Toaru Majutsu no Index Light Novel Volume 21/Chapter 7

Synopsis
The Elizalina Alliance of Independent Nations begins shaking as Shiage continues watching Rikou undergo treatment with Elizalina's help. Despite the tremors, Elizalina manages to finish the treatment procedure, but she tells Shiage that the drug's aftereffects require a different kind of treatment. Although Elizalina also brings bad news about Fiamma, Shiage is relieved that Rikou is strong enough to move on her own. However, it still leaves Rikou's full recovery to be fulfilled, and it requires a trip to Russia. After Rikou manages to stop Shiage from going off on his own, she stumbles upon some documents: one is about the complications involving Digurv's village and a nearby Cold War-era nuclear silo, and the plans of using the Kremlin Report to unleash a biological attack against the village. With his allies in danger, Shiage decides to return to the village to repay an unreturned gesture of help, and Rikou agrees to join him.

From within the Star of Bethlehem, Kamijou Touma is helpless in stopping the angel Gabriel (as Misha Kreutzev) in destroying everything in its path. However, he pushes himself to do anything to stop the angel's rampage. As he braves the perilous journey from one part of the Star to another, he makes an encounter with none other than Sasha Kreutzev.

From within the Elizalina Alliance, Elizalina is in disbelief as the angel continues its destruction in the sky. The sight is somehow familiar to Accelerator, who had seen "wings of light" on September 30, and he soon makes a link between the parchment, the angel's appearance and Last Order's condition. However, Elizalina also makes a similar link, except that the parchment is needed by Fiamma to complete the Star of Bethlehem and Accelerator may be at the risk of being attacked by the angel because of this. Soon, Elizalina mentions the name Index, and she advises Accelerator to flee. But, as Accelerator fully completes the dots on the importance of the parchment in the current situation, he refuses to give it up, although he ends up preparing to leave the Elizalina Alliance with Misaka Worst and Last Order, if only to avoid diverting the battle to the country.

As Acqua of the Back makes his slow advance into Fiamma's current location, Cardinal Pietro Yogdis admires the power of the archangel Gabriel from inside the Vatican. Cardinal Yogdis himself holds different thoughts about the current situation. To him, what's important is usurping the papacy from the incapacitated Pope, and he is closer to his dream as the Conclave begins. However, the riots happening within the walled city is forcing a postponement of the process to choose the next Pope and, to make things worse, the Pope himself has returned to calm the unstable crowd. With his words, the Pope, who merely calls himself Matthai Reese, marches to St. Peter's Basilica and thanks Cardinal Yogdis for looking over the followers of the Roman Catholic Church in his absence, as well as allowing the conclave to proceed despite his presence. As Matthai proceeds to look for a way to fight back Fiamma's fortress in the library below the basilica, the sheer compassion shown by the former Pope causes Cardinal Pietro to break down into tears. Although Touma is somewhat familiar of her appearance, Sasha remains suspicious about him, especially since he knows about her condition. Regardless, Touma asks Sasha about the specifics on her involvement in calling forth the archangel Gabriel.

As Sasha explains what she saw in the building where the ceremony to summon Gabriel took place, Touma begins speculating if Sasha still has a link to Misha and whether touching her would have an effect. Soon enough, Touma begins using his right hand on Sasha, and after hitting the boy a few times out of embarrassment, the flustered Sasha recalls more on the ceremony. Here, she mentions a cylinder with several thin rings reminiscent of a dial padlock among the things present in the ceremony. Immediately, Touma recognizes it as the remote control used on Index.

Characters
By order of appearance
 * Hamazura Shiage
 * Elizalina
 * Takitsubo Rikou
 * Accelerator
 * Archangel Gabriel
 * Kamijou Touma
 * Sasha Kreutzev
 * Misaka Worst
 * Acqua of the Back
 * Matthai Reese
 * Fiamma of the Right (voice-only)
 * Index Librorum Prohibitorum
 * Stiyl Magnus
 * Misaka Mikoto
 * Misaka 10777

New Characters

 * Pietro Yogdis
 * Nikolai Tolstoy