Railgun 144

Chapter 144

01

Text: Some time has passed since the attempt at pitting the cliques against each other...

Title: Chapter 144: Assessment
Credit: Author: Kamachi Kazuma
	Art: Fuyukawa Motoi
        Character Designs: Haimura Kiyotaka
Box: October...

SFX: Approach...

Junko: This is the list of...
Junko: students in the top 3 cliques you asked for.

02

Misaki: Thanks.

Junko: Are you...
Junko: planning to start a clique?

Misaki: I know it isn't my style.

Misaki: But there are things I can't truly protect on my own.
Misaki: There is only so much a single person can do.

03

Misaki: I was recently made all too aware of that common truth.

Misaki: Not that I expect anyone will be weird enough to want to join.
Junko: Misaki-san...

SFX: Flip flip

Misaki: The Hasekura Clique...
Misaki: has no administration despite its size. Everyone runs it equally.

Misaki: Hasekura Reiri is the apex of Tokiwadai and travels overseas to represent the city.
Misaki: Her fame and charisma are what drew so many students to the clique.

Misaki: But that's also why it's only #3☆

04

Junko: Um, what do you mean?

Misaki: She's so high-spec, she doesn't need support.

Misaki: She can do most anything herself. In fact, she can get the job done faster and better herself.
Misaki: It must be hard to find a place in her clique without a lot of power.

Misaki: Which means the current members are the elites who did find a place there.

Misaki: That'll be a problem for me too since even Hasekura said how great I am.

05

Misaki: Next, the Mikagami Clique.

Misaki: She's surrounded by girls who want the ideal body.

Misaki: If I did want to try something similar...
Misaki: maybe I could make people mentally beautiful or rid them of their complexes?
Junko: Isn't that brainwashing? Or lobotomy?

Junko: Oh.
Junko: Speaking of Mikagami-san, she gave all the clique members beauty treatments as promised.

Girl: Mikagami-samaaa!
SFX: Bounce bounce

06

Girl: They're so big I can't see my feet and keep tripping!
SFX: Boing boing

Mikagami: This is why I kept asking you if you were sure about this.
Girl: I was so excited I even bought new bras ahead of time.

Mikagami: I'll fix it after school tomorrow, so wait until then.
Girl: Okay...
Girl(small): Sorry.

SFX: Trudge trudge

Girl2: Mikagami-sama!!
SFX: Rush rush
Mikagami: Yes, yes! What is it now!?

07

Girl2: You eliminated so much of my fat I'm always cold, my immunity is down, and I keep getting sick.
Mikagami: Should I start including a cooling-off period?

Misaki: And the biggest clique, the Sha Clique.
Misaki: This one...

Misaki: is a bunch of unremarkable girls.
Junko: Try to be nice...

Misaki: Most of them have unfortunate powers and grades.
Misaki: The three who attacked me must have been exceptions.

Misaki: I can see why they like the volunteer work the clique is known for.

08

Misaki: If they got into Tokiwadai, then back home...
Kids: Wow
Kids: Impressive
Misaki: they were lifted up as gifted kids.

Misaki: But this is an inhuman realm where they find their talents are nothing special.
Girl: Eh? Eh?

Misaki: After experiencing failure for the first time, they feel inferior and start to fall behind.
Girl: Maybe I'm no good...

Woman: Thank you.
Kid: Thanks.
Misaki: So they find new hope in the clique's volunteer work.

SFX: Bright...
Girl: I do belong here.

09

Misaki: The clique's position as a mental refuge is the secret to its size.

Junko: My!
Junko: So it's a win-win situation that leaves everyone happy.

Misaki: ...Is that how she sees it?
Misaki(small): Curse this good girl.

Misaki: In truth, it wasn't the volunteer work that originally brought people there.
Misaki: It just so happened that volunteer work was a good way of using the members' parents as ATMs.

Misaki: I doubt Hasekura and Asato haven't realized how that works.
Misaki: Did they not follow along because they don't like abusing philanthropy like that?

10

Misaki: But like Junko-san said...
Misaki(outside): Nnn
SFX: Tremble tremble
Misaki: Sha gets members and funding, the members get peace of mind, and society gets their service.
Misaki: So it's win-win-win.

Misaki: Ignoring size, the actual hierarchy of power goes Hasekura Clique > Mikagami Clique > Sha Clique.
SFX: Hoo
Misaki: Even if a military company was behind it, it feels intentional that the only conflict was between the Hasekura and Mikagami Cliques.

Misaki: If everything Sha said was an act...
Misaki: she must have a residual thought defense to use against my power.

Misaki: Probably best not to dig too deep.

Junko: Oh, it's almost time.

11

Misaki: For the art appreciation elective?
Junko: Which one did you choose?

Misaki: I chose one at random.
Misaki: The commedia dell'arte, I think?
SFX: Clatter

Junko: That would be in the academic theatre.
Junko: I chose the private art museum, which is also in District 9, so I will come for you afterwards.

Misaki: No, I can return to the dorm on my own.

12

Girl: Can a postwar upstart even understand a late Renaissance satire?

Asato: It would seem Mikagami-senpai can't detox you of that arrogant pride.

Girls: The clique conflict is over, but things are still on edge.
Girls: I hope they don't drag us into it.

13

Girls: If we don't sit near them-
SFX: Jump
Girls: Eek!

SFX: Whisper
Girls: Shokuhou Misaki...

Misaki: I don't bite.

Misaki: But this is how it is.

Misaki: No one would come to me even if I did start a clique.

14

Woman: Tokiwadai students, we are truly honored you are visiting our theatre today.

Woman: Please enjoy the city's first classic theatre.

SFX: Twitch

SFX: Smoke...

15

SFX: Smoke...

16

SFX: Smoke
Men: Bring more insulating duct tape!!

Men: How did this happen!?
Men: All the additions overloaded the wiring!

Men: We need to shut down the power!
Woman: Absolutely not!!

Woman: School Garden students have rented out the theatre!
Woman: What if we embarrass ourselves in front of these rich guests and lose our backing!?

Woman: Find a way to keep it going until the show ends!!

17

SFX: Clap clap clap
Misaki: That was better than I expected.
Misaki(small): Junko-san should have chosen this

18

Girl: I was moved to tears.
Asato: Pretty sure it was a comedy.

Girl: What is that smell?
SFX: Sniff sniff
Asato: Something's burning.

SFX: Smolder smolder

SFX: Burst

Text: It's an emergency!!
Both: Huh??

Box: To be continued next issue. The June Issue goes on sale Wednesday, April 26!!