Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:MvM2 Depth1 (section)

===Part 9===

They would only get one chance at this.

They had used up all of their days preparing.

The final day had begun.



In truth, Misaka Mikoto didn’t even know if they could win.

She was confident they had done everything they could have, but it was impossible to calculate the odds when so much about the Ruler was unknown.

She had no 100% guarantee, but she would fight anyway.

She would be involving her friends in this fight.

It was a risky gamble.

She was well aware of that.



“First she was Flarkie of Lake Flarkbelt and then she was Nachy of the Nachtvega Plains, but if Miss Narm continues south, she will cross the border into Cutalularia during the night. Will our Miss Narm remain ours, or will she become Miss Cutal? Some Narmelian experts are voicing their concerns.”



The TV news still wasn’t taking it seriously.

The general population must have figured out that they weren’t under attack. Their military and political function had been destroyed, but the people of the United States of Narmeli seemed to be worshiping her as a symbol of freedom and liberation.

Even though the Ruler had no interest in saving humans. In fact, she didn’t even notice when she crushed someone underfoot.

Perhaps this world had reached its limit and the people subconsciously hoped for destruction.

If so, then Tokiwadai’s plans might be an unwelcome favor.

Even so.

“She’s on her way. As expected, she’s walking south through the United States back toward the center of the continent. If we’re doing this, we have to do it here.”

If Tokiwadai lost, no one would be able to stop the Ruler.

She would take an interest in and attack any fighting force, human or Girlish Weapon.

What would happen if this world lost its military might and the supporting technology?

The world would probably fall into ruin.

Or more accurately, there was no non-military technology here.

She wouldn’t attack the civilians?

She was only attacking military forces and weapons for now, but she wasn’t one to resist her impulses. Once all of those things had been destroyed, she would probably start to compromise. For the people with the next greatest power or technology. And the next. And the next. And the next. As she continued compromising, the planet would end up with no one left alive.



But what did that matter?

There would be some people who saw it that way.



Let’s be blunt.

This battle was meaningless.

If Tokiwadai only wanted to return to Earth, they only needed to head out to sea and wait for the digital counter to reach zero.

But no one had protested.

Camouflaged Carrier Izanami had split once. But none of them were willing to head back with this threat intact, so they had reunified for this single purpose.

And not just Misaka Mikoto, Shokuhou Misaki, and the other Tokiwadai girls.

The Girlish Weapons too.

The Liheilstaut Empire’s YF-22A, the Cutalularia Republic’s Rafales and Eurofighters, and the United States of Narmeli’s Su-57 and others were working together.

They had all stood up for this meaningless battle.

Offering their lives.

They would receive no accolades for winning. They knew that, but they were doing this to ensure their familiar scenery would still be there tomorrow and the next day. And to create a future where no one’s lives were at risk.

That was reason enough.

Academy City’s #3 Railgun, Misaka Mikoto, spoke.

“Let’s get started.”