Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:Railgun Chapter4 (section)

===Part 17===

Tokiwadai Middle School’s schoolyard was not the only battlefield.

Nowhere was safe across the School Garden isolated at an altitude of 5000m.

For example, the main road lined with so many food trucks.

“Tch! Why are there so many of them?”

Shokuhou Misaki clicked her tongue while twirling a TV remote in her hand.

The dull metallic clangs came from the people surrounding the food truck she was hiding in.

An attorney.

A maid.

An accountant.

A chef.

Did they not bring a crowd because the Shokuhou Clique was keeping everyone else busy despite being outnumbered? Or had they not wanted to bring the ordinary students until the secret data had been thoroughly erased?

“Boy, do I hope Misaka-san reveal the plan early because she let that battle dimension she lives in get to her head. Like telling Resanerié that Kanaria-san has solid evidence or that we have a hacker.”

“Personally, I think the problem is how you led these dangerous people straight to us!!” protested Shirai.

There was no time to determine the truth of the matter.

Their top priority was to defend Uiharu Kazari during the countdown until the factory’s contradiction was publicly revealed.

They also wanted to prevent any harm coming to Yugure Kanari and Tsumebakei.

Shokuhou kissed the tip of her remote and winked at the twintails girl standing alongside her.

“Care to name our targets?”

“You will only complicate matters, so stay put until I am done!!”

Shirai Kuroko silently vanished.

Based on her movements, she seemed to have her sights on the maid or the chef.

Tokiwadai’s Queen sighed.

(Oh? She doesn’t even consider relying on the #5’s power here? Does that come from her pride as a Judgment member? She really is wasted on Misaka-san.)

That said, she didn’t want to sit idly by while that girl got beaten up for that.

She was through watching on as justice lovers came to harm.

“I-I-I-I can f-f-fight too!! I mean it!! Just, uh, hand me a bat and I’m unstoppable!”

“You can be the hacker’s last line of defense, so you’re staying here☆”

Shokuhou used Mental Out to silence the girl who nearly charged right at the enemy before anyone had even seen their powers. …Shokuhou would never again let an overzealous Level 0 come to harm on her watch.

“Now, then,” muttered Shokuhou Misaki as she turned back around.

She heard the scrape of a shoe sole against the pavement. It came from the attorney.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, #5.”

“Yeah, yeah. Cut the pre-battle formalities.”

Sensing a lengthy introduction coming, Shokuhou Misaki cut her off with an annoyed wave of her hand.

That girl shamelessly thought she could outdo Academy City’s #5 with words.

Only someone whose actions were unswayed by words and numbers could manage that.

“You were careless to face me directly.”

She removed the kissed remote from her lips.

And she aimed it.

“For better or for worse, you have a human mind.”

Aimed it dead ahead.

“And that’s all I need for checkmate☆”

She was #5 of Academy City’s seven Level 5s.

Do not underestimate Mental Out.