Editing Toaru Majutsu no Index:Item6 Chapter3 (section)

===Part 1===

It was evening at the District 5 discount shop.



Tension ran between the four members of Item.

The presence of Judgment, who maintained order within Academy City, was nothing unusual. The city was full of schools and each one had a Judgment branch, so there had to be a decent number of them around.

Not wearing the armband wasn’t unusual either. Judgment members were also ordinary students who studied at school and they would only don the armband when trouble broke out between students or they otherwise felt the need to work, so they would spend the majority of their time without the armband.

However…

“(I don’t like the way she has her armband off but is in that sharp-eyed work mode. What is this? Is there some reason she can’t loudly announce her presence as Judgment? Like quietly setting up a perimeter before they capture a major target?)”

Of course, the student-run Judgment wouldn’t be operating a large-scale arrest like this. The students were able to blend in better, so had they been sent in first to secure the location and set up a perimeter before the fully-equipped adult Anti-Skill officers barged in?

“(In the end, I don’t think Busty Glasses there has noticed us.)”

“(Is Judgment even super after us?)”

Kinuhata’s question was understandable, but whether this was about Item or some other fugitive, they could still be caught up in this arrest. Those criminal girls couldn’t just hope for the best. Even a simple question about their address or occupation could prove dangerous.

“(Mugino, what do we do?)”

“(Let her pass us by.)”

That was an awfully passive opinion for Mugino Shizuri of all people.

However, this was the result of the unique education she had received from the Mugino Family.

“(Killing her would be easy, but it would only work against us. It’s the same reason gang members avoid killing cops.)”

Maybe setting up the perimeter surreptitiously was the priority here, but they didn’t seem to be setting up any baggage check points or metal detectors. So mixing in with the other customers would likely be enough to slip out the exit and escape.

Or so Mugino thought until Takitsubo spoke up again.

“Mugino. Something’s bothering me.”

“Huh?”

“Staying near the exit to keep an eye on the entire place is the usual tactic, but the Judgment girl over there has chosen a bad position. That decorative column next to her should be blocking a large portion of her view, but she doesn’t seem bothered at all.”

“That Busty Glasses, you mean? You sure she isn’t just too stupid to know it matters?”

“She might have a power that lets her see through obstacles. Like Clairvoyance. …And something about her seems familiar to me.”

Kinuhata just about turned around to get a look, but Mugino grabbed her head with a hand to hold it in place. Why would you try to hurriedly hide from someone who could see through any kind of cover?

Mugino reorganized her thoughts based on this new information.

Judgment and Anti-Skill were preparing for a major arrest in this discount shop. They likely weren’t after Item, but as criminals they might end up as an unexpected bonus prize if they were caught up in it all.

They couldn’t afford to be arrested here.

No matter what.

“This could be bad if she really does have Clairvoyance… If she notices us trying to sneak out, we’ll have no choice but to kill her.”