Toaru Majutsu no Index Light Novel Volume 19/Chapter 2

Synopsis
One of the directors of Academy City, Shiokishi, reveals himself as the "man on the phone" who contacts GROUP, and once more assigns the four, this time involving the remaining affiliates of Spark Signal still scattered across Academy City. Meanwhile, Saiai and Shiage's plans for Takitsubo Rikou's party turns into a movie "date", followed by Saiai going out for her newest job involving the remnants of Spark Signal. Saiai returns after meeting the same people she treated as enemies during the battle royale not long ago, and eventually coaxes Shiage into tagging along for the job. GROUP proceeds to an underground mall in District 3 for their Spark Signal job. However, in order to conserve the battery that keeps Accelerator functioning properly, Awaki, Tsuchimikado and Unabara initiate the attack instead. Although they gain the element of the surprise and killed ten of the 20 Spark Signal targets, ten manage to escape, causing an explosion that ripped through the surface, leaving many casualties. Accelerator begins to consider pursuing the fleeing Spark Signal members, but a pregnant woman who was gravely injured by the blast catches his attention. Hearing the pleas of a younger boy about the woman's life and that of her unborn child, Accelerator used his ability to determine a proper first aid technique and refers them to the hospital in District 7. The young boy expresses his thanks, but is coldly rejected by the Level 5. Accelerator leaves as he decides to continue his pursuit.

Saiai and Shiage are in a stolen family car en route to District 3 when an HsAFH-11 unmanned helicopter begins pursuing them. As Shiage begins panicking about diving into another tense fight, Saiai controls the situation by trying to disable the unmanned helicopter. Using a handgun with bullets that scatter like papier-mache, Saiai disables the helicopter's air intake and forces a crash, although the ensuing impact also throws the car aside. Shiage survives the blast, but Saiai is nowhere to be found, and a call by Measure Heart moments later alerts him that Spark Signal has just hijacked a private salon in District 3, where Rikou is currently at.

Shiage rushes to the private salon building which was already surrounded by Anti-Skill, and he is forced to take the spare weapon of a nearby garbage man who is also working for the Dark Side. Then, as he attempts to hijack a helicopter on the rooftop of the nearby hotel building, he is thwarted by the female pilot, who reveals her training in dealing with terrorist threats. Shiage soon receives a call from Rikou, who is hiding from Spark Signal but is still weak from the discharge, telling him to avoid an encounter with the men inside. Shiage is shaken by Rikou's words and begins pleading to the helicopter pilot to bring him to the private salon building. Listening to his plight, the pilot accepts the request, to the point of tampering on her own flight recorder and fooling air traffic controllers by lying about a hijack. Moments later, after reaching the private salon, Shiage leaps from the helicopter and lands on an artificial tree made of cloth, shooting the three Spark Signal members who are still confused by his presence. Below, the other former members are startled by the gunshots from the rooftop, but another attack, coming from Accelerator, surprises them from where they stood, near the windows of the 28th floor. As the Level 5 immobilizes three men just by throwing them to a side, four others were killed by gunshots from a stranger from elsewhere, who later introduces himself as Sugitani. With the threat eliminated, Accelerator finds the rest of the trapped civilians in a ball room. Among them is Takitsubo, who is already skipping in and out of consciousness.

Accelerator checks up on her condition, but an enraged Shiage confronted him, thinking that he was responsible for the threat in Rikou's life. The Level 5, despite knowing that Shiage is mistaken, decides to answer his aggression, pummeling him but not enough to draw blood. As Accelerator gives Shiage the decision to live or die depending on whether he would stand up or not, Takitsubo Rikou heads close to Shiage. At that moment, Shiage lamented on being pathetic, but Rikou disagrees on his view of himself in that situation.

Saiai only managed to arrive at the private salon after the chaos had ended. After the attack by the Six Wings earlier, Saiai attempted to investigate on the unmanned helicopter, and she discovered that it wasn't sent by Measure Heart. Then, as she plans to catch up to Rikou and Shiage, she is attacked by a woman using shotgun rounds on full auto. This woman who manages to pierce Saiai's Offense Armor introduces herself as Stephanie Gorgeouspalace, who came to exact revenge on Saiai after what happened to Sunazara Chimitsu.

Between the Lines
Stephanie Gorgeouspalace was a woman who left her peaceful country to use her abilities to help others. However, a civil war in Costa Rica had become a trial of fire for her as she lost her comrades there. She survived because of a man named Sunazara Chimitsu, and she stayed by Sunazara's side even after the war. Stephanie did not know why Chimitsu allowed her to stay this way, but she soon wonders if Chimitsu wanted to leave behind his life of being a sniper. Eventually, Sunazara was attacked, and Stephanie soon focuses her revenge to Saiai, who delivered Chimitsu's salvation by violence and death.

Adapted To

 * Anime: N/A
 * Manga: N/A

Characters
By order of appearance:
 * Accelerator
 * Etzali (as Unabara Mitsuki)
 * Tsuchimikado Motoharu
 * Musujime Awaki
 * Hamazura Shiage
 * Kinuhata Saiai
 * Girl in the dress (voice-only)
 * Stephanie Gorgeouspalace

New Characters

 * Shiokishi
 * Unnamed high school student
 * Sugitani

Abilities

 * Accelerator (ability) - Accelerator

New Abilities

 * Offense Armor - Kinuhata Saiai

Locations

 * Academy City

New Locations

 * School District 3
 * Private Salon building

Quotes

 * Shiokishi: "If you think about it rationally, it makes sense. This world is overflowing with things that will kill a human. People often say that it will never happen to them or that no one has any reason to hold a grudge against them…but that’s completely ridiculous. Whether there is some simple reason or not, when people die, they die. And the danger is even greater in a position like mine. If I want to escape any sudden misfortune, I believe I must always be on my guard." — Shiokishi rationalizing his use of a Powered Suit at all times.