Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:Item5 Chapter3 (section)

===Between the Lines 1===

As the sky faded from orange to purple, the District 7 riverside was already crowded with people.

The motley collection of people all carried cardboard fans used by sticking your thumb through a round hole. They were being handed out for free around here and they doubled as a pamphlet for the fireworks show.

The wide riverside lawn was ordinarily used as a golf driving range or a grass-lot baseball field. Ropes currently divided it into some roughly rectangular areas, but that barely mattered with such a large crowd. There just wasn’t room for people to lay out a sheet and sit down. There were also some large artificial structures. At the front row near the river was a large stage like those seen at outdoor festivals and a temporary relay station for a TV broadcast had been set up.

The noise was deafening.

Large speakers were lined up across the vast space like monoliths and they produced a young male announcer’s voice.

“Welcome to the fireworks show and night parade that acts as an alternate way to enjoy the Daihaseisai!! You will soon be treated to a dance of light and sound born from a combination of skill and talent! Not only that, but a variety of artists, both professional and amateur, are joining us tonight! Allow me to introduce you to them. First is the gold standard who needs no introduction: Hitotsui Hajime. Next is, um, her name isn’t read in the German or the Italian way, is it? …Anyway, this is Arisa-chan! And we have the three-member idol unit Clearance!!”

The stands set up on the riverbank were selling the standard food and drinks but also binoculars and simple phone tripods. The single-lens reflex lenses made to be attached to a smartphone weren’t cheap enough to sell at stands like this, so the ones here were probably useless fakes.

“C’mon, Tessou. We don’t have all day, so get going!”

“Ahhh. W-wait for me, Senpai…”

Some mechanical “gashunk, gashunk” sounds came from the crowd.

More specifically, from Spider Crab crowd monitoring mobile watchtowers. In other words, Anti-Skill was equipped with stilt-like gear that allowed them to skillfully weave through the crowd. With some help from computer support and anti-personnel radar, the metal legs, which were thinner than mops, managed to walk smoothly through the dense crowd without ever stepping on anyone’s feet. They looked ridiculous, but a kick to the side from one of those could supposedly flip over the average car.

And among it all.

Partially at the mercy of the waves of people, a girl waved her small hand and called out to her friend.



“F-Fremea-chan, where are you?”

“Azumi, I’m over here. In the first place, my sister will be here soon!”

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