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

===Part 6===

Academy City’s infrastructure networks were designed on the theme of decentralization. The wind turbines throughout the city were a well-known example, and the third generation sewer system was another example. Instead of centralized treatment plants, microbe storage and cultivation facilities were scattered throughout the sewers. If the number of microbes increased too much like in a red tide, ultraviolet sterilization lights placed in important points of the sewers would activate to regulate their numbers.

Even if those decentralized infrastructure networks were targeted in a terrorist attack or the like, Academy City could continue functioning. The system had enough redundancy built in that the rest of the system could easily deal with the excess burden left if a single location was destroyed. That allowed them to avoid the worst possible situation.

This was within one of those microbe storage and cultivation facilities.

The area was about as large as a school gym and it had multiple metal pipes lined up within it. Each pipe was as wide as a school classroom and about three stories high. With stairways built next to the pipes and midair passageways crisscrossing above, the area seemed cramped despite how large it was. The area was said to have once been used by White Alligator as an indoor shooting practice range. However the “practice” in question involved espers firing at each other with real bullets.

On one of those strangely clean midair passageways that had absorbed plenty of blood which had subsequently been broken down by the microbes, a girl wearing pants under a short dress leaned her back against the metal railing.

The cell phone in her hand had no static over the connection even in that underground space.

“…Yes. A job’s a job, so we’ll finish this. There is no need to worry about Saitou Souta, but is he really that valuable?” she said into the phone.

“It is not your job to determine anything’s value, Hyoudou-kun.”

“True. Well, I’ll play my part as the soldier and do the physical work. I wasn’t given a life with anything to live for besides the reward for a completed job.”

With that simple reply, the girl called Hyoudou ended the connection and called out to a colleague down below. The colleague was a girl wearing a brightly colored sports brand track suit.

“Kobina, how are things with the ‘cargo’?”

“A real pain in the ass! In fact, you help too, Maki!! Just the person would be fine because I could stuff him in a body bag and carry him like that. But he needs this life support device with him, so we need this inflatable boat. I have to crouch down, grab it with both hands, and push. As I said, it’s a real pain in the ass! I’m going to have back pain at my age!!”

“Sorry, my job is to go ahead and make sure everything is all clear. What about Sayori and Yuri? Are they complaining again?”

“You’re the same as them, you wage thief! I’m the only one doing any work around here! Sayori said she was the rear guard and has just been lazing around behind and Yuri keeps saying it’s too dark or too scary or that there aren’t any guys around here and walks off!! I can tell she’s lying! That’s not how you’re supposed to use fake tears!!”

“The mission will be over soon enough, so stick with it until then. I’ll give you these potato sticks. They’re cheese flavored.”

“You’re not going to win me over with potato sticks!! And don’t bring out strong smelling things like that in the middle of a mission!!”

“Then I’ll just have to throw them away. And there are so many left.”

Kobina fell silent for a bit before saying, “Th-the potato sticks did nothing wrong.”

“Negotiation complete.”

Hyoudou threw the box of snacks over the railing where Kobina caught it with a sulky expression and started munching on the contents.

“Really, our job is already done. Just wrap up Saitou Souta, boat and all, and stuff him in the storage and cultivation tank. Then we just have to leave some obvious signs for our pursuers and leave with the dummy boat. Once no one is after Saitou Souta, a different unit disguised as cleaners will come recover him.”

“Heh.” A twisted smile appeared on Kobina’s face. “I’m not really one to talk, but you’re pretty twisted. That produces nothing. Do you like the taste of other people’s misfortune that much?”

“I don’t want to hear that from someone rampaging right along with me.”

“What did you think I meant by ‘I’m not really one to talk’? Anyway, if you want revenge, why don’t you carry it out with your own hands? That’s much more healthy. And then it might actually be worth helping you.”

“That would be too boring.”

“You really are twisted. You’re on the same level as someone who can only get turned on by seeing their lover assaulted by some stranger.”

Silence fell.

Silence only interrupted by the crunching of snacks being consumed.

And then the two sensed it at the same instant.

Most likely, Sayori and Yuri had sensed it too, wherever they were.

“…This smell.”

“Napalm!?”

Just as she cried out, Aizono Mio’s Military Oil exploded without restraint.