Toaru Majutsu no Index Manga Chapter 070

Shorthand is the 70th chapter of the Toaru Majutsu no Index manga, detailing Touma and the other's attempts to chase down Oriana Thomson.

Synopsis
The three enter the maintenance terminal where Motoharu notes that he could tell Oriana Thomson to be inside. Inside, he steps on one of the traps set up by Oriana, and Stiyl pushes Touma to use his power to dispel the magical attack. Touma is pissed at how Stiyl treats him, but Stiyl explains that they should know each other's roles (and Touma's role is dispelling Oriana attacks as of the moment). Another attack from Oriana soon appears, and as Touma moves to dispel it, Motoharu and Stiyl take cover on the buses.

Motoharu tells Stiyl to place rune cards on the buses as they'll try to find a way to pin down Oriana. As for Touma, the two unanimously decide that he should stay where he is, much to Touma's shock. The two then continue on their pursuit, now avoiding the traps instead of allowing Touma to dispel every single attack; Motoharu guesses that the traps are merely there to slow them down and thus, must be avoided if possible. Oriana soon exits the building and leaves behind a giant wave made of asphalt and water. By Motoharu's request, Touma dispels the attack, but the wave creates the perfect diversion, as Motoharu loses track of Oriana's whereabouts.

After escaping them Oriana bumps into boys who are carrying a pole with a basket in the end for the ball tossing competition. Oriana apologizes to them for the incident though has secretly put something to give trouble to Touma and the others.

Motoharu later regroups with Stiyl and sets up an All-Around Reality Circle, using this to locate Oriana. And since he is unable to use spells due to his esper ability, Stiyl is instead going to be the caster. As he finishes the incantations, four pieces of paper placed in the perimeter of the circle begin to revolve as it reaches the center (where a slip of paper used by Oriana in spells is located), and a clear map of Oriana's location appears on the circle. However, Oriana has prepared for this beforehand. Oriana subjects Stiyl with a painful counterspell, forcing Touma to intervene with his Imagine Breaker to stop his suffering.

Stiyl wonders how Oriana could be able to create a perfect countermeasure against him, and Motoharu says that it may have been a reaction to Stiyl's individual mana. As such any magic Stiyl does will activate Oriana's counterspell. Stiyl realizes that Oriana may have come into contact with his rune cards he had placed earlier, and realizes that is how she gained the data on Stiyl's mana. Stiyl notes how troublesome Oriana is, being able to analyze and reverse engineer his magic so quickly, comparing her to the magical institutions found in the Tower of London and Windsor Castle. The rune magician thinks that Oriana is no mere magician, but an author of grimoires. However, Motoharu also tells them that although she can make grimoires, the fact that it is written sloppily makes them as potent as only until it is invoked, destroyed the moment the spell inside is cast, essentially a Shorthand. For now, he puts destroying the spell protecting Oriana from incoming spells into priority.

As Motoharu asks Stiyl to cast a spell, he sets up a Divination Circle and he tells them that he will use it to trace Oriana. However, Touma realizes that it would hurt Stiyl even further, but both have decided about their roles in this battle. Stiyl prepares himself for the next spell, leaving behind a bitter remark about Touma leaving Index behind. Then, as Stiyl invokes another spell, his cries of pain echo throughout the empty bus terminal.

Meanwhile, at the park where Touma saw Index changing, the depressed nun is being cheered up by her companion Tsukuyomi Komoe, who tries to justify Touma's escape after such an embarrassing moment. Komoe tries to cheer Index up by asking her to practice her routine with her, though Index still wonders where Touma had gone.

Soon, the Divination Circle gets a response. Touma can't accept how cool Motoharu is acting with Stiyl injured from the counter-spell, but soon realizes that Motoharu is injured as well, an adverse effect of invoking Divination Circle. Motoharu soon explains to him that he is decided to risk his life to look for the Shorthand and Oriana and foil the transaction.

s it turns out, the Shorthand. much to their chagrin, in the venue for the middle school ball tossing competition.

Major events

 * Touma, Motoharu and Stiyl begin their pursuit of Oriana, with Stiyl and Motoharu incurring considerable damage in their pursuit.

Adapted From

 * Toaru Majutsu no Index Light Novel Volume 09
 * Toaru Majutsu no Index II Episode 09

Characters

 * Kamijou Touma
 * Tsuchimikado Motoharu
 * Stiyl Magnus
 * Oriana Thomson
 * Yamisaka Ouma (flashback)
 * Oriana Thomson (flashback)
 * Index Librorum Prohibitorum
 * Tsukuyomi Komoe
 * Misaka Mikoto

New Characters

 * Kongou Mitsuko

Abilities

 * Imagine Breaker - Kamijou Touma, level 0
 * Shorthand - Oriana Thomson
 * Several unnamed spells


 * Rune magic - Stiyl Magnus
 * People-Clearing Field

New Abilities

 * All-around Reality Circle - Tsuchimikado Motoharu, Stiyl Magnus
 * Counterspell - Oriana Thomson
 * Divination Circle - Tsuchimikado Motoharu, Stiyl Magnus

Locations

 * Academy City

New Locations

 * Minamizawa Middle School
 * Automated Bus Maintenance Terminal

Trivia

 * As Kongou Mitsuko does not appear in the original novel when the story took place. Her appearance in the manga is likely based on her appearance in the anime.

Referbacks

 * Scenes from chapter 26 and chapter 50 are used for Touma's recalling of Original Grimoires' effect on people, featuring Yamisaka Ouma and Orsola Aquinas respectively.

Cultural References

 * Stiyl mentions the Tower of London and Windsor Castle, both are actual locations in the series.

Unanswered Questions

 * What did Oriana do to the pole she ran into?
 * How is Stiyl's condition after using the spell?

Quotes

 * Stiyl: "Convey the wind; not the air, but your will here." -incantation for the All-around Reality Circle.
 * Motoharu: "Kami-yan. Let me remind you something you've seem to have forgotten. This is a battle with lives on the line. Countries, or even the world could collpase, depending on the outcome." -said to Touma.
 * Stiyl: "Kamijou Touma. It annoys me that you're here right now. Why aren't you with her? If she becomes unhappy as a result of this, it'll all be your fault!" -said to Touma, right before being affected by Oriana's counterspell.
 * Motoharu: "If I could only use magic more decently, Stiyl wouldn't have become like this. Just accept it and move on. Curse it as much as you want later. But I will find Shorthand and destroy it without fail. I'll catch Oriana, strop the Stab Sword trade, and crush it with my own hands!"-said to Touma.