Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Manga Chapter 082

"Hunting" (遊猟) is the 82nd chapter of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga series, released on January 27, 2016.

Yumiya Rakko unleashes her hunting on Saten Ruiko and Frenda Seivelun, but the two preys manage to launch a counterattack on the hunter.

Synopsis
As the hunt continues, it is revealed that Rakko have a great sense of smell, allowing her to smell the blood of her targets from a great distance, and is the reason how she could track down Frenda. Rakko becomes envious at the friendliness between Frenda and Ruiko and is determined to kill the former while she captures Ruiko.

Back with Frenda and Ruiko, the latter notices what had happened with Frenda at which point she drags her to hide, determining that she has been attacked by a sniper. Seeing that she can still move a bit, Frenda tries to contact the rest of ITEM but her phone is shot by Rakko again, discovering that the sniper is close by. Frenda takes Ruiko inside a department store, and a little while later, Rakko arrives at the place where they were and complete analyzes all of Frenda's actions accurately.

Frenda tells Ruiko that she is being targeted and that they need to hide in the crowd. However, as she fixes herself up, she is once again shot by Rakko, showing that she's the one hiding in the crowd. Being at a disadvantage with their enemy within the crowd, Frenda and Ruiko start running under the belief that no one could help them. Frenda however notices that they are being driven into a more deserted place. Frenda notes that the way the sniper is hunting them down is similar to her, making her prey suffer from pure pleasure before taking them down. As Rakko watches down on them, Rakko recalls a hunt she had where the target in question begged for mercy, and she wonders what cry Frenda will make in her last moments. Meanwhile, Frenda figures out Rakko's own rules for herself, knowing that she won't be killed immediately so long as she follows those rules. Frenda concocts several plans. First by making a scene of her beating up an innocent bystander, splatters glue on the floor to throw her off (which Seiri and Aisa dodges), and then setting up a bomb trap for her. All of which Rakko evades, shooting half of Frenda's ear off. All the while Ruiko notices Frenda's suffering.

Back with SCHOOL, Yobou Banka, alias the Boy with Goggles, has arrived with an Indian Poker researcher, and wonders with the Girl in the dress if Rakko has fallen for her usual habit.

Frenda becomes exhausted, and wonders how Rakko is able to track them, being at the end of her rope. Rakko notices them again and decides to finally shoot her down. However, she notices her friends from her school, and becomes flustered, wondering what to do as she is in her assassin garments. They pass her by apparently not noticing her, much to her chagrin. This twist of fate however, allows Frenda and Ruiko to escape her sight. However, Frenda is at her limit, and in that dark hour, she wonders why she is protecting Ruiko and not just use her to escape as the sniper wants her. Frenda tries to come up with a plan where she could split up with her, however, before she could speak, Ruiko is the one who advises her to split up instead.

Surprised by her actions, Frenda takes her aside and questions if she can even protect herself. A flustered Ruiko insists that they should not do anything. Seeing her selfless actions, Frenda is determined once again to put a stop to the sniper, with Ruiko as bait. As Rakko continue her search, she notices Ruiko coming toward her in the crowd, where it is revealed that her tracking skills only allows her to follow her targets from behind and that she can't tell what her targets will do if they come toward her. As Rakko hypothesizes why Ruiko is coming toward her and mocking the "friendship" that Frenda threw aside with Ruiko, she notices that Ruiko is carrying the dolls that Frenda put bombs in. Rakko is horrified on Frenda's actions seeing as her actions will not only kill her, Ruiko, but kill all nearby bystanders, and would essentially make Frenda a pariah in the Dark Side of Academy City. Ruiko fumbles with one of the dolls, and in her paranoia, Rakko runs away behind a pillar.

This, however, allows Frenda to determine who the sniper is, and a physical confrontation finally takes place between them. Their battle does not go unnoticed, and the collateral damage it incurs, leads to the people nearby to run away. Frenda now having the edge over her, is determined to pay Rakko back for all the suffering she endured.

Major events

 * Yumiya Rakko unleashes her hunting on Saten Ruiko and Frenda Seivelun, but the two preys manage to launch a counterattack on the hunter.

Characters

 * Frenda Seivelun
 * Saten Ruiko
 * Yumiya Rakko
 * Yobou Banka ("Boy with goggles")
 * Girl in the dress
 * Fukiyose Seiri (cameo)
 * Himegami Aisa (cameo)

Abilities

 * Psychokinesis - Yobou Banka, level 4.
 * AIM Stalker - Takitsubo Rikou, level 4. (mentioned)

Locations

 * Academy City
 * School Garden (referenced)

New Locations
No notable locations were introduced this chapter.

Trivia

 * Yobou Banka, the name of "the boy with goggles" of SCHOOL, is revealed in this chapter - eight years after his introduction in Volume 15 of Toaru Majutsu no Index Light Novel, together with his ability, Psychokinesis.
 * The title of the chapter in Japanese is made out of the characters for "play" and the character 猟, which is also the first character in Yumiya Rakko's first name.
 * Despite having nothing to block her face, Aisa's face is still not completely drawn as her eyes are hidden, continuing the running gag in the franchise that she is an easily forgotten character.

Referbacks

 * Fukiyose Seiri mentioning that she just had hotpot is a likely reference to the October 3 hotpot, she and Touma's class had prior to the Dangai University Database Center attack, alluding to the likely date the chapter occurs in, which somewhere between October 4 and 9.

Unanswered Questions

 * What will SCHOOL do with the Indian Poker cards and the researcher they have obtained?

Quotes

 * Frenda: "There are two kinds of hunters: the kind that finds joy in a perfect job where they're never detected, and the kind that finds pleasure in showing off their skill to make their prey suffer. How can I tell? In the end, I'm the same!! If I had to choose."-Frenda on the similarities between her and Rakko.
 * Rakko: "Nothing is as lovely as your prey's final pathetic cry. What tone will you cry with?"-regarding Frenda.
 * Frenda: "In the end, I can't do anything when I don't know where it's coming from. Why is this happening to me? Oh, right. I'm not the target. In the end, I don't have to protect her because... she gave me some canned mackerel."-Frenda contemplating on betraying Ruiko.
 * Rakko: "Friendship is only for show."-Rakko after seeing Ruiko alone.
 * Frenda: "In the end... Only you would see the stuffed dolls as bombs. After sneaking around tormenting me like that... I'll pay you back a hundred-fold."-Frenda contemplating on betraying Ruiko.