Toaru Majutsu no Index: Miracle of Endymion Manga Chapter 008

Promise of Endymion (「約束の地エンデュミオン」) is the eighth chapter of the Toaru Majutsu no Index: Miracle of Endymion manga, released on September 12, 2013 in Monthly Shōnen Gangan.

Synopsis
Down below, Mikoto and the others are alarmed by the fact that the Endymion is collapsing and there's nothing they can do to stop it. The only thing they can do however is to terminate or purge the Endymion. According to Kazari there are a explosive bolts under Endymion but frozen currently and as such cannot be detonated remotely. Hearing this, Misaka volunteers to destroy it. Kuroko, who had just arrived, volunteers as well, but is too injured to do so. Seeing this, Aiho volunteers Anti-Skill to do destroy one of them as well. With one more to go and no one to volunteer, Ruiko tries to volunteer but is interrupted by Tsuchimikado Motoharu, hacking into Anti-Skill's encrypted lines and communicating through their radio. He tells them that he has a way to get to destroy to the last one. Seeing no other choice and impressed by the fact that he hacked into Anti-Skill's encrypted lines, Mikoto deems that Motoharu, the caller, is not making a prank and may be able to do it. With their blessing, Motoharu tells Stiyl to destroy the last explosive bolt, to which he agrees.

Back at the top of the space elevator, Shutaura drags her way to the concert hall while the civilians are being evacuated. Hurting from listening to Arisa's song, she is determined in stopping it. Seeing her, Shutaura uses her Earth Palette discs to destroy the stage she is on. Arisa falls but is saved by Touma in time but is injured as a result. Arisa tries to protect Touma with her body. Shutaura tells Touma that Arisa is the cause of Ladylee's plans and that her songs and miracles have deceived everyone, as such is the reason why she must kill her. However, she becomes enraged when Arisa throws a kind smile at her, knocking her out with her with a single slap.

Meanwhile, the great magic circle of Ladylee glows ever the stronger, and Ladylee continues to observe it, deeming that only a little more time is needed before she can finally die. However, she is visited by Index who states that she has never seen a spell as deranged as hers before and asks if she is planning to destroy the world. Index says that the magic circle has gone completely haywire, but Ladylee doesn't listen. Seeing her, Ladylee recognizes that she is before the Index Librorum Prohibitorum. She says to her that she should know how she feels as she as they are both cursed by magic. She says that she can finally escape the hell she has suffered through. Listening to her, Index asks how old she is, to which Ladylee reveals that she was born in 1182 and has suffered greatly, and tells Index not to get in her way. Index however says that it won't work, even if she succeeds she will not die, as Index tells her that she will stop her in order to help save Arisa. Hearing this only irritates Ladylee.

Back underground, Mikoto plows through Endymion's defenses. Anti-Skill however is delayed by the numerous mobile weapons that have come to intercept them. For Stiyl and his witches, they have their own matters tending to with their own mobile weapons they have to stand against. Mikoto later comes to find many mobile weapons coming to intercept her. With Stiyl's group, he is injured, and Mallybath, one of the witches, asks of his condition, to which he says not to worry about it. Suddenly, Ladylee's female automaton appear before them in the explosive bolt room, and Mallybath is more than eager to have Stiyl rest while they fight it themselves. However, he pushes them aside, saying he will not back down from his own fight. Anti-Skill on the other hand is stuck against the strong opposition of the countless mobile weapons that the Black Crow unit has apparently set to ambush them. Here, Aiho apologizes for failing. Suddenly, those who are using the communication lines here one of the clones (though not to their knowledge) tell Aiho not to worry, saying that they need only to blow them up at the count of three, and then ends her sentence with "Misaka," stirring confusion on Kuroko's face. There, Misaka 10032 carries a large prototype Railgun and aids Mikoto in destroying the mobile weapons that would've overwhelmed her. Finally, a certain white haired boy, Accelerator, the strongest Level 5, enters one of the rooms of the explosive bolts. Accelerator is annoyed by this bothersome situation, to which Last Order says that they have come because the world is in danger, though Accelerator replies that he does not care for such a thing. However, he notes that it should at least be good exercise.

And there, in a count of three: Mikoto with her Railgun, Stiyl with his Innocentius, and Accelerator with the power over all vectors, destroy all three explosive bolts.

In the core room, even Ladylee could feel Endymion being terminated. Ladylee becomes worried, allowing for a chance for Index to analyze and stop the spell. Shutaura and Touma notice it as well. Touma then says that there is nothing they cannot do. Shutaura despairs, and points her gun instead at Arisa. She tells Touma on how her father was the only one who died in the Miracle of 88 despite she and everybody else surviving. For that reason Shutaura can never accept a miracle, and states that she will carry on the will of her father who relied on his skills instead of a miracle. Hearing this, Touma says that her father tried his best to save her and everyone on board, even when there is little chance, as long as one pushes their limits, something is bound to happen. Touma says that Daedalus gave his all until the very end believing that he could do it, and tells her that it is the reason why she and everyone else survived. Shutaura is shocked and takes a long hard look at the unconscious Arisa, as Touma says that a miracle truly did happen because her father made it so. He concludes that if Shutaura denies that, she would be killing her father a second time. Shutaura is stunned by Touma's words. Shutaura curses, and says that no one can stop the Endymion from falling now, and there, begins to laugh like a lunatic, mocking him for believing in miracles, telling him if his miracles can stop the Endymion from falling and save everyone on Earth, save Arisa, save himself, and save everyone who believes in miracles and disrupt the natural order. Then, Shutaura points her gun at Touma. Unbeknownst to her, Touma took out his cellphone, and aware of her weakness, plays one of Arisa's songs. The pain of the incomprehensible sound that invades Shutaura's ears gives Touma enough time to close the distance and strike away her gun. Touma tells her that someone who denies miracles like her doesn't create order either. Angered, Shutaura binds Touma with her wires, and throws rare earth pellets at him, exploding, though in low yield. However, that is not enough to take Touma down. Touma says that risking everything on the smallest chance in order to make the slightest difference and never doubting they can achieve something, that is what it means to move forward. He tells her that is what her father sought, and that is what a miracle means. Touma moves forward as Shutaura's guard is down. Here, he declares that he will destroy that illusion of hers, and gives a single strike upon her face. Here, he declares that he will destroy that illusion of hers, and gives a single strike upon her face.

Adapted From

 * Toaru Majutsu no Index Movie: Miracle of Endymion

Major Events

 * As Endymion threatens to collapse, Misaka Mikoto, Stiyl Magnus, and Accelerator destroy the space elevator's explosive bolts.
 * Shutaura confronts Meigo Arisa and Kamijou Touma.
 * Index confronts Ladylee.

Characters

 * Uiharu Kazari
 * Saten Ruiko
 * Yomikawa Aiho
 * Misaka Mikoto
 * Shirai Kuroko
 * Tsuchimikado Motoharu
 * Stiyl Magnus
 * Marie Spearhead
 * Mallybath Blackball
 * Jane Elves
 * Shutaura Sequenzia
 * Meigo Arisa
 * Kamijou Touma
 * Ladylee Tangleroad
 * Index
 * Misaka Imouto
 * Accelerator
 * Last Order
 * Daedalus Sequenzia

New Characters
No new characters were introduced this chapter.

Abilities

 * Teleport - Shirai Kuroko, Level 4.
 * Electromaster (Railgun-variant) - Misaka Mikoto, Level 5.
 * Railgun
 * Immortality - Ladylee Tangleroad
 * Earth Palette - Shutaura Sequenzia, Level 4.
 * Accelerator (ability) - Accelerator, Level 5.
 * Water magic - Marie Spearhead
 * Earth magic - Mallybath Blackball
 * Wind magic - Jane Elves
 * Fire magic - Stiyl Magnus
 * Innocentius
 * Index Librorum Prohibitorum - Index

New Abilities
No new abilities were introduced in this chapter.

Locations

 * Academy City
 * School District 23
 * Endymion

New Locations
No new locations were introduced during this chapter.

Trivia

 * This chapter ran alongside the 1st chapter of Toaru Nichijou no Index-san and the 73rd chapter of the Toaru Majutsu no Index manga adaptation.

Referbacks

 * As with the movie, the manga references Saten Ruiko using a bat in the last episode of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun.

Cultural References

 * Index references how the magic ritual Ladylee has set-up is like a.
 * Ladylee says that she was born in 1182. As she was shown to be a young girl in her flashback from the previous chapter, she would be old enough to witness the and would likely be the  where she attains the ambrosia from the wounded Crusader.

Unanswered Questions

 * How did the Black Crow unit able to anticipate and set up the mobile weapons exactly in the path of the Aiho and the Anti-Skill and in extension the rest of the people who were after the explosive bolts?
 * Why did Shutaura's Earth Palette cartridges used on Touma not kill him?

Quotes

 * Ladylee: "The Index Librorum Prohibitorum... I've heard of you. The one who bears the knowledge of 103,000. The human library. Shouldn't you understand how I feel!? Do we not share the same fate of being cursed by magic!"―said to Index.
 * Touma: "Do you see now? If you believe you can and make earnest efforts... for your life... Then there is nothing you cannot do! If you shi earnestly and do your best... Then there's nothing you can't do!"―said to Shutaura.
 * Touma: "You're just feeling sorry for yourself... You truly want to believe in all of it... But you lie to yourself and deny it!! With this right hand of mine, I will destroy that messed up illusion of yours!!!"―said to Shutaura.