Toaru Majutsu no Index Light Novel Volume 21/Chapter 6

Synopsis
Touma and Lessar soon become closer to Fiamma's base, but due to the open area between their current position and the base itself, they head to a nearby cave, which leads to a nearby underground train station. To their surprise, the station is empty, and this brings ominous news about the progress of Fiamma's plan. In order to travel to Fiamma's base, Touma and Lessar are forced to walk the 40 km to Fiamma's actual base. But, as the magically-reinforced tunnel collapses ahead of them, Touma finds out that Academy City's plans are performing a carpet bombing of the area near them, followed by a gathering of both Academy City and Russian vehicles. Lessar sees the imminent skirmish between the two opposing forces as an opportunity to sneak closer to Fiamma's base and, even despite Touma's worries, dives into the battlefield to steal an Academy City Power Suit. Meanwhile, Touma himself is starting to become suspicious of the advance towards Fiamma's base, but after Fiamma sends out a message confirming that he expects him at his base, the ground beneath Touma collapses.

One of the spies captured by Accelerator in the Elizalina Alliance of Independent Nations named Sellick G. Kirnov is being put under interrogation by him and Misaka Worst about his purpose in infiltrating the country. The thought of having his brain activity analyzed regardless of his answers worries Sellick, but he also knows that his interrogators have limitations in their capabilities. However, his spirit of resistance is immediately crushed as he sees the gruesome fate of seven of his fellow spies, who were killed, skinned, dismembered and hung on lengths of barbed wire.

Accelerator and Misaka Worst eventually finish extracting information from the man after having him fooled into thinking that the pieces of meat hung behind the spy were his comrades. After teasing Accelerator for being "kind" to the spy, Worst sorts out the intel they extracted. According to the spy, Russia plans to attack the Elizalina Alliance as well as extract pieces of parchment that eventually ended up in the hands of Accelerator. In response, the Level 5 prepares to head to an air base where the parchment is to be taken.

In Fiamma's "base", Bishop Nikolai Tolstoy speaks with Fiamma about the results of the Russian forces in his plans and he impatiently asks the latter about unleashing Sasha Kreutzev into the war. Fiamma tries to assure the Russian bishop, but even Nikolai is also suspicious of Fiamma as he is nowhere near the place he is expected to be. Shortly afterwards, parts of churches begin floating into the sky above Russia, from a steeple from a church in Florence, to a bigger steeple in France's Mont Saint-Michel Abbey, to several pillars from the Basilica of St. Mary in Italy, to a grand pipe organ in St. Joseph's Church in India, among countless others. Both the ground beneath Touma and Fiamma's base are also pulled into the sky, causing a chaotic sight not only on the ground but also in the air. Soon, Touma finds himself in a floating mass of rubble gathered by Fiamma from pieces of churches all over the world, which he calls the Star of Bethlehem.

Although Touma is ready to face Fiamma for Index's sake, Fiamma's words about successfully gathering Sasha, the Star of Bethlehem, and Touma in one place worries him. Then shortly, the daytime sky turned to night and the being Fiamma called Misha Kreutzev, an angel, flies overhead to lay waste on the Academy City bombers. Although Fiamma is amused in seeing the angel's appearance, he admits the need to the parchments that he has yet to secure. Those pieces of parchment would be the key for Fiamma to gain full access to Index's 103,000 grimoires, and he asks Misha to retrieve them for him.

Between the Lines
Misaka Mikoto witnesses the rise of the Star of Bethlehem from the HsB-02 plane she hijacked. However, she focuses on getting to the place where Kamijou Touma is last caught on camera. The pilot voices his fears, but Mikoto presses him to decide on whether to side on those who want a high school boy killed or to those who want to save that high school boy. Their conversation is suddenly interrupted by the Star of Bethlehem's appearance and Mikoto seeing someone that looks like Touma on the floating structure. Afterwards, the bomber she is boarded in is sliced open when a mysterious being struck it with its wings, and Mikoto is pulled out of the plane. She manages to survive the descent by using metal objects in the sky to soften her landing and she ends up in the middle of an onslaught by Academy City forces against the Russians.

Standing behind Mikoto is a Misaka clone wielding a Kalashnikov rifle, Misaka 10777.

Adapted To

 * Anime: Toaru Majutsu no Index III Episode 21
 * Manga: N/A

Characters
By order of appearance
 * Kamijou Touma
 * Lessar
 * Fiamma of the Right
 * Accelerator
 * Misaka Worst
 * Nikolai Tolstoy
 * Archangel Gabriel
 * Misaka Mikoto

New Characters

 * Sellick G. Kirnov
 * Misaka 10777

Abilities

 * Electromaster - Misaka Worst, Misaka Mikoto

Locations

 * Russia
 * Elizalina Alliance of Independent Nations

Cultural References

 * The churches referenced as being amongst the ones the Star of Bethlehem took parts from are:
 * The or the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower in, Italy
 * The Mont Saint-Michel Abbey in, France
 * The  (called "Basilica of St. Mary" in the text) in, Italy
 * The (called "St. Joseph Church" in the text) in, India

Quotes

 * Misaka Worst: "No, Misaka loves tricking people. And seeing a proud professional with tears and snot running down his face due to nonexistent fear is just the best! Kya ha☆"