Mental Out 21

Chapter 21

01

Text: A dangerous reunion!
Kokuchou: Misaka-chan and Hokaze-san?
Title: Chapter 21
Credit: Author: Kamachi Kazuma
        Art: Nogi Yasuhito
        Character Designs: Haimura Kiyotaka

Kokuchou: I don't see you two together much.
Kokuchou(small): Do you need something?

02

Gaouin: Th-this is Smile Pancake's super rare seasonal Jack-o'-Special!!
Gaouin(outside): Wow wow wow wow

Junko: I wanted to thank you.
Gaouin: You stood in line for this?
Gaouin(outside): I greatly appreciate it!

SFX: Munch

Gaouin: A girl was threatened by someone RESEMBLING Hokaze-san.
Gaouin: My investigation with Shokuhou-san failed to reach the truth.

Gaouin: But we did find a discrepancy between the victim's memory and the memory read at the crime scene!
Gaouin: That proved someone had used some kind of trick!

03

Gaouin: So I convinced the commissioners to give you a limited release!
Gaouin: Someone is required to watch over you...

Gaouin: but that someone is me.

Junko: Thank you for everything.
Gaouin: I thought this was a good time to use my position as Vice President.
Gaouin(small): Heh heh heh

Gaouin: But we need another lead to continue the investigation.
Gaouin(outside): The building it happened in has collapsed.
Gaouin(outside): Hmm

Junko: If he faced a situation like this...
Junko: would he power through it with guts?

Junko: Oh?

04

Junko: This tea...

Gaouin: Shokuhou-san left it for you.

Junko: It's Jin Xuan.
Junko: Misaki-san...

Gaouin: She also left a message.
Gaouin: "This tea could be the key to solving the case."

Gaouin: Any idea what she meant by that?

Junko: Jin Xuan tea is Misaki-san's favorite drink.
Junko: It is known for...

Junko: I think I might know!
Junko(small): Lend me your ear!
SFX: Clatter

05

Gaouin: That could be it!
Junko: Right!? Right!?
Junko: The only question is how to bring it up with her.
SFX: Step

Mikoto: So it really was her? When are you going?
Mikoto: I'll join you.

Junko: Misaka-san.

Mikoto: I was just passing by when I heard you mention her.
Mikoto: Crazy coincidence, huh?

06

Gaouin: That liar.
Junko: She was eavesdropping.
Mikoto: I'll help. I don't care about the clique stuff, but I need to THANK her for before.

Mikoto: And since our interests are aligned...
Mikoto: I have a great plan!
Mikoto(outside): Leave it to me!

Gaouin: A direct confrontation is not a "great plan".
Gaouin: I knew something was off when they said it was too dangerous for me to go along.
Mikoto: No
Junko: No

Gaouin: She does everything so flawlessly it's easy to forget Misaka-san is a brawler with meathead tendencies.

Gaouin: Which means Hokaze-san is my only hope!
Gaouin: Please keep Misaka-san in line!

07

Kokuchou: You think the person who framed Hokaze-san...
Kokuchou: was me?

Kokuchou: Hweh?

Mikoto: Don't play du-
Junko: Please do not feign ignorance.

Junko: We came here with proof.
SFX: Crackle

SFX: Crackle
Junko: We are not here to play games.

Gaouin: Why is Hokaze-san the one crackling!?
Gaouin: Oh, I get it. They're birds of a feather, meaning there's no one to stop them!!
Gaouin(small): Oh, no!!

SFX: Crackle

08

SFX: Transform

Kokuchou: Two electric espers?
Kokuchou: And both with short fuses.

Gaouin: There she is!
Gaouin(outside): I need to film this!

Kokuchou: You barely survived last time.
Kokuchou: Are all your affairs in order, Railgun?

Mikoto: Sorry, but I'm not about to die before a certain idiot I know.
Mikoto: How about you? Got your will written?

Kokuchou: Hmph. This is reckless, not brave. In a hurry to die?
Gaouin: Why are they all so ready to kill!?

09

SFX: Scatter

Junko: Is that the metal particles!?
Junko(small): I can't see them.
SFX: Hide
SFX: Spread

SFX: Crackle
SFX: Zap

SFX: Zap zap zap

10

SFX: Bazap zap zap

SFX: Thump thump thump

Kokuchou: Magnetism?

Mikoto: That's right.

11

Mikoto: Your Synthesize Grid is built around metal particles.
Mikoto: I magnetized them all with my power.
SFX: Crackle

Mikoto: Then I created another powerful magnetic field...

Mikoto: to repel them from the garden.

Mikoto: Your power doesn't work without them.
Mikoto: Your trick won't help you now that I know how it works.

Kokuchou: Fairly clever for an imitation.
SFX: Roar
Kokuchou: Very well.

Gaouin: Another building could collapse at this rate.
SFX: Roar
SFX: Strain strain
Gaouin: Someone stop them!!!

12

Kokuchou: No, no! Stop!! Stoooop!!!!
SFX: Grab

Mikoto: What, lost your nerve?
Kokuchou: I just remembered!

Kokuchou: The dorm manager...
Kokuchou: is on patrol today.

Both: Wha-!?

Mikoto: I thought it was Watanabe-sensei today.
Kokuchou: They added shifts after the building collapse!

Kokuchou: Cause trouble now and we'll be executed!
Kokuchou: She must be on her way here after what just happened!
Kokuchou: Want to keep going!?

Kokuchou: Because I don't!!!

Kokuchou: Altogether now.
All: I'm sorry.
Kokuchou: We weren't fighting!!!

SFX: Turn...

13

Junko: When Shirai-san detained me...

Junko: I boosted my senses so I wouldn't overlook any detail.
Mikoto: Yeah, she can boost her senses with Rampage Dress.
Mikoto: I can too, but it's hard to control.

Junko: Thanks to that, I noticed something...
Junko: about the victim.

Junko: She identified me as the culprit based on my scent.

Kokuchou: Yes, yes.

Junko: But what did that mean?

14

Junko: Are you familiar with the Proust Effect?

Kokuchou: Scents can bring memories to mind.
Kokuchou: It's an important part of baking sweets.
Mikoto: Aren't there drinks with the same flavor but different scents?

Junko: Scents have a strong effect on recognition.

Junko: So the culprit DRESSED LIKE ME...
Fake Junko: So you admit it?
Fake Junko: Then I will have an election commissioner inform the entire school.
Junko: and the victim DETECTED THE SAME SCENT ON ME...
Junko: so she would think I was the culprit.

Junko: That is the trick used to frame me for the threat!

15

Gaouin: An even easier mistake to make when it was too dark to see her face well.
Gaouin: The real Junko's face overwrote the memory.

Gaouin: That created the discrepancy between the victim's memory and the crime scene memory.
Gaouin: A simple trick once you know how it's done.

Kokuchou: Hmm?
Kokuchou(outside): Hmm

Kokuchou: Even if that's true...
Kokuchou: what does it have to do with me?

Junko: My shampoo.
Kokuchou: Hweh?

Junko: I changed my shampoo recently.
Flashback Gaouin: Did you change your shampoo?
Flashback Junko: Eh?
Gaouin: Oh, that's right.

16

Junko: It was a special shampoo the newspaper club gave me.
Mikoto: Really?

Junko: They asked me to test it out for one of their sponsors.
Girl: It's specially designed for ringlets
Misaki: This one
Junko(flashback): Yes, Queen.
Junko: There were two kinds and the Queen chose one for me.

Junko: Only those four knew the exact brand.
Junko: But.
Junko: Isn't the newspaper part of your clique?

Junko: You sent their Nenohi-san as a spy.
Wakana: I'm not a spy

Junko: That shampoo isn't even for sale yet, so only one person could have used it to frame me.
SFX: Wave
Junko: Kokuchou Mayui-san!

17

Junko: You are the mastermind behind the threat!!
SFX: Point

Kokuchou: Ha ha. That's so silly.

Junko: Stop pretending!
Mikoto: Give up already!
SFX: Clatter

Mikoto: If you knock out just one final candidate for the election, you get a spot.
Mikoto: You benefit the most from framing the Shokuhou Clique.
Text: Final Candidates
Mikoto: Or so Gaouin-san said.

Kokuchou: Hmm...

18

Kokuchou: I guess that's a passing grade.

SFX: Zwoom
SFX: Thunk
SFX: Thunk

Mikoto: What!?
Mikoto(small): I can't get out!

Junko: I only let my guard down for an instant!!

19

Kokuchou: But not good enough. And as a freebie...
Kokuchou: I'll tell you I wasn't DIRECTLY involved in that case.

Kokuchou: Anyway, this should set things in motion.

SFX: Crackle crackle
Mikoto: Not even electricity can get out!?

Kokuchou: Did you forget about my own power?

Kokuchou: Isn't it great? The previous generation evolved it for me.
SFX: Drip

Kokuchou: Oops, sorry.
Kokuchou(outside): Oh, dear.

20

Mikoto: How can you let that strange thing mess with your head?
Mikoto: What are you thinking?

Kokuchou: Hmm?
SFX: Fade...

Kokuchou: I want to be the President?
Kokuchou: And Director Unabara told me to.

Mikoto: Huh?

Kokuchou: Oh! I wasn't supposed to say that!!
Kokuchou: Ah ha ha. Whoopsie!
SFX: Knock
Kokuchou(outside): Ah ha ha!

Kokuchou: I'm too clumsy for all this scheming.

21

Kokuchou: I prefer to operate on intuition.

Kokuchou: So I told her about the scent trick...
Kokuchou: and it landed me Shokuhou-chan, Misaka-chan, and Gaouin-chan!
Kokuchou(outside): Isn't that incredible!?

Kokuchou: Also, also...
Mikoto: I was only trying to help.

Kokuchou: I was only really getting rid of some useless trash...
Kokuchou: but Shokuhou-chan got so attached to her and nearly got herself killed. Talk about cost effective.

Gaouin: Eh?

22

Junko: Told her?
Junko: Told who?

Junko: Kokuchou-san.
Junko: What are you still hiding?

Kokuchou: A butterfly's fluttering wings...
Kokuchou: can end up causing a great storm.
Kokuchou(outside): Oh

Kokuchou: Not even I know what will happen.
Kokuchou: I want to eliminate at least one...
Kokuchou: but more would be nice.

Kokuchou: So I was thinking of "using up" a couple more of my girls.
Kokuchou(outside): Ah
SFX: Topple

Junko: What do you think your clique members are!?

Kokuchou: Huh?

23

Kokuchou: Throw-away pawns. What else?

24

Yuiitsu: Hi, hi! You asked for me and here I am, you fancy school!
Yuiitsu: I hope True Body-chan is doing well.

SFX: Blow
Yuiitsu: Oh, what a mischievous wind.

Yuiitsu: Hee hee. I feel like I'm...
Yuiitsu: being buffeted by a storm of youth from those rich girls.

25

Yuiitsu: Ready or not here I come, Tokiwadai!
Text: A human storm makes landfall. Please leave, Kihara Yuiitsu!!

Margin: *On hiatus next month. The next update will be on November 28.