!

It's sour?

Don't feel like you have to eat it all...

It's bachelor cooking--nothing exciting.

You don't need to be so modest...

It was very kind of you to go to the trouble

of making it for me at all...

So I'm going to finish every last morsel!

I give! I can't do it!

So, uh... Do you mind telling me

why you were hanging out on my balcony?

Oh, I fell...

What I was actually trying to do

was jump from one roof onto the next over.

Huh...? But this building is eight stories high!

I didn't exactly have many options...

I was being pursued...

Whoops, I never introduced myself, did I?

Well, how rude of me...!

I'm Index. Nice to meet you!

Index? That's your name?

That sounds like an alias to me...

You can't tell me you're named after part of a book.

Yes the Index Librorum Prohibitorum...

Oh... and my magic name is Dedicatus Five-Four-Five...

It translates as "the consecrated lamb

who safeguards the wisdom of the mighty."

Okay, Index, why exactly would somebody be chasing

a Sister like you?

I believe they seek

the one hundred and three thousand grimoires

that I carry with me.

Grim... wha?

Well...

The Book of Eibon...

The Lemegeton...

The Book of the Dead...

Those are a just few typical examples of grimoires.

So where are they...?

It's hard to believe

you're hiding a whole library under that dress.

I'm carrying all one hundred and three thousand volumes!

That's more books than I've even seen before...

What...? Y'mean you got a key to a warehouse or something?

Mm-mm.

Is this some kind of joke...?

Next, are you gonna say,

"Well, stupid people can't see them."

It isn't just stupid people who can't...

The whole point is for them not to be visible.

Okay, so who is it that's chasing you?

A sorcery society.

Huh...? Sorcery?

Surely you've heard of sorcerers before...

People who do magic...

a magic cabal.

Uh, do you belong to one of those

new-age religions or something?

Wait, are you making fun of me?

You are, aren't you?

You're making fun of me!

I'm sorry.

It's too much.

I know there are plenty of unusual powers

being used out in the world.

but I just can't buy magic.

This is Academy City...

Supernatural abilities

aren't really anything new and different here...

Anybody can develop them if they use science, not magic.

You believe in supernatural, psychic powers,

but the idea of sorcery is "too much" for you?

Well, okay...

Explain what sorcery is, then...

Or maybe show me an example.

I can't do that. I don't possess any magical power.

If you can't use it,

then how are you so convinced that it actually exists?

Because it does!

Sorcery does exist!

To tell you the truth I was born

with a kind of strange, inexplicable power myself.

What kind of power?

It's something in my right hand...

When it comes in contact with any unusual ability,

my hand cancels it out.

Who knows? It may even work on divine miracles.

Well?

What's with the face?

You look like you're listening to a used car salesman.

Can you blame me?

I'm guessing you probably don't even believe in God...

and you're telling me your super-special right hand

has the power to cancel a miracle!

What a joke...

You still like to play make-believe,

and you're the one making fun of me?!

Magic's not make-believe!

Then why not show me something magical...

and when you see my right hand negate it,

then you'll have no other choice

but to believe what I said.

Okay...! I can show you something...

My robes... They're magic.

These are known as the Walking Church...

They create an impenetrable protective barrier.

The Walking Church...?

What does that even mean?

You keep throwing out these terms

like I'm supposed to understand.

Well, sorry, but I don't.

Maybe a little experiment

will get it through your thick head.

Take this Kn*fe and try to s*ab me with it!

Wha... are you crazy?

Do I have to explain everything?

These robes have been sanctified

the same way as a church.

That means they're as strong as

if they were an actual building.

So while I'm wearing them, you can take a s*ab at me

with this Kn*fe and it won't injure me one bit.

Yeah, well... that's interesting and all,

but I'm still not gonna s*ab you with that thing.

Are you even listening to me...?!

I am wearing an exact replica

of the Shroud of Turin.

Its divine power to protect is unquestionable...

It wards off and absorbs

any att*ck that's made against me...

physical or magical.

Oh, I see...

From what you're saying...

if those robes of yours

really do have supernatural powers...

then all I would have to do is

touch them with my right hand...

and that would be that.

That's assuming that your power

actually works the way you say.

All right then, fine with me!

When it's over, just remember...

You asked me to do this!

Okay... that's strange.

Well, what a surprise.

Nothing's happening.

What's wrong?

Oh... it's nothing...

Look at this...

You must've bitten me a hundred times.

You're like a really big, really angry mosquito.

I'm sorry.

Maybe we should just forget about it...

That way...

You really expect me to forget something like this...?

How much of an insensitive jerk can you be?

Well, uh... I...

I thought it would be easier not to talk about it.

I guess I'm pretty embarrassed about what happened, too.

You're still a jerk.

She wasn't lying, then.

Her habit blew apart when I touched it...

She must be involved with supernatural powers

somehow or another.

All done!

Nice job... You look like a pin cushion.

Who knows, maybe I'll start a fashion trend.

Oh, crap... My class!

Sorry... I'm running late for my remedial class...

What're you gonna do?

I can give you a key if you wanna stay.

No... that's okay.

It's better if I move on...

Otherwise, those people will track me down here...

And I'm guessing you'd prefer it

if your place didn't get blown up.

Hey... wait!

Just a sec!

You wanna know what I think?

About your power...

that right hand of yours...

I think it cancels out the grace of God

and everything that goes along with it.

Your hand opposes the divine,

and without God's grace,

you're bound to meet with ill fortune at every turn.

Rotten luck...

Well, if ya ask me...

being born with that power of yours

is pretty much the most rotten luck a person could have.

Index...

What now...?

Is there anywhere safe you can go after you leave here?

If I stay in one place, they're gonna find me.

-But how? -Like I showed you before,

my habit is imbued with magic...

and because of that magic,

they're able to track my location...

It'll be okay, though...

If I can just make it to the church,

they will offer me sanctuary.

Why didn't you tell me...?

Knowing all that, how can I let you leave here?

Come, now...

Do you really wanna be dragged down

into the depths of hell with me?

Goodbye.

If you run into any more trouble,

you know where you can find me!

Yep...! I'll come back when I'm hungry again.

What are these things? Agathions?

Oh, crap... my class!

Academy City is pretty much what it sounds like....

A city packed with colleges, high schools, middle schools,

and elementary schools.

With a population of two point three million,

it's one third the size of Tokyo.

About % of the people living here are students...

It's an unusual place filled with unusual sights...

Like those cleaning robots outside my place earlier...

Never a dull moment here.

All right everybody, it's time to begin...

Welcome to remedial class!

I had a little spare time,

so I thought I'd write a pop quiz for you to take today.

You'll want to do your very best on it...

If your grade is poor,

you'll be playing a game of no-eyed poker.

Oh yeah, I think I remember that one...

She makes you play poker with a blindfold on, right?

That's it. With the added bonus

that you can't leave 'til you've won ten hands in a row.

Ah, jeez...

The last time she made us play that,

we were stuck here almost until morning.

You're the exception today, Kamijo.

You don't have enough development points...

So you'll be playing the game

whether you do well or not.

Our sweet teacher has totally got a thing for you, man.

Are you too blind to see it?

Shut up...

I don't think giving me a lot of extra work to do

means she likes me.

Didn't you hear? She's gonna keep you after school

to punish you...

You can't tell me that doesn't sound kinda hot.

So you're a pervert and a masochist...

a real stand-up guy.

There's a whole wide world of lovely women out there...

Why would I wanna limit myself?

You freak.

Quiet back there...!

Another word and you'll get more than no-eyed poker...

There are some even better games I know.

Do we understand each other?

Rotten luck.

I wonder how Index is doing.

She left her head dress thing at my place.

And what was that other thing she said...

something about a hundred and three thousand books...

I didn't see a single volume.

Weird... She swore she was carrying them, but...

I bet she'll be back for her stuff before long.

Teacher!

Kamijo is watching the girls' tennis team

instead of paying attention to you!

You made her cry...

You made her cry...

You made her cry...

You made her cry...

It is now past student curfew...

All students, please return to your homes immediately.

It is now past student curfew...

Unbelievable.

I was stuck after class that late...?

Stupid luck.

Ah...! There he is!

I found you, and this time...

Come back here!

Listen! I'm talking to you...!

Stop walking already!

Oh, well. If it isn't the little bug zapper.

Don't call me that!

I have a proper name, thank you very much,

and it's Mikoto Misaka!

I'll bet you've been calling me bug zapper

behind my back ever since we first met, haven't you?

Why are you here, Zapper...?

You in remedial, too?

Remedial class? Never...!

I'm here to shock you full of so much electricity

you'll twitch like a frog struck by lightning!

If you have any last words, say them now!

I'll pass.

I don't think so!

Well, now... How ya doin'...

did that wake you up a bit?

You ready to fight me?

Give it a rest...!

Thanks to your little lightning storm yesterday,

all my electrical appliances are fried...

I've got a fridge full of rotten food!

It's your own fault for pissing me off!

What could I possibly have done

to make you this mad at me...?

I didn't so much as lay a finger on you,

even after you att*cked me!

Exactly...! You haven't hit me a single time...!

With no points scored on either side, this is a draw.

Huh?

Okay, whatever. You win already.

Don't "whatever" me!

You should be taking this seriously!

Oh...

you want me to take this seriously?

Is this day over yet...?

First a fake sorceress,

and now a trigger-happy esper.

A sorceress?

Message... Message.

Aggressive EM discharge detected...

System malfunction identified.

You idiot!

What were you thinking zapping stuff around here?

Shut up!

Hurry, we need to get out of here!

The cleaning robots?

What now...?

There shouldn't be anything to clean in front of my place.

That's just my luck...

I should've known.

Hey, Index....

What're you doing out here?

You can't sleep there.

No way...

This looks... like blood.

Please just stay with me, Index!

What happened...?!

Why are you here...?

Who did this to you?

Oh... that was us...

as in sorcerers.

[Music]

Stiyl Magnus...

That's the dirty sorcerer's name...

Who are these people...?

What do they want?

Next time, "Innocentius.

"When science and magic cross paths,

a story is born.