Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Manga Chapter 138

Confrontation (対峙) is the 138th chapter of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga series, released on February 26th 2022 in Monthly Comic Dengeki Daioh.

Synopsis
The two cliques in conflict remain agitated in campus despite orders from Hasekura Reiri to avoid confronting any member of the Mikagami Clique. While Misaka Mikoto and Kessai Kiyoshi talk about how unstable the situation is when espers and their abilities are involved, a few members of the Mikagami Clique see the defeat of Yasutoba Suika as an opportunity to fight back on the Hasekura Clique. One of them, Urui Aika, overheard loud sounds from the nearby riverside on her way home and sees Mikoto in the dark, practicing her new technique on the riverbank. Still remembering an intimidating encounter with Mikoto not long ago, she runs away only to stumble upon four members of the Hasekura Clique. The suddenness of the encounter caused the Hasekura Clique members to attack Urui, unaware that Misaka Mikoto is nearby, somehow assisting the outnumbered Mikagami Clique member.

Major Events

 * Tensions between the cliques remain high after the earlier incidents and the foiled attack on Mikagami Nagisa by Yasutoba Suika, with Misaka Mikoto and Kessai Kiyoshi discussing the situation.
 * Heading home late after talking with the other members of the Mikagami Clique about a counterattack against the Hasekura Clique and glimpsing Mikoto practicing her new attack on the riverbank, Urui Aika accidentally runs into a group from the Hasekura Clique. With tensions high, they start to fight with their abilities and Mikoto secretly intervenes from a distance to move Urui out of the path of an attack.

Characters
By order of appearance:
 * Misaka Mikoto
 * Kessai Kiyoshi
 * Urui Aika
 * Mikagami Nagisa
 * Hasekura Reiri

New Characters

 * Amano Ayane

Abilities

 * Electromaster (Railgun-variant) - Misaka Mikoto, Level 5
 * - Urui Aika, Level 4

New Abilities

 *  - Unnamed Hasekura clique girl
 *  - Unnamed Hasekura clique girl

Locations

 * Academy City
 * District 7
 * Tokiwadai Middle

Referbacks

 * Urui Aika recalls one notable encounter she had with Mikoto, when she and Asakura Olivia Moa were about to attack Kessai Kiyoshi.
 * Not fully seen but audible, Mikoto is practicing her Railgun using the coins she had found previously at the casino with Ruri.