Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Manga Chapter 104

"Hidden Soldiers" (潜兵) is the 104th chapter of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga series was released on April 27th 2018.

Synopsis
Shuri continues her quest to find out more about the espers of Academy City, and is glad that Mikoto and the others have loose tongues and can freely discuss things with Shuri believing she is also a student. However, Shuri is concerned about the girl following them and wonders if she should get rid of her just to be sure. Just as she tries to take out something out of her jacket, a smoke bomb ball falls to the floor and is picked up by Saten. Shuri tries to excuse it by saying that it is a smoke bomb that her older sister gave her to be used when she is in trouble. Mikoto and Saten criticizes the sound that the smoke bomb makes, much to Shuri's frustration. Meanwhile, Kuroko analyzes the ball and confirms that it is a smoke bomb and since it is too dangerous for someone like Shuri that she will hold on to it until the end of the trial, annoying Shuri since it wasn't easy to make.

The girls continue on forward, and Mikoto asks what would happen if they use their powers while AIM Jammer is in effect. Mikoto thinks the power just fizzles when trying to gather it, like throwing a ball forward but having it fly to the side, in which Saten states that Uiharu does that while Mikoto adds that Shokuhou Misaki does that as well. Saten then states he saw someone use their ability outside the wall and it backfired on them. Hearing this, Shuri realizes that their powers can still be used when under the AIM Jammer, and hopes to see it for herself and that Tsurigane's power is not the right kind. Then Saten notices something on the floor: security robot rubber bullets. We cut to three men trying to break down a door with brute strength after defeating a security robot but are unable to even after using explosives. One of them mentions that he'll open the door using his Psychokinesis. Although his two comrades are wary of this knowing the AIM Jammer is in full effect, he convinces them. Convinces, the other two say that it if his power bounces back then they'll do everything they can to stop it. The man prepares himself to use his powers just as Mikoto and the others arrive to watch them. Saten says that the should stop him, but Shuri convinces them that he is already focusing and that it might already be too dangerous to do so, doing so as so she can see his powers go berserk.

As he uses his powers, instead of the door opening or breaking, the rubber bullets instead float up and move around. It takes out his two comrades without him noticing and swerves toward Mikoto and her group. Mikoto and Kuroko pick up debris to shield themselves, and Saten is told to protect Shuri. Shuri is unable to see the power go berserk as Saten is holding her tightly with her sticky paw. However, one rubber bullet swerves below the girls and under Shuri, hitting right in the butt, much to her horror. Meanwhile, the man with Psychokinesis is tired after using his powers and disappointed that it did not work, only to be greeted by his unconscious comrades. Back with Shuri, utterly humiliated by the events, she uses her smoke bomb to finally escape Mikoto's brigade, reporting to her comrades Yasu and Tsurigane that Academy City's technology and powers are just uncontrollable.

Meanwhile, Mikoto and the others find themselves in another room, trying to search for Shuri, though they aren't too concerned as if she gives up she won't be hurt. And then, some robotic noises are coming from a corridor, and a "hawawawa" coming from another. It is the girl with the long sleeves, who was running away from centipede robots. The girls are nearly surrounded by robots, which cues Yakumaru who was following them to leave as she can't rescue them. But then the corridor she is in also blocked by robots.

Saten points out that they should go back from where they entered but the robots finally enter the room (with no Yakumaru in sight), and the girls are now truly surrounded. Meanwhile, the warden, Kyougoku Ryouta, laughs at their predicament, bragging on how even a Level 5 cannot advance any further without her powers. He brags about his Riot Suppression Gigapedes and anti-esper outer wall security robot war Armadillos. But then Aohoshi notes that the War Armadillos are supposed keep intruders out and should only be stationed in the outer wall. Suddenly a Gigapede tries to attack Saten, but is stopped by the war armadillo. Mikoto reacts as if she was expecting the armadillo robot as it attacks and destroys the other robots, surprising Aohoshi and Kyougoku. Mikoto reveals that she reprogrammed them when she was still in the outer wall, noting how she made it so that they would not hurt people and to wait after everyone else had finished passing before going into the hole in the wall. With her own security robots on her side, Mikoto begins her counterattack.

Major Events

 * Kuroko picks up a smoke bomb from Oumi Shuri.
 * Oumi Shuri leaves Misaka Mikoto's group.

Characters

 * Saten Ruiko
 * Oumi Shuri
 * Misaka Mikoto
 * Shirai Kuroko
 * Yakumaru
 * Uiharu Kazari (mentioned)
 * Shokuhou Misaki (mentioned)
 * Kyougoku Ryouta
 * Aohoshi
 * Yasu
 * Tsurigane
 * Raifu (unnamed)
 * Leader (mentioned)

New Characters

 * Boy with the braided tail

Abilities

 * Psychokinesis - Esper with braided tail, unknown level
 * Electromaster (Railgun-variant) - Misaka Mikoto, Level 5 (referenced)

Locations

 * Academy City
 * 2nd Reformatory (Juvenile Hall)

Referbacks

 * Aohoshi and Mikoto both reference the events of the outer wall where she first hacked the robots back in chapter 101.

Cultural References

 * Ramune (ラムネ) is a type of carbonated soft drink originally created and sold in Japan. The name is derived from the English word lemonade transliterated into Japanese. Ramune Glucose is candy made from Ramune.

Unanswered Questions

 * What was Tsurigane's power and why was it unsuitable for Shuri to see when an ability goes berserk under AIM Jammer?
 * Was Yakumaru left untouched by the robots that Mikoto hacked when they entered the same corridor she was in?

Quotes

 * Shuri: "W-We can't do it. Academy City's technology and powers are uncontrollable and far too dangerous." --to Yasu and Tsurigane.
 * Mikoto: "So it's time for them do some actual work."