Toaru Majutsu no Index Episode 12

"Level 6" (絶対能力(レベル6)) is the 12th episode of the Toaru Majutsu no Index anime series. It was first broadcasted on December 20, 2008, with the script written by Nishizono Satoru, the episode storyboarded by Nishikiori Hiroshi, and directed by Ueda Shigeru.

They are clones of Misaka Mikoto, Misaka Imouto says that they are being killed as part of an "experiment". Girls, which are called Sisters, have been carrying out experiments in the city, and Touma tries to verify this by visiting Mikoto's room. Here, Touma discovers that she has been involved in several "incidents" and have been keep track. The experiment that is being done with the Misaka clones was to achieve the unprecedented Level 6 from Level 5, and the only person who can achieve that is the Accelerator, the strongest esper in Academy City. Mikoto is determined to stop Accelerator from continuing the experiment. Her plan is to offer herself as a sacrifice as penance for providing her DNA map in the past that had resulted in the experiment. However, Touma blocks her path.

Synopsis
The episode begins in the Tsukuyomi Residence. Here, we see Komoe, Aisa and Index enjoying a yakiniku dinner. Komoe wants to confirm from Index if she wants to know what an esper ability is, to which Index confirms. Komoe starts her explanation that it is similar to Schrödinger's Theory, Komoe explains that he was a quantum physicist that made the famous Schrödinger’s cat experiment. To demonstrate his theory to Index, Komoe uses a box, and asks Index what's inside the box. Index answers that the box contains chocolate, as the box she is holding is of course a box for chocolates. Komoe replies that Index is incorrect as candyballs are the contents of the box; this annoys Index, saying that was cheap. Komoe tries again and asks Index to guess what's inside the box. Index answers by saying that since Komoe just said that the contents of the box were candy balls, therefore what's inside the box are definitely candy balls. Komoe agrees to what Index said, but also states that there is also a possibility that she lied about the contents of the box, which upsets Index. Komoe goes on further to say that the box may contain a 50% chance of chocolate as well as a 50% chance of candy balls, until one can confirm it's contents by opening the box. Komoe opens the box which contains a single ball of chocolate. Komoe asks Index again to guess the contents of the box, to which Index replies that she already saw that there was a ball of chocolate inside the box. Komoe agrees, but only because Index saw what's inside, Komoe explains that most people would say that it's 100% chocolate. Komoe asks what if there were people that thought there was a candy ball inside instead, and believed in that possibility and got a candy ball in the end.

Komoe states that the people, who can replace normal reality with their own reality are what they call espers.

In the subconscious of Kamijou Touma, barely conscious, he retells the story on how Mikoto had no choice but to die, though she truly does not want to die and that she should as well. He asks if there is any other choice, where she does need to die. Touma tells himself to think. Touma says that to stop the experiment, he needs to make the researchers realize that nothing good will come out of the experiment. He realizes something, but before he divulges what it is, Touma falls unconscious on the ground.

Adapted From
Toaru Majutsu no Index Light Novel Volume 03

Major events

 * Mikoto uses her electric powers to attack Touma, who eventually succumbs to her. This marks the first time Mikoto was able to hurt Touma with her powers since their meeting.

Characters
By order of appearance
 * Index
 * Tsukuyomi Komoe
 * Himegami Aisa
 * Misaka Mikoto
 * Misaka clones (flashback only)
 * Accelerator (flashback only)
 * Misaka 10032's cat
 * Kamijou Touma

New Characters
No new characters were introduced during this episode.

Abilities

 * Electrical attacks - Misaka Mikoto, level 5

New Abilities
No new abilities were introduced during this episode.

Locations

 * Academy City
 * Tsukuyomi Residence

New Locations
No new locations were introduced during this episode.

Trivia

 * The song Ame by Mami Kawada is used as an insert song during Mikoto's flashback.
 * The concept on how espers gain powers through their personal reality is first mentioned in this episode.
 * The Academy City Board of Directors is mentioned again during this episode.

Referbacks

 * Mikoto references the Tree Diagram being destroyed by an unknown surface attack, which was actually Index and her Dragon's Breath back in episode 6.

Cultural References

 * Erwin Schrödinger is once again referred in the anime during this anime, here, his famous thought experiment is used by Komoe to explain to Index how espers gain their powers.

Animation Trivia

 * The flashback that occured during the beginning of the episode is reused in the later half of the episode.
 * Several frames of the scene that occured during the first episode where Mikoto fights Touma on a bridge is reused during this episode.

Unanswered Questions

 * How exactly did researchers apply Schrödinger's thought experiment for them to be able to give powers to the students of Academy City?
 * How did Mikoto know that the Tree Diagram has been destroyed?

Quotes

 * Komoe: "For those people who can replace normal reality with their own reality, we call them 'espers'."-said to Index.
 * Touma: "Why didn't you ask for my help? If you know you can't take care of this by yourself, couldn't you ask someone for help?"-said to Mikoto.
 * Touma: "I don't think it's okay for them to die. But that doesn't mean I have solution for them to not die. Even so, I can't step aside."-said to Mikoto after hearing her plan to stop the experiment.
 * Mikoto: "Why? Why... won't you fight me?"-said to Touma after attacking him.
 * Touma: "Beats me... I don't know... why I won't fight you. I don't know... whether there are other good solutions either. But I don't like it... I don't want to see you get hurt. Why do you have to die? Why does someone have to get killed? There's no way I'd accept something like that!"-said to Mikoto as a response to her asking why he doesn't fight.
 * Mikoto: "Shut up... I don't deserve those words anymore. Even there is a world that everyone wants, where everyone is smiling...I don't have a place in that world!"-said to Touma as a response to the above quote.
 * Touma: "You already realize... that you won't save anyone... Even if you die and save your 10,000 sisters' lives. You think they would be thank you for the way you did it?"-said to Mikoto.
 * Mikoto: "I'm not the kind of good person you think I am! I've killed more than 10,000 people. There is no reason for a villain like me to be living in this world... none! Why in the world... are you standing up for a villain like me?"
 * Touma: "For you, to use your own life to save your sisters might've been your last dream. But you're too good of a person to kill the guy who's trying to take away that last dream of yours, aren't you?"-said to Mikoto.