Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:Railgun PSP SS (section)

===Part 3===

Despite what Mikoto had said, they did not charge straight into the refrigerated storage facility. This was due to a comment made by Aizono Mio.

“This facility is likely a trap.”

“Whose trap?”

“Someone who doesn’t want anyone coming after Saitou-sensei. For one thing, I can’t believe that a rumor about his location would so conveniently pop up right when everything else was finished. I can only imagine that someone purposefully spread the rumor.”

“Do you think this someone knows who we are?”

“I doubt there are many other people that Saitou Souta would work as bait for.”

“Then what is our enemy planning to do? I doubt this person is going to think normal firepower is going to be much help against a Level 5 and a Level 4 working together.”

“True, true. If it was me, I know what I would do. I’d set nerve gas to be triggered the instant we stepped into the refrigerated storage facility. Once it was obvious our minds were too muddled to activate our powers, I would then immediately blow the building to smithereens with a bomb. Kaboom!!”

As usual, the change in her tone of voice sent a shiver down Mikoto’s spine.

“I’ve been wondering. Why does your tone of voice always change at times like this?”

Aizono Mio cleared her throat and said, “That’s just the way I am. I am automatically set to be interested in that type of thing.”

“And I don’t like how you talk down to me.”

“If you say a word more, I’ll turn you into a chunk of wax.” Aizono then changed the direction she was headed. “Anyway, entering the facility isn’t going to help, so let’s check the surroundings. If this was done according to the standard, we should find a vehicle.”

“Why?”

“Explosions are a bit noticeable. They’ll have had an escape vehicle prepared before setting up the explosives. They will! It’ll be at a point distant enough to not get wrapped up in any counterattacks from their target but close enough to immediately pick up their comrades and escape.”

“I told you not to talk down to me.”

“Shut up about that or I’ll dissolve your bra and panties and give you an oil massage.”

Feeling a strange chill, Mikoto fell silent. She only then realized that she was in danger of being left nude in the Floating Garden Observatory of the twin towers.

After circling around the refrigerated storage facility, they spotted a 4-door car oddly parked on the street. Aizono approached the driver’s side and…

With no forewarning, the 4-door family car was suddenly sliced in two.

The shape of Aizono’s hand had changed. More accurately, the black oil wrapped around her arm had formed the silhouette of a sword. Her clothes had also changed at some point. She now wore a special dress that was both a liquid and a solid.

“Yessss☆ Thanks for your hard work, you brave maid. Now, could you tell me where the hideout is? Where were you told to bring your companions in this piece of junk?”

“Wait…W-wh-what are you…!?”

The driver frantically pulled a handgun out of the dashboard.

However, he then noticed that something was wrong.

He felt a sticky feeling on his palm like he had picked up chocolate left in the car during the summer. Before he could even frown in confusion, the feeling slipped off of his hand. It took him a few more seconds to realize the handgun made of layered plastic that was harder than a hammer had melted.

“Hurry. Up. And. Tell. Me.”

“E-ee!? No. I’ll never talk!”

“Sigh. So you’re so far down on the chain of command that you don’t even understand how outmatched you are here.”

A sound like a rope being bent was heard. The next thing the driver knew, gasoline flowing from severed pipes surrounded his body, covering even his face.

“I suppose a nice oil massage would get the message across a little better. Have you ever wanted to be burned at the hands of a high school girl? Hmm. It’s a bit dark and hard to see. I think I’ll borrow that lighter of yours.”

“Burn!? A-are you an idiot!? I really will burn!”

“Now, it’s time for the bride and groom’s candle service!!”

Mikoto realized Aizono might actually do it, so she cut in.

“W-wait a second!! The wires were severed when you cut the car in two and this will be no joke if that’s ignited by the lighter!!”

“Ahh!! You idiot! Don’t come toward me while sending sparks everywhere like that!!”

“Eh?”

“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!”

With a great explosive noise, the turkey that was the star of the party was served up.

Aizono immediately slid backwards along the ground as if pushed by the orange explosion while Mikoto used magnetism to jump back as far as she could.

The experienced former elite’s face had gone slightly pale.

“I-I can’t believe you. Roasting a completely defenseless underling for a gag is an off the charts level of cruelty. …Can I call you mistress?”

“No, please don’t!! Also, this wasn’t my fault! The explosion came from the trunk. A detonation signal was sent an instant ahead of time!!” Mikoto shouted back indignantly.

At Mikoto’s feet, the relatively strong driver who normally would have declared his victory over the hardships of life was lying in a daze like a girl who had been knocked over and licked all over by her undisciplined pet dog.

Just before the explosion, Mikoto had used iron sand to absorb and isolate the gasoline surrounding the driver’s body, and had then used magnetism to operate his seatbelt buckle and pull him toward her.

“Nnyah?” Aizono tilted her head to the side in confusion before the younger girl. “So that explosion was planned ahead of time?”

“Yes. If they finished us off in the facility, that would have been that. But they also put a bomb in the trunk if it wasn’t enough. This double trap makes it seem more like they’re only trying to buy time rather than seriously trying to defeat us.”

“But what is the person behind this trying to do with the extra time?”

Mikoto and Aizono looked over toward the rescued driver. As the large man sat on the ground, he had tears in his eyes.

“N-nooooooooooooo!! I’ll talk. I’ll tell you anything, just don’t hurt meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! I don’t wanna buuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrnnnnn!!”

“Mistress, it seems you’ve awakened the maiden within this tough guy.”

“I told you it wasn’t my fault! If you give even one more unnecessary comment, I’ll surround your body in a low frequency hell!!”