Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:Item5 Chapter4 (section)

===Part 3===

And so Mugino Shizuri was sneaking around on her own.

As a fireworks show, there weren’t many lights on, but the area around the stage was an exception. Bright stage lights supported by a stainless steel framework clearly delineated the world where the artists stood.

In addition to Anti-Skill in their stilt-like gear, aerial surveillance drones were flying irregularly around the other side of the stage to keep an eye on the crowd packed in at the front of the stage. The many different models of drone likely meant there were also some recording the performance for the event group and for the TV station broadcasting it. Either way, they were something to avoid for anyone on the wrong side of the law. If Mugino was spotted carelessly appearing at the edge of the screen, she might gather attention as a spectral figure in the darkness.

While keeping low and moving through the backstage shadows, she voiced her annoyance.

“An idol unit, huh? And another group of three. That’s a bad omen.”

This was where anyone involved in TV would likely be. For a live broadcast. This was a very awkward place for someone from the dark side where she very much did not want to end up appearing in people’s living rooms.

“Is she really here?”

“Mugino,” said Takitsubo over the radio. “If the fireworks bomb fails, they will cause a panic with gunfire. They usually do that by holding a position where they can gather everyone’s attention without being caught in the crush afterwards.”

So would they be spraying bullets into the crowd from up on the stage?

About the worst unplanned performance you could get.

And to make matters worse, it would be happening during the Daihaseisai when so many ordinary visitors and TV cameras from outside the city were here. That did explain why that group had so displeased the higher ups that they had been destroyed once in the past.

“But what do I do if I run into an Advanced Lab esper here? There’s not enough room to fight.”

“Use your creativity and ingenuity.”

“That just means you don’t have any ideas.”

A light leaking in from backstage cast a shadow.

Mugino leaped aside as if struck just before a metal pipe dropped down. No, a girl wielding the pipe in both hands had jumped down from overhead. With enough force to tear a piece out of the dirt ground.

“Tch.”

She produced a voice.

The voice of an adolescent girl that was beginning to show some hints of sex appeal while still not fully losing its innocence.

“You didn’t blast me right away. If you had thoughtlessly fired as you turned around ''because you might as well'', my counterattack would have ended it.”

The two girls glared at each other and kept their distance.

Mugino’s opponent looked to be high school aged.

She may have found the pipe somewhere around here because she tossed it aside without a second thought.

Takitsubo had explained A-ko, B-ko, and C-ko’s powers and only one of them applied to what this girl had said.

…All or Nothing. This girl had a psychological power that would apply the enemy’s deadly force to her own attack if she landed a cross-counter. She was Level 4, but the Advanced Lab’s external boosting meant the level system couldn’t be relied on here.

In other words…

“So you’re A-ko?
”
“I’m going by Suzunaka-san at the moment. As smart as most high-level espers are, they tend to force their way through with brute strength, so surprising them from a blind spot makes it pretty easy to one-shot them. What a pain. Looks like I’ll actually have to try this time.”

At that same moment, a bloody flavor spread through Mugino’s mouth.

Her head jolted backwards.

She had already taken a cross-counter.

From much closer range than she had expected.

A-ko whispered sweetly into Mugino’s ear after throwing a fist into her face.

“Oh? Not willing to take this seriously yet? Although that would have blown your head off if you had used Meltdowner.”

In fact.

Partway through the conversation, Mugino’s right arm had sprung up in front of her, but instead of using Meltdowner, she had thrown a pebble with a snap of her wrist.

(So I can’t use feints or try to throw off her timing. She’ll counterattack me no matter what!!)

“!!”

This wasn’t just her sense of pain being sharpened.

A-ko’s power was supposed to be psychological, but Mugino was physically bleeding. Even though that light jab couldn’t have done that.

There were stories of people bleeding from the heart when the fear of bullets and bombings on the battlefield grew too strong.

Mugino held the bridge of her nose with a hand and took a leap back before her earlobe was bitten off.