Overview

Toaru Majutsu no Index is a light novel series which tells the story of a boy with an unusual gift--and curse-- and his encounters with the worlds of science and magic. Soon, he finds himself in the middle of the conflict of these worlds, primarily the Magic Cabal in one side, and Academy City on the other. The series explains the workings inside these worlds and the people who will end up working with him in his quest to save others.

Settings
The series is set in an alternate present, where part of Japan's capital Tokyo becomes a semi-independent territory called Academy City. In this city, normal students undergo a special academic program designed for them to develop esper abilities. A certain classification scheme sorts out the students according to the level of their abilities, with Power Users (a term used for students under the Power Development Curriculum) from Level 0 to 5.

At the same time, the Magic Cabal, a collective term for magicians, initiate their infiltration of the city. In this world, magicians (ruled by religious organizations like the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church) are enemies with the inhabitants of Academy City, who is supervised by none other than Aleister Crowley, himself a former magician.