Index Manga 144

Chapter 144

01

Margin: Frenda has leaked Item's information to Kakine.

Frenda: Sigh

Frenda: In the end...
Frenda: it was unavoidable.

02

Frenda: I fell for the enemy's trick and gave away our hideout's location!
Frenda(outside): Ahh, uhhh

Frenda: Who knows what kind of nasty punishment Mugino will give me if she finds out.

SFX: Boom

SFX: Rumble
Frenda(small): Uh, oh.
Frenda: It's started

Far right text: Dedication to the Team
Right text: Reward
Left text: Self-Preservation

03

Frenda: Y-yeah, I've gotta run.
SFX: Zoooom

Frenda: A few days? A few months? I need to lie low until the heat dies down!
Frenda: They could all be wiped out after an attack from School.

SFX: Boom boom boom
Frenda: Hyah!?

SFX: Float

SFX: Thoom

04

Frenda: Mugino!

Mugino: Ahh!?
SFX: Glare

Mugino: Frenda?
Mugino: You're alive?

Mugino: Hmm.

Mugino: Come to think of it, that Dark Matter guy said...
Mugino: we were all there, JUST LIKE HE WAS TOLD.

SFX: Tremble tremble

05

Mugino: Frendaaaa.
Mugino: You know what this means, don't you?
Mugino: I'm willing to overlook a screwup now and then.

Frenda: Eek!
SFX: Turn

Mugino: But anyone who betrays me won't be so lucky.

06

Top: A Certain Magical Index Volume 23 is on sale now from Gan Gan Comics!!

Title: #144 District 3 Hideout 3
Shiage: Takitsubo!!
Credit: Story: Kamachi Kazuma
        Art: Kogino Chuuya
        Character Designs: Haimura Kiyotaka

Bottom: New Testament - A Certain Magical Index 22 Reverse is on sale now from Dengeki Bunko!!

07

Kakine: What, you came back?

Kakine: Well, she put up a decent fight for someone with no direct combat ability.
Kakine: Using her searching ability to hijack her opponent's power was a pretty good idea.

Kakine: If she keeps growing, she might even become the 8th.

Shiage: Don't move!

08

Kaibi: I wouldn't do that if I were you.

Shiage: You?
Shiage: The crane girl!!
Shiage(small): You shot at me like crazy!

Kaibi: We have the Tweezers, so there's no real need to kill an underling like you.

09

Shiage: Huh?
Shiage: What? I can't shoot.

Shiage: I don't...
Shiage: want to shoot!!!

Kaibi: You're a lot kinder than you look.

Kaibi: What do you think happens...
Kaibi: when I make the emotional distance between us the same as with your friends or family?

Kaibi: For example, if I match it to Takitsubo Rikou there...

10

Shiage: Kh.
Shiage: Is she some kind of Telepath!?

Kaibi: My Measure Heart can freely adjust the distances between people's hearts.

Kaibi: You can't shoot me any more than you could Takitsubo.
Kaibi: In fact...
Kaibi: You can't harm me at all, can you?
Kaibi: I mean, you did come back here for her.

Kakine: What a joke.
Kakine: This makes us look like the bad guys.

Kaibi: Isn't a couple willing to die for each other a wonderful thing?
Kaibi: It's so rare I kind of don't want to destroy it.

11

Kakine: Yeah.
Kakine: It's a shame...
Kakine: that the girl's gonna die.

Shiage: What do you mean!?
Shiage: What did you do to Takitsubo!!?

Kakine: Nothing. She did it to herself.

Kakine: That's called Body Crystal.
Kakine: Did you know she was using it?

Shiage: To activate...
Shiage: her power.

12

Kakine: Technically, it intentionally causes a rejection reaction to MAKE HER POWER GO BERSERK.
Text: Experiment to Induce and Analyze Berserk Powers
Kakine: It's usually a bad thing...
Kakine: but there are some case where berserk powers work to their advantage.

Kakine: She must be one of them.

Kakine: She won't last long in that state.
Kakine: If she uses that power once or twice more...
Kakine: she'll break.

13

Kakine: We don't even need to finish her off.

Kakine: It'd be easier if we did, though.
Kakine(outside): What to do?

Kaibi: That search esper messed with your Personal Reality through your AIM, right?
Kaibi: Shouldn't you get yourself checked out?

Kaibi: Cause I don't want to die because an ally went berserk.
Kaibi(small): That scares me more than Item.

Kakine: Fine, then.
Kakine(small): Let's go.

14

Kaibi: Share the joy of survival with her.
Kaibi: Even if she's on death's door.

15

Shiage: Takitsubo.

Kakine: If she uses that power once or twice more...
Shiage: It must have been a huge burden already...
Shiage: but she used it again here.

Shiage: Dammit!!

16

Saiai: Hamazura.

Shiage: Kinuhata!!
Shiage: You came to?

Saiai: Thanks to you.
Saiai: I super can't move though, as you can see.
Saiai(outside): I feel like you super forgot about me being here.

Shiage: Hey, Kinuhata, what do we-

Phone: Incoming Call
       Mugino
       Swipe up to answer
       Swipe down to reject

17

Mugino: Haamazuraa.
Mugino: Is Takitsubo there?

Shiage: You-
Shiage: Where are you!?

Shiage: And you can't speak with Takitsubo.
Shiage: She collapsed after fighting Kakine!

Mugino: Quit your whining.
Mugino: School won't expect a counterattack now.
Mugino: I'll use Takitsubo's power to track them.

Mugino: So bring her here.

18

Mugino: She's doing this EVEN IF IT KILLS HER.

SFX: Beep beep

Shiage: I have to do this.

Shiage: I can't leave Takitsubo with Item.

19

Saiai: That's probably the best choice.
Saiai: Take Takitsubo-san and disappear.

Shiage: Thanks.
Saiai: I don't deserve any thanks.

Saiai: I meant it as an insult.
Saiai: I'm saying super useless people like you and Takitsubo-san would only get in Item's way.

Shiage: Is there anything I can do before I leave?
Saiai: Use Code 52 to contact our support organization and call an evidence cleaning team and an ambulance.
Saiai: I super can't move.

20

SFX: Vrrr

21

Yomikawa: So...
Yomikawa: you want me to look after this girl?

Yomikawa: Do you know what my job is?
Yomikawa: I can't just say "sure" under such obviously suspicious circumstances.
Shiage: I can explain everything later!!

Shiage: I'll even turn myself in!
Shiage: So please get her away from here immediately and take her somewhere safe!
Shiage: This isn't normal. She's been using something called Body Crystal and-

Yomikawa: Body Crystal!?
Yomikawa: Did you say Body Crystal!?

Mugino: Haamazuraa.

22

23

Shiage: F-
Shiage: Frenda.

Mugino: Oh, right.
Mugino: It turns out she betrayed us and was trying to go into hiding...
Mugino: so I purged her.

SFX: Thud

24

Mugino: So.
Mugino: What's this?

Mugino: Are you in need of purging too?

Shiage: Go.
Shiage: Take Takitsubo and go.
Shiage: I'll buy you some time.

Yomikawa: Wait, I couldn't possibly use a child as a shield!
Shiage: This is beyond that!

Shiage: Please.

Shiage: I don't want her to die.

25

Shiage: I could never make up my mind...
Shiage: but now I know this is what I want to do!

Shiage: So please go!
Shiage: I can't protect her on my own!
Shiage: I need your help!

26

Yomikawa: I'll get her somewhere safe, but I'll be right back with reinforcements!
Yomikawa: So don't die before that, Hamazura!!

Mugino: Fighting with your life on the line?
SFX: Step step
Mugino: Exciting, isn't it?

Shiage: I'm not about to throw my life away.

Shiage: Obwah!?

27

SFX: Cough cough

Shiage: Th-
SFX: Gasp
Shiage: That wasn't her power as a Level 5!
Shiage: That was just her arm!
Shiage(small): Is she a gorilla!?

Mugino: Tch.

Shiage: You sure you don't need to finish me off!!?

28

Mugino: Wait.
Mugino: Is that...!?

Mugino: You need this for her to use AIM Stalker, don't you!?

29

Shiage: I lost her.
Shiage: Ha.
Shiage: Ha ha ha
Shiage: Take that, you bitch!

30

SFX: Creeeak
Shiage: Whoa!

Shiage: Owww.

31

Mugino: You. Are. So. Dead.

Text: Raw murderous intent!!
Bottom: To be continued in the Shounen Gan Gan February Issue - Saturday, January 11