Railgun 157

Chapter 157

01

Text: Kiyoshi, trapped between her sister and her friend...
Title: Chapter 157: Ruse
Credit: Author: Kamachi Kazuma
		Art: Fuyukawa Motoi
		Character Designs: Haimura Kiyotaka

Mikoto: Things are getting bad around here.
Mikoto: Some people are even on edge after being questioned as suspects.

Mikoto: Kiyoshi?

Kiyoshi: Eh?
Kiyoshi: Oh.
Kiyoshi: Sorry.

Mikoto: Are you not feeling well?
Kiyoshi: No...hm?

Kiyoshi: Someone's spying on us.
Mikoto: Eh?

Mikoto: Oh, it's Shirai-san.
SFX: Badump

02

Kuroko: I, uh, was passing by and spotted you.
Kiyoshi: Do you know her?
Mikoto: Yes, she's from Judgment.

Kiyoshi: Judgment...
Kiyoshi: Um, I'm Mikoto-chan's roommate, Kessai Kiyoshi.

Kuroko: Mikoto-CHAN?
Kuroko: I'm Shirai Kuroko, a 1st year.
Kuroko: Is this the roommate who gave her the hair pin?

03

Mikoto: She actually does her Judgment work.
Kuroko: What's that supposed to mean?

Kiyoshi: Why's she looking at me like that?
Kiyoshi: Like she's assessing me?

Kiyoshi: Does she already suspect me?

Kiyoshi: Onee-chan did say to watch out for Judgment.
Kiyoshi: What if her power lets her detect lies?

Kiyoshi: S-sorry! I really am not feeling well, so I'm going to the infirmary.

04

Mikoto: She's been acting weird lately.

Mikoto: I thought it was because I lost the present she gave me...
Mikoto: but it seems like more than that.

Kuroko: Why not ask her what it is?

Mikoto: I'm sure she has her reasons.

Mikoto: So I want to wait until she's ready to tell me.

SFX: Throb

05

Kuroko: What is this throbbing in my chest?
SFX: Badump badump
Mikoto: What's wrong?

Saten: Oh.

Saten: Whatcha looking at?

Uiharu: There's been a string of attacks on celebrities and companies.
Saten: Oh, the ones people are saying were done by Tokiwadai students?

06

Saten: But those rich girls are set for life, so what would they get out of it?
Uiharu: That's it, isn't it?

Uiharu: Most people see it that way.

Uiharu: But a small number of conspiracy theorists...
Uiharu: are claiming Tokiwadai is a terrorist organization and things like that.

Uiharu: Really, and when even Saten-san is being sensible.
Saten: You don't hold back, do you?

07

Kuroko: We don't know the attacker's identity or how they're doing it...
Kuroko: but they definitely want to damage Tokiwadai's reputation.

Komaki: But not many people are going to believe it.
Komaki: So it's not very effective for the scale of what they're doing.

Kuroko: Lily-senpai, what do you think?

08

Lily: Well, I...

Box: Last Year
Lily: Eh?
Lily: You want me to join Judgment?
Sha: Yes.
Sha: You should have no trouble passing the exam.

Sha: With Shinenkouji-senpai graduating, I was hoping to give us some more lateral ties.
Sha: The clique will assist in an emergency.
Lily: I-I see.

Lily: I might be a 3rd year, but I'm still new at this.

Lily: You have more experience, so what do you think?

09

Kuroko(thought): I barely have any combat experience, though.
Kuroko: To reiterate, we do not know the attacker's identity.

Kuroko: The framed Tokiwadai students are all from different years, classes, cliques, clubs, and friend groups.
Kuroko: So I find it hard to believe a group could have done this, even if they are protecting their own.

Komaki: Could that company the cliques got in a fight with last year want revenge?

Kuroko: It is possible this is being done by Antikythera's missing managing director, but he is a wanted man.
Kuroko: He would have a hard time acquiring the funding and equipment.

Lily: Could he have brought his data and know-how as a gift to another company?

Kuroko: But then that company would have no reason to assist him in his personal grudge.

10

Kuroko: There are a few other possibilities that could lead to a situation like this.
Kuroko: And whatever the case...

Kuroko: It would be fastest to catch the attacker red-handed.

Komaki: That's an awfully aggressive solution for a school of proper ladies.
Komaki(small): None of the attacks have happened at school.
Kuroko: I've heard the school has always been that way.

SFX: Clatter

Komaki: I've made a list of around 20 companies...
Komaki: hostile to Tokiwadai which could be the next target.

11

Lily: And we need to keep an eye on them?

Lily: Our clique has an esper who can see through a bird's eyes.

Lily: Nocturnal birds like owls would be perfect.

Kuroko: I don't like getting help from someone not in Judgment...

Kuroko: but I did ask Uiharu to monitor the security cameras.

Kuroko: If there's a discrepancy between the two, it might tell me something.
Kuroko: See if she'll do that.

12

Kuroko: And thank Sha-senpai for her clique's cooperation.

Komaki: Do you know Sha-san?
Kuroko: I met her before I started here...
Kuroko: but I wouldn't say I "know" her.
Lily: What!?
SFX: Clatter

Lily: I didn't know her Highness tried to recruit you!?
Kuroko: No, like I said...

Lily: As you know, she is a truly wonderful person!
Lily(outside): Yes, yes

Lily: The volunteer work she started is not something she forces onto you.
Lily: She always finds exactly what we truly need to be doing.

Lily: She demonstrates a noble stance of creating a ring of coexistence and mutual prosperity! She has such drive and benevolence for someone so frail!!
SFX: Bla bla bla
Kuroko: R-right...

13

Lily: Her power to materialize the thoughts imbued in objects is also wonderful!

Lily: By materializing ancient dinosaurs from fossil fragments...
Lily: she has been providing answers to academic questions long left in the realm of theory.

Lily: The fossils she uses break apart and are wholly lost...
Lily: but that is a small price to pay for the vast amounts of information gained in return!

SFX: Bla bla bla bla
Lily: It's hard to classify her power as physical or mental...
Lily: so she sadly failed to achieve a Level 5 ranking...
Lily: but her academic contributions are well beyond Level 5!

Lily: I highly recommend joining our clique!!
Kuroko: I have to prepare for tonight...
Kuroko(small): You listen to the rest, Komaki.
Komaki: Eh!?

14

Girl: A request from Lily-senpai.

Sha: This involves Tokiwadai as a whole, not just Judgment.

Sha: So please assist her.
Girl: Will do.

Sha: I could target a company not on the list...
Sha: but instead...

15

Sha: I already used the memory-altering remote.
Sha: So this time I'll go with this.

16

SFX: Flap flap

SFX: Stare stare

17

Uiharu: I spotted a group of two in Tokiwadai uniforms at Point M!
Lily: A suspicious pair at Point M!

Kuroko: Identical info.

18

SFX: Whoosh pop

Kuroko: 2300m to the site.
Kuroko: That's less than 30s with repeat teleports.

SFX: Pop

SFX: Whoosh
SFX: Whoosh

SFX: Pop
SFX: Boom
Text: What will Kuroko see at the accident site set up by Sha?

Box: To be continued next issue. The November Issue goes on sale Friday, September 27!!