Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index Light Novel Volume 15/Chapter 1

Synopsis
The day after the fight with the World Rejecter, Kamijou Touma is in a daze after realizing how little he knew about Kamisato Kakeru and the Magic Gods and almost loses his interest in attending class. However, Touma remembers that he is in danger of being held back and becomes hysterical. With the help of Othinus, however, Touma snaps out and begins preparing breakfast for himself, the 15 cm fairy, Sphynx and Index. Touma then heads out for school, accompanied by Othinus, to his shock.

Othinus soon remarks on how little Touma has spoken about the clash with Kakeru. After denying that he killed Kamisato, Touma begins wondering about what exactly happened, especially since his usual reasoning that involves the Imagine Breaker does not fit with what happened to Kakeru the night before. Othinus herself is unable to help him clarify things, since the nearest person who can answer his questions, Bersi, is dead, and her information stops at Baggage City.

The conversation is interrupted as they reach A Certain High School, or rather what remains of it. Due to the rampage by High Priest, much of the school building complex is in ruins, and Touma is once more reminded of his crisis as a student. As Touma starts bickering with Othinus about the troublesome nature of a god, Fukiyose Seiri begins talking about the "accident" with him. Although shocked upon hearing Touma's concern over attending school, Seiri immediately begins teasing "First Year Kamijou" about his imminent fate. Meanwhile, Tsukuyomi Komoe appears to assure the students that the days affected by the collapse of the school building will not be counted... except for Touma, whose absences mean that taking away all of his remaining vacation days may not be enough, much to Touma's distress. As Komoe resounds her dedication to see through Touma's term, she announces that the school will borrow equipment from a high school with many empty classrooms.

Meanwhile, after being retrieving a stash of liquid diamond worth six trillion yen in an attempted robbery, Akikawa Mie hopes to use what happened to make a name for herself. However, to her disappointment, her attempt to become famous is easily drowned by news of their combined middle and high school getting 300 new transfer students.

Touma and his usual companions remain in the ruins of A Certain High School. Komoe immediately clarifies that the students will not be treated as transferees, implying that they will not be a burden to the school's academic average as well as in the financial aspect. Seiri soon begins planning to give contact details for the class, and she notices something on Touma's shoulder as she comments on Touma opting out of Seiri's plan. Despite Touma's pleas for her to hide, Othinus refuses. As a result, Aogami Pierce and Seiri, as well as Komoe herself, begins commenting on his need to have a doll by his shoulder.

Eventually, the displaced students of A Certain High School head by foot to the school in question, a mixed middle and high school less than a kilometer away. Aogami immediately puts up a defensive stance, expecting elitists or a cruel student council to welcome them into the school. However, they are instead greeted by the school's bespectacled student council secretary, as well as the student council president herself, whom the secretary calls "Jumpy Bunny" because of her reaction to being startled. As Touma and Aogami continue to act in disbelief towards the seemingly normal student council figures, the bespectacled secretary continues to brief the transferees, explaining that they will be occupying random classrooms left vacant throughout the school's premises. Later, as Touma uses the school's shoe lockers for the first time, the student council secretary soon reveals that they also accepted another transferee who was admitted into Academy City for the first time. This sole transferee's name is Kamisato Kakeru.

On the rooftop of the combined middle and high school, members of the Kamisato Faction, Ellen, Claire, and Elza, argue about not being able to join Kakeru in class and their plans to bring homemade lunch for him. Then, they receive a call from fellow faction member Fran, who warns them of a girl she called "Mass Murderer Salome" who had just entered Academy City.

Alarms blare at an international airport located in School District 23. An airport worker rushes to the cargo room of a large passenger plane to investigate. There, he sees a peculiar girl inside the cargo room, dressed only in a frilly translucent dress with a large pocket watch dangling from her neck. The mysterious girl shows her disappointment in the response of the worker to a girl who is barely dressed, reminding him that despite not looking like a person who arrives in Academy City to smuggle something, she is still a dangerous person. Soon, after dumping caltrop-like pieces of glass on the floor, the girl reminds the airport worker of the name "Mass Murderer Salome". A shriek later rips through the cargo room.

Between the Lines
Inside one of many juvenile halls in Academy City, Kihara Yuiitsu visits what is considered to be its "most dangerous inmate". Accompanied by a guard, who later collapses after seeing what is inside the inmate's cell, Yuiitsu opens the cell to reveal the entire room filled with small writing and numbers as well the inmate herself, none other than Kihara Enshuu, a member of the Kiharas who is capable of emulating the thought processes of other people. There, Yuiitsu asks for Enshuu's help in "becoming" Kihara Noukan in order to determine the person Yuiitsu needs to surpass.

Characters
By order of appearance
 * Kamijou Touma
 * Othinus
 * Sphynx
 * Index Librorum Prohibitorum
 * Fukiyose Seiri
 * Tsukuyomi Komoe
 * Akikawa Mie
 * Elza
 * Claire
 * Ellen
 * Kihara Yuiitsu
 * Kihara Enshuu

New Characters

 * Student Council Secretary of an unnamed school
 * Keshouin Asuka (Jumpy Bunny)
 * Salome

Locations

 * Academy City
 * Kamijou Residence
 * A Certain High School
 * Unnamed combined middle and high school
 * School District 23

Quotes

 * Touma: "No!! I don’t want to be the one guy in the class everyone calls an upperclassman!! I don’t think I could stand being an upperclassman character even though I’d be a first year!!"
 * Touma: "High Priiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeest!! You goddamn mummyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!”
 * Pierce: “Are we up against a cruel all-powerful student council? Or will it be the super-popular scholarship class? What can we do against the approaching storm of dazzling good looks and elitism!? They’ll beat us beyond recognition and steal all the girls in the class, but don’t worry. Our time to shine comes later. The bottom-rung students will strike back!! Just you wait until next time!!!!”