Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Manga Chapter 074

"Precognition" (予知) is the 74th chapter of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga series.

Synopsis
The child's name is Miyama Shaei, and is a precognitive esper. He explains that he uses a camera that is gone through a research laboratory's special equipment to produce a "thoughtograph" that shows the instant of an incident that will occur. Kuroko says that his power is not enough, to which he says that the if he focuses enough then he will be able to determine the time and location of the incident through if the thoughtograph is run through the app. This is what he calls a "second stage" of his powers.

Shaei then asks Kuroko and Kazari to keep the "second stage" of his powers secret as it may be misused if people knew he could determine the time and location of an incident. Shaei tells them that he used the app to hide his identity as well as to find an esper that can change the fate of what was predetermined to occur. His predictions are apparently set in stone even if he tried to intervene with it, with only the place of the incident changing. Shaei then tells however that only once was fate overturned and that was when Kuroko intervened. Shaei believes that it may have something to do with Kuroko's teleport, as it uses 11 dimensions, interfering with the 3 dimensions where the incidents occur.

The child then takes out a penlight to demonstrate the "second stage" of his ability as it allows him to focus. After having the light in his eyes, Shaei quickly uses the thoughtograph camera to create a thoughtograph. He tells them to run it through the app so they can find an incident not registered in it. They arrive at the location where a kid nearly drowns in a canal, but is saved by Kuroko and Kazari. Later that day, Kuroko is now convinced of Shaei's predictions as well as Kuroko's teleport being able to interfere with it. Kuroko then agrees with Shaei's sentiment that being able to save victims beforehand is good.

Later that night, a group of girls stab the base of a tree with a water dropper, saying that people wouldn't mind if flowers bloom there and that she learned it in her dream. The next day, there is a crime of passion about to be committed by a disgruntled former lover, but is stopped by Kuroko. Kuroko later does several good deeds and prevents the incidents from occurring. Days pass and Kuroko changes her uniform for winter. Kuroko and the boy later sees a news report regarding a group coma incident the other day, something that Shaei couldn't predict. Shaei says that the people are only sleeping and as such wasn't a real danger that could've triggered his powers to predict it. Shaei tells Kuroko that his powers pick up things more easily if it is close to him, though says since he can't change it doesn't do him any good. Noticing Kuroko get a scratch on her leg, Shaei gives her a handkerchief. Shaei then asks why she joined Judgment, but Kuroko just gives a haphazard answer that is basically summed by Shaie as being for "justice". Shaei states that he doesn't understand it.

Shaei makes another prediction in secret, but his nose bleeds as a result, obviously straining when doing so. He returns to the office with a new incident that is going to occur in a park.

Major events

 * Judgment 177 Branch Office assist Miyama Shaei in preventing incidents from happening using Kuroko's Teleport.

Characters
By order of appearance:
 * Miyama Shaei
 * Uiharu Kazari
 * Shirai Kuroko

New Characters

 * Chisa
 * Maki
 * Ta-kun

Abilities

 * Teleport - Level 4, Shirai Kuroko
 * Precognition (chapter title-only)

New Abilities

 * Miyama Shaei's unnamed ability (has similarities to both Precognition and Thoughtography)
 * Thoughtography (referenced-only)

Locations

 * Academy City
 * School District 7
 * Judgment 177 Branch Office

New Locations
No new locations were introduced this chapter.

Trivia

 * Near the end of the chapter Kuroko and Kazari change their summer uniforms for their winter ones. This indicates that the timeline of this arc is now after September 30, where the change of uniforms are shown for the first time.
 * The QR code found in this chapter contains a link to the Dengeki Daioh official blog.

Referbacks

 * Kuroko and Shaei hear news regarding the "group comas" of the other day, referencing the events of September 30 where Vento of the Front's Divine Punishment knocks people out at the mere thought of antagonism towards her.

Cultural references

 * A reference to The Zashiki Warashi of Intellectual Village, one of Kamachi Kazuma's other Light Novel series is shown in the chapter image. Saten Ruiko is dressed as the title character, Zashiki-Warashi, Uiharu Kazari is dressed as Yuki-Onna, while Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko are dressed as Hishigami Mai and Enbi respectively.
 * A reference to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is shown in the chapter when Shaei explains the Thoughtography's mechanincs and an image of an esper girl destroying a camera with a karate chop is depicted. The method the girl uses is the same of Joseph Joestar to produce psychic photographs of the future with his Stand Hermit Purple.

Unanswered Questions

 * Is it really because Kuroko's Teleport, which encompasses 11 dimensions, that allows her to intervene in the events that Shaei has predicted to occur using his ability?
 * What are those girls doing with that tree? And what was that about the girl learning something from her dream?
 * Why is Shaei straining himself to make predictions?

Quotes

 * Shaei: "I don't really understand anything with no logic or solution to it."―to Kuroko after she replies to his question on why she joined Judgment.