Index Manga 141

Chapter 141

01

Margin: What is happening to Xochitl's body!?

Title: #141 "District 10 Juvenile Hall 2"
Credit: Story: Kamachi Kazuma
        Art: Kogino Chuuya
        Character Designs: Haimura Kiyotaka

Etzali: What in the world!?

Xochitl: My body has...
Xochitl: simply reached its limit.
Xochitl: This must be the result of using a grimoire to make up for the skill I don't have.
Xochitl: I suppose this was a learning experience.

Etzali: You don't mean...

02

Etzali: YOU READ IT?

Xochitl: No.
Xochitl: I DID MORE THAN THAT.

Xochitl: As an Aztec magician, you should understand.
Xochitl: That ceremony lets you reach heaven by consuming human flesh.

Xochitl: So...
Xochitl: the flesh cut from my body...
Xochitl: is still connected to me by a spell line.

03

Etzali: She dries her own flesh and spreads it around as a powder.

Etzali: That powder magically remains a part of her body, so she can move it like her own limbs.
Etzali: Same for any weapons that powder touches.

Etzali: Is that the true form of the suicide spell?

Etzali: A spell that tears apart your own body will fail almost immediately!
Etzali: Surely you understood that, Xochitl!!

Xochitl: I do not care.

04

Xochitl: I can fulfill the organization's objective as long as I kill you before I run out of time.

Etzali: That's crazy!
Etzali: The organization I know was cruel, but not this cruel!

Etzali: What happened?
Etzali: This isn't right.
Etzali: I doubt an ordinary spell or spiritual item could cause this.

05

SFX: Heartbeat

Etzali: Gwwaaahh!

Etzali: Ahhhhhh!

SFX: Pant pant
Etzali: I...was right.
Etzali: It WAS that.

06

Etzali: An original grimoire.

SFX: Throb throb
Etzali: Was it a variation on the Calendar Stone?

Etzali: She fused with an original that defends against all attacks and prevents anyone from harming her!
Etzali: No, she gained its power by becoming a part of it.

Etzali: This is too much for me.
Etzali: Not even that Index can destroy these, so what is a mere magician like me supposed to do?

Etzali: I can't save Xochitl.

07

Etzali: But still...
Etzali: I won't let...
Etzali: you die!

Etzali: If human power isn't enough...
Etzali: I just have to borrow the original's power.

08

Etzali: I will take control of that grimoire!!

SFX: Unravel

Etzali: No.
Etzali: Not yet.

09

Etzali: It's said originals search for someone who will spread their knowledge and display their power to them.
Etzali: First, I will heal Xochitl.

Etzali: Let her die and I won't take over for her.

10

SFX: Flump

SFX: Heartbeat heartbeat

11

Awaki: I think...
Awaki: the AIM Jammer is getting stronger.

Tsuchi: They're combining the power of more than one at once.
Tsuchi: Musujime.
Tsuchi: It would be best not to use your power.
Tsuchi: A single mistake could cost you your life.

Tsuchi: Stand back and support me.
Tsuchi: As best as you can.
Awaki: You make it sound like I'm useless outside of my power.

Tsuchi: Looks like they're up here.
Tsuchi: The special cells for rebels.

12

Saku: An attack now?
Saku: So it really is Group.

13

Saku: This is a plastic explosive and an electric fuse.

Megumi: Saku!!
Saku: No, Teshio.
Saku: We have to use a hostage here.

Saku: The blast is directed through the door.
Saku: Because your interference didn't give me time to fine-tune it.
Saku: Who knows what will happen to the kid inside.

SFX: Crash crash crash

14

Tsuchi: Control yourself, Musujime!

Saku: Musujime Awaki.
Saku: You're that Move Point, huh?

Saku: Nice.
Saku: That saves some time.
SFX: Grin
Saku: We can negotiate here.

Awaki: And if I refuse?

Saku: Hey, Group.
Saku: Did you learn nothing from the 0930 Incident?

15

Saku: We learned something.

Saku: I thought Aleister controlled every last part of this messed-up world...
Saku: but that isn't the case.
Saku: There are ways to escape his control and places outside his control.

Saku: We were trapped in Academy City until now, but that's starting to feel silly.
Saku: First 0930 and now the Avignon riots.
Saku: With this chance given to us...
Saku: how could we not act?

Awaki: You shouldn't sound so proud of trampling on others to gain a new life.

Saku: Oh, really?
Saku: All of humanity hopes to find a paradise beyond their current life.

16

Megumi: You shouldn't...
Megumi: take hostages.

Saku: Don't be ridiculous, Teshio!
Saku: We're only getting started here!
Megumi: The hostage was only meant to get Move Point to negotiate.
Megumi: Using that bomb will only make her more stubborn.

Megumi: I never liked this idea.
Megumi: I only agreed because you said it was a necessary part of the plan.

Saku: It is!! We have 38 people to work with, so we have to use this one now!
Saku: Did you work so long in Anti-Skill you started empathizing with those kids!?

Saku: Get in my way and I'll kill you!!

17

SFX: Crack

Awaki: What are you doing?

Megumi: I apologize for him.
SFX: Flutter
Megumi: I won't...
Megumi: use hostages.

18

Megumi: But...
Megumi: you will talk.
SFX: Crack
Megumi: After I heart you more directly.

19

SFX: Wham

Tsuchi: That was...
Tsuchi: an Anti-Skill arrest move?

20

Megumi: It's my personal version.
SFX: Slid...
Megumi: Using that...
Megumi: would end up killing kids.

SFX: Kick

SFX: Wham

21

SFX: Bam

Megumi: You don't need strange powers or tricks for...
Megumi: professional work.

Megumi: You use...
Megumi: a variety of basic tactics...
Megumi: to crush the enemy.

22

Megumi: Ready to tell me how to...
Megumi: get into the Windowless Building?

Awaki: Why are you...
Awaki: so intent on killing Aleister?

Megumi: I have experienced...
Megumi: a fair amount of tragedy in this city.
Megumi: I just wanted to ask Aleister...
Megumi: if he had played a role in that.

23

Megumi: That's all.

Awaki: And you'll just accept his answer?

Awaki: I was once obsessed with "the truth".
Awaki: But.
Awaki: Pursuing that didn't give me the peace of mind I wanted.

Megumi: Maybe so.

Awaki: Also, your plan won't take down Aleister.
Awaki: Multiple simultaneous detonations from inside the building?
Awaki: If that was enough, then any teleportation esper could kill him in his sleep.

24

Megumi: True.
Megumi: I doubt that will kill Aleister.
Megumi: He is a true monster.

Megumi: But what about the life support system supporting him?

Megumi: I've heard there is no replacement for those devices.
Awaki: It won't work.

Awaki: For one thing, that isn't a "Windowless Building".

Megumi: What?

Awaki: That's no more than speculation...
Awaki: but I do know...
Awaki: that Aleister's plan goes far beyond anything we are imagining.

25

Awaki: He probably sees this entire planet as no more than a disposable tool.

Megumi: That's quite something...

SFX: Step
Megumi: but it changes nothing for me.

Megumi: I will keep at it until I have that info.
Megumi: So what will you do?

26

Awaki: I can't use my power properly thanks to the AIM Jammers.
Awaki: I'm not a good shot like Accelerator and I can't do hand-to-hand like Tsuchimikado.

Awaki: That's right.

27

Awaki: I can never protect anyone if that's how I look at it.

SFX: Pop pop

Megumi: You're using it.

28

Awaki: Yes.
Awaki: Sorry, but I'm using everything I've got.

SFX: Whoosh

SFX: Touch

SFX: Scrape scrape scrape

29

SFX: Whoosh

SFX: Bwoosh

Awaki: Urp...

SFX: Jerk

30

SFX: Kssshhhhh

31

Awaki: I can do it.
Awaki: I can beat this!!

Awaki: All those loathsome old scars mean nothing!!!

32

SFX: Jab

33

Megumi: Gff

Megumi: You make it...
Megumi: look easy.

SFX: Thud
SFX: Clatter

34

Tsuchi: Are you sure?
Awaki: Yes.

35

Awaki: For now anyway.

Accel: You're late.

Tsuchi: We managed.
Accel: You really did settle this, right?

Tsuchi: Okay, let's bet back.

36

Tsuchi: Into the darkness.

Margin: They walk back into the darkness. With their teammates.

Bottom: To be continued in the Shounen Gan Gan November Issue - Saturday, October 12