Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:GT Volume4 Chapter2 (section)

===Part 8===

Kamijou saw the girl’s eyes widen.

He and Stiyl had been speaking in Japanese, but she must have recognized one of the terms they were using. The instant she heard the English term, a clear change came over her.

The phrase was Space Engage.

Kamijou recognized it too. He only had to look at the young girl’s back and see what words were printed on the flight jacket she wore over her camisole.

He had assumed that was a brand name, but it must have been the name of a company instead.

Kamijou immediately gave Stiyl a stiff smile.

“Y-you’re joking, right? You must have misread it.”

“I am serious and I know what I saw.”

He heard a crunch as Stiyl Magnus bit the filter of his cigarette.

The priest gave into his anger and raised his voice.

“Kanzaki did everything she could to ensure I received this information even as her body came apart around her!! She left this mission with me and I will do whatever it takes to complete it. There is an undeniable connection between the R&C Occultics magician and Space Engage’s new weapon. I will not budge on that. We must start from there if we are to find a solution.”

“…”

This was the only possible conclusion based on the “starting point” he had gained from his partner’s sacrifice, so he glared straight at Kamijou’s face.

“Why was Helcalia the sole survivor out of 30 million people? You expect me to believe R&C Occultics overlooked her just because she was hiding in a locker? Preposterous. We’ve searched all over and not found a single other exception in a washing machine, a car trunk, a basement, or anywhere else. Every last dog house and bird cage was cleaned out as much as everything else. It only makes sense if you assume she was spared because she’s family of one of the villains!!”

“H-hey, Helcalia?”

“Not true. Can’t be.”

When interpreted by the Transla-Pen, the girl’s response didn’t sound like much, but even Kamijou could tell she was distraught. He could not understand her untranslated English, but he could still hear the fear and anger in her trembling voice.

“Mama isn’t!! She promised to make it true before I become grownup. She was excited about making a wedding in space. So nothing to do with R&C Occultics!!”

“How about this?” Stiyl Magnus slowly exhaled and finally moved his trembling hand to pull out a new cigarette. “Do you know why this girl’s mother was at that Academy City base? Melzabeth Grocery was the president of a space start-up. She used to do experimental launches outside of LA and on the ocean, but not anymore.”

He lit the cigarette and filled his lungs with smoke, but that did not seem to make him feel any better.

“But Academy City didn’t ask for her cooperation because she knew so much about space.”

''No, they wouldn’t,'' thought Kamijou. Academy City technology was 20-30 years ahead of the outside world, so they would never ask for someone outside the city for help when it came to technology.

But then why had they contacted Melzabeth Grocery?

“Her start up got off the ground with support from R&C Occultics and she was one of the company presidents in their crucial independent affiliates division. Academy City wanted her as an insider who knew the inner workings of that enigmatic IT company. …But seeing as the Logistic Hornet is assisting the Citrinitas magician, that was probably a bad idea. She was working with Anna and she was sent to Academy City as a double agent. ''She worked on the inside to sabotage Overlord Revenge''!!”