Toaru Majutsu no Index Light Novel Volume SS2/Chapter 10

Synopsis
Kamijou Touya is strolling through the streets of London with his newly employed younger colleague Tanaka, with the latter complaining about the heat and humidity. Touya warns him to watch how he speaks, but Tanaka continues to complain anyways. Touya points out that he was the one who wanted to have a drink after leaving work, only for Tanaka to fire back by blaming Touya for their predicament because he kept on whining about every bar with women in it. Touya reminds him that he is married and questions if Tanaka is trying to destroy his relationship. As a bachelor, Tanaka is enraged at these words and rattles out a list of Touya's numerous 'incidents' with various females. He ends off his rant by asking him about the girl from yesterday, who dressed with minimal clothing. Touya tells him that he called out to her thinking she was lost, because she was wandering around near a train station, although Tanaka isn't listening to his explanation due to his fury. Dazed by the heat, they end up entering the next bar they come across, before ordering some beer paired with fried fish.

Soon, they hear a strange man drunkenly ramble about how to give people an alternative means of making money instead of cutting trees, who introduces himself as Misaka Tabigake and mentions that he is Japanese. As Tabigake continues to ramble about the trees, Tanaka wonders what is up with him, but is interrupted by Tabigake asking what jobs they have. Touya explains how they are members of a company that prevents purchases for being made for it as part of its countermeasure group. The drunk Tabigake mistakes Touya for the president for the company he was whining about, but Touya and Tanaka are too busy noticing a blue-eyed blonde girl in a tight suit drinking by herself.

Tanaka wants to approach the girl, but is warned by Touya that he will be rejected instantly. Interjecting into the conversation, Tabigake laughs that Tanaka would be fine approaching her, since the girl looks like a whore. Hearing this, their initial confusion is replaced with apprehension as both Touya and Tanaka do a spit-take. Even though Tabigake says it is fine, Touya points out there are laws regarding that, only to be reminded that London is different from Japan. Regardless, Tanaka stands up and confidently says that he wins, explaining that since Touya is married he can't do anything in this situation, gloating that this is his chance for revenge at Touya showing off his young wife Shiina. Tanaka bluntly asks the girl "how much" in plain English and she punches his private parts in retaliation, causing him to angrily complain to Tabigake that she was only a office lady the entire time as he limps back to their table.

Tabigake is completely unfazed by his mistaken assumption, forcing Touya to start bowing in apology to the woman, who turns out to actually understand Japanese. After drinking another beer to calm his nerves, Touya tells Tanaka that corporate warriors like them shouldn't have these kind of adventures, saying that "talking to a prostitute in a rundown bar in a stylish city like London" sounded like a pretty dangerous situation. Out of nowhere, Tabigake starts talking about Gemstones, only to be ignored by the other two men. Touya continues his lecture by stating they shouldn't stick their heads in places that would get them into trouble, as well as doing things they aren't used to. He brings up all the trouble his son Touma has been through as an example, saying that it was nothing to laugh at. Tanaka simply complains that only by having an adventure can he achieve his wish of meeting someone special, though Touya reprimands him for such impatience, reminding him that he can wait to meet someone thanks to his youth. Tanaka complains again that meeting with beauties is extraordinary in itself, and accuses Touya of having did something to be in his position, saying that he wants to punch him for it, to which Touya can only laugh in response.

Just then however, he then feels a tug on his sleeve and turns around to find a thinly-dressed girl in her late-teens staring at him in the eye. With Tanaka asking who she was, he reveals her to be the lost girl he met near the train station from yesterday. Cutting off his explanation short, he notices that the girl is handcuffed to the handle of a tough-looking attaché case. Upon seeing her, Tabigake instantly recognizes her as a Gemstone and comments about their rarity. Almost immediately after, a mysterious group of men dressed in black kicks down the bar doors. However, the girl unleashes her powers onto them, and easily knocks them all unconscious with an "amazing noise". Speaking for the first time, the girl reassures the patrons in the bar not to be afraid as she would ensure they survive. Meanwhile though, Touya, having already had a bad feeling from the start, has already ran out of the bar through the backdoor alongside Tanaka.

The pair continue their argument, with Touya reiterating once again why they shouldn't stick their necks into trouble. Tanaka fires back that it was Touya's fault to begin with, and that it was dangerous to be with him. Touya suggests that Tanaka may have been the cause as the girl he was flirting with on could have been the boss of the men in black. Tanaka replies if that were the case, then the entire situation would probably play out as a romantic comedy. Instead, he points out that the girl with the attaché case followed them, much to their chagrin, as this confirmed their suspicions that she was the cause behind this troublesome situation. Now having been dragged deeply into conflict, Touya promises that they will make it if they work together, although Tanaka is disturbed and worried at how Touya is taking the situation so casually.

In the end, they eventually blow up an unmanned  plane just to finally fake their deaths.

Characters
By order of appearance
 * Kamijou Touya
 * Misaka Tabigake

New Characters

 * Tanaka
 * Gemstone Girl

New Abilities

 * Unnamed sonic wave - Gemstone Girl

Locations

 * London

Referbacks

 * Misaka Tabigake once again explains what his job is about: pointing out what the world lacks. The first instance was in SS2's Chapter 5.

Cultural References

 * Tanaka name-drops the and  when complaining about the ridiculously hot weather in London's summer nights.

Unanswered Questions

 * What on earth did Touya and Tanaka experience in their escapade off-screen? What is the mysterious Gemstone Girl's real identity?