Toaru Majutsu no Index III Episode 15

Spark Signal (迎電部隊 (スパークシグナル) ) is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the Toaru Majutsu no Index anime series. It was broadcast on January 18th 2019, and was directed by Mori Yoshihiro and Izumi Takahiro, was storyoboarded by Kurokawa Tomoyuki, and the script written by Tamai☆Tsuyoshi.

Synopsis
''A momentary tranquility? There is no such thing. All there are empty casings, anguished cries, and the smell of gunpowder. Yet another darkness goes into motion.''

Adapted From

 * Toaru Majutsu no Index Light Novel Volume 19 Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Parts 1-7

Major Events

 * GROUP are called upon to eliminate the rogue unit Spark Signal, who turn out to have also been after information on DRAGON. After Accelerator slaughters the main unit holding hostages at the Hula Hoop particle accelerator, GROUP pursues the remnants.
 * Thomas Platinaburg hires Stephanie Gorgeouspalace to kill Accelerator, but is killed by her for putting an organ-disabling transmitter in the wounded Sunazara Chimitsu to use his life as leverage.
 * With Takitsubo Rikou soon to be discharged from hospital and after Kinuhata Saiai is called to be part of a new team, made from the survivors of the teams destroyed in the events on October 9th, she and Hamazura Shiage are pursued by Six Wings while on the road.

Characters
By order of appearance:
 * Accelerator
 * Last Order (voice-only)
 * Tsuchimikado Motoharu
 * Tsuchimikado Maika
 * Musujime Awaki
 * Tsukuyomi Komoe (voice-only)
 * Xochitl
 * Etzali (as Unabara Mitsuki)
 * Takitsubo Rikou
 * Kinuhata Saiai
 * Hamazura Shiage
 * Thomas Platinaburg
 * Sunazara Chimitsu
 * Girl in the Dress (voice-only)
 * Tetsumou
 * Teshio Megumi

New Characters

 * Depart
 * Stephanie Gorgeouspalace
 * Shiokishi

Abilities

 * Accelerator (ability) - Accelerator, Level 5
 * Offense Armor - Kinuhata Saiai, Level 4
 * Move Point - Musujime Awaki, Level 4

Locations

 * Academy City
 * School District 7
 * Green Mart
 * Heaven Canceller's Hospital
 * School District 10
 * Reformatory
 * School District 3
 * Private Salon
 * School District 3 Underground Shopping Center

New Locations

 * School District 15
 * Depart's penthouse suite
 * School District 23
 * Hula Hoop Control Center
 * School District 1
 * Office of the Board of Directors

Trivia

 * The voice actor of unnamed male high school student is Kobayashi Daiki.
 * The voice actress of unnamed boy is Tanaka Chiemi.

Referbacks

 * The events of the Battle Royale Arc which occurred on October 9th are referred to multiple times:
 * Sunazara Chimitsu being heavily wounded by Kinuhata Saiai is referred to by Thomas Platinaburg while speaking with Stephanie Gorgeouspalace, who is seeking revenge.
 * A new team is being formed from the survivors of several groups involved in those events, including ITEM, SCHOOL and BLOCK.
 * Tsuchimikado Motoharu alludes to Etzali falling for Misaka Mikoto as being the reason behind his defection from the Aztec cabal.
 * Musujime Awaki visits the Reformatory, where her comrades were previously shown to be imprisoned.

Cultural References

 * On his computer, it can be seen that Depart is using a, probably , based on the taskbar.

Differences in Adaptation

 * In the novel, Xochitl says to Etzali that her organisation, the strongest Magic Cabal of the American Continent, fought against Liberal Arts City, an American research institution.

Unanswered Questions

 * Why did a Six Wings pursue Hamazura Shiage and Kinuhata Saiai?

Preview

 * "A momentary tranquility? There is no such thing. All there are empty casings, anguished cries, and the smell of gunpowder. Yet another darkness goes into motion."