02x09 - Pursuit Inhibited (Route Disturb)

[bunniefuu]

Academy City is bustling over the Daihasei Festival.

Taking advantage of that fact, a transaction for the s*ab Sword,

a relic capable of k*lling a saint in one blow, is to be held.

Their courier's name is Oriana Thomson.

And by chance, I just came in contact with someone who might be her.

"A Certain Magical Index II"

I gazed at the coin I had flipped

If it's heads I go, tails I stay

Let me know your answer first

"Please, won't you tell me?"

But the angel continued to smile in discernment

Wander on! There's nobody to lead you by the hand

The answer handed down from God is one of woe

Yes, that is what your gift from God is

Once you overcome it, you'll start to see, so right now... (Look for it by oneself,

no buts about it)

No buts!

Hey there, Kami.

I've currently got eyes on a spot

that Oriana is likely to use for the deal--

Tsuchimikado...

I just shook hands with someone, and at that moment,

my Imagine Breaker broke something down.

I don't know what it is, exactly,

but she doesn't strike me as a student, you might say.

Did she happen to be carrying a large package?

Yeah. She's carrying what looks to be a signboard.

Kami, where are you right now?

Right now, I'm following her.

I'm sending you my GPS codes, so you can search for me that way.

She spotted me!

Whoa!

Which one, Kami?

The blond woman wearing the work uniform.

Those two are pros, huh?

My instructions were not to engage anyone in town,

but they won't make it easy.

Something's off about her pattern of behavior.

Has she changed her mind?

A bus terminal?

A servicing station for the auto-buses.

A trap?! Get down, Kami!

You're up.

Stop screwing around!

No, that was some nice team play, if I do say so myself.

Having a clear division of labor will make it easier for us to act.

Look, you...

So go ahead and complete your job.

Like I said, hold on!

Hey!

Stiyl, you post your runes around and stand by here.

I'll pin down the courier.

Roger that.

So, Kami, what are you gonna do?

I think it's safer for you to stay here.

I'll...

I also think it's safer for you to remain here.

I'm talking my safety, though, not yours.

These are decoys, meant to buy time!

If you take every last one of them on, she's gonna get away!

That's easy for you to say!

There she is!

Kami, if you would!

Huh? If I would what?!

Oriana "Route Disturb" Thomson, huh? Now she's messing with us!

E-Excuse me!

Are you all right--

Oh, no, I should be the one to say I'm sorry.

This spell is called "Four Ways to Truth."

Using this, we will search out Oriana's location.

You shouldn't be using magic, should you?

Which is why I'm going to get some help.

Traveling on the wind, conveying not air, but will to the location.

"Traveling on the wind, conveying not air, but will to the location."

Right?

Stiyl!

Kami!

Go give Stiyl a slug!

What was that just now?

Some form of trace prevention spell, or something?

Nope, there's no sign of that.

There's probably some kind of interception spell set up

that is triggered to react automatically

to Stiyl's magic individually.

What do you mean?

That Stiyl can no longer use any magic directed at Oriana?

Oh, man, that's a devil of a thing to have in there.

For one person to be able to pull off detecting a life force,

analyze it, trace it back, and then apply a counterattack...

I guess that's Route Disturb for you.

Route Disturb?

Oriana Thomson's other name.

Be that as it may, there's something about her impersonal methods

that strikes me as being familiar. But it couldn't be.

I can't believe that she would be in possession of one.

Well, Stiyl, I was thinking the exact same thing.

Are you serious? But if that's true,

that wouldn't make her a magician, but a sorceress.

What are you talking about? What is it she has?

Something that is packed with magical knowledge,

itself activating as its own magical array,

independent of the magician's will--

an original grimoire text.

But to create a grimoire to fit these circumstances would be...

The original text could be just a scribbled note.

It would have a limited effectiveness,

and should break down soon.

"Shorthand," you might call it.

So then, what does that mean we should do?

First, we take out the a*t*matic intercept spell,

so we can use Stiyl's magic.

What are the chances of her fleeing the search area while we do so?

If she was sure she could get away clean,

I don't think she would take the trouble

to set up an intercept spell, do you?

Hmm...

Stiyl, use your magic, on anything you like.

A divination circle.

A yet-unused magical array, which doesn't employ anyone's magic.

This will activate in response to the magic of the intercept spell,

providing us with direction and distance.

Now then...

Hey, Tsuchimikado,

in order to make that work, won't Stiyl have to once again...?

Once again?

Who said anything about that?

If we don't find the location of the Shorthand,

we'll have no choice but to keep trying over and over.

Why, you...

Kami, you seem to have forgotten, so let me remind you of something.

Lives are at stake in this battle.

Enough so that it could steer nations or the world into decline.

Let's do it.

But you'll...!

Don't get so chummy, Kamijo Toma.

If it will bring an end to all of this, then there is no problem.

In return, you pinpoint the location of the intercept spell,

no matter what.

Okay. We will make certain to preserve the life

that Index leads for herself in Academy City.

That was your condition, right?

Kamijo Toma...

I do not appreciate the fact that you are here right now.

Why are you not at her side?

If her face grows somber because of this,

it will all be your fault.

"A Certain Magical Index II"

"A Certain Magical Index II"

Here I wanted to change clothes to show off to Toma,

but it looks like he took off somewhere on his own.

S-Sister, don't be so disheartened about it.

I'm sure that Kamijo had some important reason for doing so.

Ooh, that Kamijo Toma...

Geez, I take my eyes off of him for a second, and he disappears.

Teacher!

Fukiyose!

What are you doing out here, in the public view?

If she's feeling a little delirious,

a stimulant like this capsicum will turn her thoughts back outward.

N-No...

That's all right. Everything is all right, Fukiyose.

It is?

Where's Toma?

Where could Toma have gone?

Here it comes.

The divination circle is responding. Hey, Kami!

You have a map, don't you?

Yeah, you've got that GPS map on your cell phone.

In that case, bring it here.

Tsuchimikado!

How can you be so coldhearted?!

Who do you think Stiyl has deliberately gotten hurt for?!

Kami, he is a professional magician.

He has at least enough att*ck resistance to handle this spell.

Tsuchimikado, are you...?

The divination circle responds to the magic power of incoming spells

to tell us their distance and direction.

There's no way such a handy little item

can be activated without using some magic power, right?

If I were able to use more decent magic,

Stiyl wouldn't have had to go through this.

I'll admit that. So go ahead and blame me as much as you want.

However, I will make sure that I find that Shorthand and destroy it.

Then, I will catch Oriana,

and personally see to it that the s*ab Sword deal is off for good.

Kami, your map.

I want to know what there is at the position

meters northwest of here. I'm sure that's where the Shorthand is.

Y-Yeah...

It's...

A middle school?!

" minutes until the middle school ball toss competition"

It's at an event grounds?

And it's about to start, too.

The spectators and cameras are already there.

We can't just sneak our way around this time.

Then, what do we do? We can't just not do anything, right?

All we can do is slip in there as contestants.

Are you serious? We're high-schoolers!

Blending in as middle-schoolers won't work--

Damn!

There's a risk that the intercept spell might turn on others, too.

Huh?

Do you know what the simplest magic ritual in the world is?

It's touching.

A regular person with no knowledge of magic

still has a chance of activating the intercept spell by touching it.

If that happens, not having the kind of defenses a magician has,

they will be in quite a bit of danger.

At any rate, Kami,

we're going to handle that intercept spell before it hurts anyone.

All right!

And with that in mind...!

Kami!

Excuse me...

We have to compete in this event,

but do we really have to enter, looking like this?

There will be cameras, and everything...

You take the cake.

I don't suppose you have a change of gym clothes?

Ah, yes we do! But they're in the club room.

Uh-huh. Well, hurry up and change.

Rules are still rules, though, so I need to check your IDs.

--Tsuchimika-- --Okay, okay!

I'll slap that right down!

Gah! Hey! Can't you wipe your hand off before using it?!

Never mind, go ahead. They don't allow late entrants.

Thank you very much!

Hey, we can't blend into the competition looking like this!

Oh, I'm guessing there are some changes of clothes

in the nurse's office.

The next event will be students from Minamizawa Middle School

versus students from Tokiwadai Middle School,

"Five minutes until the middle school ball toss competition"

in the ball toss competition.

The smell of defeat on them is strong. Ah, stinky, stinky!

Just what is the meaning of this?

What are you doing over there?! Huh?!

Eh? Tokiwadai Middle School?!

They have some fearsome espers over there.

Yeah, well, let's watch out for stray sh*ts then, Kami.

If the Shorthand is set up here, then where is it?

The baskets are the most likely place.

There are probably baskets that are borrowed from elsewhere,

so they could have been rigged outside beforehand.

I'll check out each pole basket in order.

Kami, your work begins once I find the Shorthand.

"Daihasei Festival Steering Committee"

"Daihasei Festival Steering Committee" Take your positions, get set...

...and begin!

Don't flinch at that! Charge in, Kami!

Y-Yeah!

Tsuchimikado?

Not this one, Kami. Onto the next one!

Kami, not this one either!

--Come on! --A little more!

--Don't let them get you! --Hang in there!

--Hey, don't push! --Ow! Stop it!

--Yikes! --It's falling over!

Watch out!

Kami, use my back!

Hurry and get out of here!

I can't believe you...

You'd go this far...

...just to make me play your penalty game, will you?!

Sheesh!

I didn't have much choice, what with you being in danger, did I?

Misaka!

Wait, Misaka!

W-What?

Listen to me, Misaka. I'll explain everything later,

but move away from there!

Huh? What are you talking about now?

And what are you even doing here? You explain yourself first, or I--

You stay out of this!

Misaka, don't argue, just come over here.

Huh?

You're in danger there!

D-Don't be silly! I didn't need to have you helping me like that,

I could have done it myself!

And what is it you want to tell me?

I told you, I'll tell you later!

That spot is dangerous!

I don't want you to get hurt!

What are you, dumb?

Y-You don't have to worry about me...

...over a competition such as this...

Geez, don't go startling me, and making me blurt stuff out...

Huh? What?!

Keep quiet, and hold still for a second.

Huh? U-Um...

It can't be!

Damn! Does it hurt that much, Misaka? Do you have a fever?

I-It's nothing at all, really!

Tsuchimikado! Over on this pole!

"Property of Nogi Middle School"

"Property of Nogi Middle School" I was wrong?

Kamijo Toma! What are you doing here?!

I was wondering why you ran off in such a hurry earlier,

but what are you doing here? In any case,

we have to start the whole event over!

Fukiyose!

W-What?

Kami, go hit Fukiyose! She's not a magician!

She won't be able to take any more of this!

Fukiyose, are you okay?

Fukiyose!

Okay, fine, Oriana Thomson...

If this is the way you're going to play it...

After you so ruthlessly drag innocent bystanders in,

if you're just going to watch on and feel nothing about it...

...then I'll take your screwed-up fantasy...

...and personally dispatch it until there's nothing left!

I can change even the destiny that entwines me

so I have everything in my hand!

If I lack the power to not be outdone by anyone

I can always destroy that illusion

The laid out system backup install is okay

Fields unknown even to God become opened

It's a "living form" that not even data

from , memories in a moment's miracle can infer

In a Magic∞world exciting time or space there's no limit

I want the power it takes to protect somebody

I can change even the destiny that entwines me

so I have everything in my hand!

"Preview"

"Preview" Fukiyose has collapsed.

Plus there's Stiyl and Tsuchimikado.

If the reason behind this whole conflict is the s*ab Sword,

then I swear I will smash the thing!

Next time, "Shorthand."

When science and magic cross paths, the story begins.