Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Manga Chapter 041

"Clique, Part 2" (派閥②) is the 41st chapter of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga series.

Synopsis
The chapter opens with a flashback of Kongou Mitsuko as a child. Her father talked about an old friend of his, which led to a description of what friendship is and him reassuring Kongou that she should also be able to make friends, as people naturally gather around the worthy. At school, Kongou attained good grades and invited her classmates to her birthday party, but none of them came. Kongou concluded that the girls weren't fit to be her friends.

Back to the present, Kongou is determined to form her own faction and refuses to let the Railgun stop her. She runs into Misaka Mikoto, who she still believes is named "Unabara Mitsuki". Surprised, she drops her purse and the netsuke her father gave her falls off. Mikoto invites Kongou to walk home halfway with her, but Kongou declines. Kongou goes off to recruit people to her faction. Mikoto sighs and begins to leave, only to notice Kongou's netsuke laying on the ground.

Kongou tries unsuccessfully to recruit people to her faction. After a while, she gives up and becomes depressed. Her efforts cause Kirifu Megumi and her friends to mock her from a distance. Kirifu uses her Telekinesis to tease Kongou by making her fan float away. Kongou catches the fan but falls down a staircase as a result, shocking her tormentors.

At the swimming pool, Wannai Kinuho and Awatsuki Maaya notice, through a window, Kongou's failed attempts at recruiting clique members.

Eventually, Kongou gives up, having not succeeded at all. She tries to believe that the students of Tokiwadai simply lack discerning eyes, but realizes that it was her that was unable to make any friends. At this moment Mikoto returns with the netsuke, having run all over the school in search of her. When Kongou asks why she would go to so much trouble for her, Misaka simply replies "We're friends, aren't we?" After briefly stiffening in surprise, Kongou asks to join Mikoto's clique. Mikoto says that she isn't part of one and that Kongou should be able to make friends even without forming a clique. Mikoto realizes that she forgot her bag in the classroom and runs off to fetch it.

Left alone, Kongou realizes that she misunderstood how to make friends, with her previous approach instead driving people away. Wannai and Awatsuki approach Kongou, having finished swimming club, and ask if they can join her clique. Though grateful, Kongou no longer wants to form a clique and asks if they can be friends instead. Wannai and Awatsuki gladly accept. Mikoto returns and is addressed by name by either Wannai or Awatsuki, causing Kongou to learn her real name.

The four of them, presumably, then leave to go visit Shirai Kuroko in the hospital (as pictured in the opening panel).

Some time later, Mikoto is studying in the library when Shokuhou Misaki sits down next to her and begins to tease her about supposedly making her own clique. She suggests that she could take Mikoto's followers using her own power, causing Mikoto to threaten her. Misaki tries to use her power on Mikoto, but it is blocked by her electromagnetic barrier. Furious, Mikoto stands up and shouts at Misaki, attracting the attention of everyone else in the library. Hokaze Junko, one of Misaki's followers, asks what's going on. To demonstrate her power, Misaki takes control of everyone in the room (except Mikoto), saying that Mikoto doesn't have the ability nor the willingness to fight so many Tokiwadai students. She then stops her control and rewinds everyone's memories to before the incident occurred. As she leaves, Misaki warns Mikoto that she won't get away unscathed if she enters her territory. Mikoto asks Misaki if she's really a middle school student, though Misaki deflects the question.

Adapted To

 * The library scene was incorporated into the first episode of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S anime series.
 * Kuroko in the hospital scene is, along with all hospital scenes in the first episode of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun T anime series, anime-original, though it was inspired by this chapter cover.

Characters
In order of appearance
 * Kongou Mitsuko
 * Misaka Mikoto
 * Wannai Kinuho
 * Awatsuki Maaya
 * Shirai Kuroko

New Characters

 * Kongou Mitsuko's Father
 * Kirifu Megumi
 * Shokuhou Misaki
 * Hokaze Junko

Abilities

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

New Abilities

 * Telekinesis - Kirifu Megumi, Level 4
 * Mental Out - Shokuhou Misaki, Level 5

Locations

 * Academy City
 * School District 7
 * Garden
 * Tokiwadai Middle School

Referbacks

 * Shirai Kuroko's injuries and hospitalization resulted from her battles with Musujime Awaki in Toaru Majutsu no Index Novel Volume 8.
 * On the cover of this chapter, Kuroko's secret album of Mikoto, first featured in Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Episode 02, is briefly shown.