Toaru Majutsu no Index Light Novel Volume 17/Chapter 1

Synopsis
Itsuwa and a few other members of the Amakusa-Style Remix of Church are in a bento shop in London's Japantown. As the others toil over selling bento boxes, Itsuwa is preoccupied by looking for ways to gain the upper hand in getting Touma's attention, especially after the incident involving the Erotic Fallen Angel Costume. Meanwhile, Saiji and his fellow Amakusa members are busy setting up another set of costumes for Itsuwa to wear. In Buckingham Palace, Kanzaki Kaori meets up with the leader of the Knights of England, who discusses with her about inviting her to several formal social events across England. Kaori struggles in dealing with Knight Leader, and the conversation only becomes more awkward when the topic switches to the infamous Erotic Fallen Angel Costume.

Back in Academy City, the Ichihanaransai becomes a topic among Kamijou Touma's class and their homeroom teacher Tsukuyomi Komoe. After class, Touma meets Misaka Mikoto by chance. At this point, Mikoto is still restless after her encounter with Touma when he was still in critical condition after being attacked, but her feelings soon become complicated as soon as she finds out that Touma's memories during that time were hazy due to going in and out of consciousness during that incident. Touma quickly changes the topic to a more casual one involving a certain vending machine and was awarded with a jolt out of embarrassment.

After experiencing an unusual day, Touma comes home to be welcomed by Index and Sphynx. Due to the gradual cooling of the climate, Touma brings out the kotatsu, and Index and Sphynx end up claiming it as theirs. Meanwhile, Touma receives an urgent call from Tsuchimikado Motoharu, asking him to get a flight to England. Touma is quickly met with suspicion after recalling his experience with overseas trips recently, but he was unable to react quickly when a can of knockout gas brings everyone in his apartment unit unconscious.

Touma, Index and Sphynx wake up in an airport on District 23. With their possible escape methods blocked out by Tsuchimikado, Touma and Index decide to go on with the plans forced into them, all except for taking a supersonic plane to London due to their respective experiences with it.

Between the Lines
As news of the Eurotunnel bombing spreads, one detail that was overlooked was that France is responsible for the explosion, and it was a complicated mess of events triggered by tensions between neighboring countries and ultimately sparked by the C-Document incident in Avignon. In a phone conversation between Vento of the Front and Acqua of the Back, they recognize that the conflict is going well with the plans of God's Right Seat's remaining active member, Fiamma of the Right, and both have decided to go on their own ways to stop Fiamma's plans from pushing through.

Characters
By order of appearance
 * Itsuwa
 * Tatemiya Saiji (voice-only)
 * Kanzaki Kaori
 * Kamijou Touma
 * Aogami Pierce
 * Tsuchimikado Motoharu
 * Fukiyose Seiri
 * Himegami Aisa
 * Tsukuyomi Komoe
 * Misaka Mikoto
 * Index Librorum Prohibitorum
 * Sphynx
 * Vento of the Front
 * Acqua of the Back (referenced only)

New Characters

 * Knight Leader

Locations

 * London, England
 * Academy City
 * A Certain High School
 * Kamijou Residence

New Locations

 * Japantown
 * Buckingham Palace

Referbacks

 * The incident involving the Erotic Fallen Angel Maid Costume happened at the end of the previous volume. Kanzaki Kaori wore the costume as a way to lift Touma's spirits.
 * Mikoto's conversation with Touma revisits the latter's hospitalization and consequent escape from the hospital after being attacked by Acqua of the Back in Volume 16.
 * Touma recalled his trips in Chioggia and Avignon, which happened in Volumes 11 and 14 respectively. Both trips ended up with Touma fighting an enemy, with little to no vacation time.

Cultural References

 * Japantown in London is both a commercial area that consists of stores that sell various Japanese merchandise, as well as a residential area for Japanese residents of London.

Unanswered Questions

 * Why is Touma coerced into making a trip to London?

Quotes
Touma: “''Funya? That’s not an answeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!''”
 * Saiji: "To witness the battle between the Erotic Fallen Angel priestess and the Great Revealing Maid priestess, we need to shed some blood and sweat, too!”
 * Aisa: “My era starts now. I will use magic bentos to put an end to the era where I was the expressionless person shoved to the side…”
 * Mikoto: “Funya.”