Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S Episode 08

is the 8th episode of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S anime series, and the 32nd episode of the anime series adaptation of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga series. It was first broadcast on May 31, 2013. The script for the episode was written by Hanada Jukki, storyboarded Muroi Yasuo, and directed by Sakurabi Katsushi. The animation was co-directed by Marina Sato, Naoya Takashi, and Sakamoto Tatsunori.

The experiments that involve the "Sisters" were being stopped by someone... Mikoto, whose heart heart was full of determination, had made the related research facilities unusable one by one. After a large amount of destruction, finally, only two facilities have survived her ferocious onslaught.

And yet, the people who Mikoto has crossed, those who are doing the "experiment," will not fold.

"The target has the ability to manipulate electricity. Only take action when the target has invaded the facility, and make no inquiries of the target's identity."

In response to such a strange request, a certain dark organization begins to move. Not knowing anything, they await for Mikoto to infiltrate the pathology analysis laboratory, where a number of traps awaits her. And, as if inviting her, one girl shows up. Meanwhile, in the other remaning facility, the cranial nerve application analysis laboratory, Nunotaba appears.

Synopsis
The light of the moon is overwhelmed by the sudden explosion the rips through a certain place in Academy City, taking aback a group of three well-dressed men who are there for a particular client. Then, a group of two girls take them out swiftly from the shadows.

After two more girls join in on her two comrades, the two girls proceed with talking casually about swimsuits and frolicking on the water. This conversation is soon ended when the lady in purple tells them of their next mission, something that involves defending research facilities from an unknown attacker.

With that, the four girls united under one name, ITEM, steps into action once again.

The next morning, ITEM is briefed about their mission by their informant, who chooses to communicate them only through voice. Here, she explains that the target is an esper who uses electricity, and adds that the client may have already determined the culprit behind the attacks behind research labs across Academy City. The girl named Kinuhata suggests going for a sneak but all-out attack on the target, but the informant prefers to attack the target only when it chooses to attack another facility. She then points out that she had to comply with certain circumstances that the client wants, so they cannot just do what they like on the target.

With that, the blond girl named Frenda decides to volunteer with watching over one of the facilities while her companions take the other, interesting in having a bonus if she manages to do the job. The others, completely unsurprised by her motivation, accepts her order, but reminds Frenda to maintain communcation with them regardless of the results.

Soon enough, ITEM's target, the Level 5 Electromaster Misaka Mikoto, steps into the S-Processor Pathology Analysis Research Laboratory, and Frenda finally gets what she wants after several minutes of waiting for her target.

Mikoto quickly gets a copy of the building layout and heads to the topmost floor, where her target lies. However, the smooth operation she hopes for hits a snag when the ceiling above her collapses. Mikoto realizes that with two of the Sisters-related research facilities still operational, it would be impossible to take them without a fight. Frenda watches in amazement as her attack was simply shrugged away, but calmly prepares a trap for Mikoto, made up of a length of pre-prepared explosive tape, a plush doll rigged with explosives and an electric igniter. As Frenda lights it up, a flaming path streaks across the room and between Mikoto's legs, detonating a nearby doll. Fortunately for Mikoto, she was able to step back from the blast, but she was shocked to see how many dolls are scattered across the facility.

Using two metal panels as shields, Mikoto runs across the facility, trying to block incoming bombs from attacking her from the sides. Mikoto, however, overlooks a doll sandwiched between one of the panels she picked up. She manages to throw the panel away far enough, but the ensuing blast throws her off-balance, open to an attack by two of Frenda's bombs. As a last resort decision, Mikoto uses magnetism to throw herself back into a metal box behind her. Mikoto seems to regret the decision as she ended up hurting her right arm in the process. Mikoto then decides for a change of plans, following the explosive tape scattered across the facility, and she eventually meets her enemy, ITEM's Frenda.

Meanwhile, at the S-Processor Cranial Nerve Application Analysis Laboratory, the scientists heave a sigh of relief asthey found out that their sister laboratory was the one targeted. As they proceed with the data transfer procedures, they are visited by the renowned researcher named Nunotaba Shinobu. Nunotaba is warmly welcomed by the lead researcher of the S-Processor Cranial Nerve Application Analysis Laboratory and was given a serving of tea and milk before being given some time to relax in the guestroom.

Mikoto takes the chance to pursue Frenda, although Mikoto is at a slight disadvantage due to the sheer abundance of steel making her long-ranged attacks miss. Frenda plays it cool, on the other hand, waiting for Mikoto to trip the ceramic bombs that she prepared for her. However, Frenda is shocked when Mikoto was able to deflect the shards of ceramic released by the bomb trap she prepared. Frenda decides to retreat to a higher floor to lose Mikoto. Mikoto gave chase, but Frenda soon reveals that it was just a ruse before igniting the explosive tape that runs throughout the iron staircase where Mikoto is.

Frenda gloats at her achievement while the staircase crumbles to chunks of iron, but she quickly runs away when Mikoto was able to create a makeshift staircase made out of portions of the staircase. Soon enough, Mikoto catches up to Frenda inside what seems to be a dead end. However, Mikoto suspects that she may be the one caught by Frenda in her trap.

Mikoto takes the chance to ask Frenda about who she works with. Unsurprisingly, Frenda refuses to answer, and even points out that such info is not of her interest. Then, she decides to lay out the trap she has prepared for Mikoto; after letting several dolls fall to where Mikoto is, Frenda ignites the strips of explosive tape that lead to Mikoto as she bids her enemy farewell.

However, to Frenda's shock, Mikoto decides to lift the ground beneath her, cutting off her explosive tape before it could reach her. At that moment, Frenda concludes that Mikoto is at par with a Level 5 esper, a fact that she hasn't been informed about. Mikoto decides to take the chance while Frenda is left stunned and leaps onto Frenda, but was quickly welcomed by a flash grenade. With Mikoto left with crippled sight and hearing for the meantime, Frenda decides to go on the offensive, lighting up six grenades and throwing it into Mikoto.

Upon seeing Mikoto disappear into the cloud of smoke made Frenda celebrate for her half of the share for the mission. But to her disappointment, Mikoto emerges elsewhere, completely unscathed due to her ability to sense things by using electricity. Frenda throws a canister onto Mikoto as if in desperation and Mikoto quickly dispatched that, only to find the entire room filled with a white gaseous substance.

Frenda soon explains that the white smoke that is filling the room is a potent Academy City-made explosive called Ignis, which is harmless when inhaled but explodes when put in contact with electricity or any spark. Hearing this, Mikoto is forced to fight without powers while Frenda switches to close-quarters combat. Mikoto sees the gap between their fighting skill, but also notices that their fight may create sparks that can kill both of them, but Frenda tells her that she no longer cares about it.

Mikoto does not know that Ignis does not exist, and the gas around them is simply nitrogen gas.

As Frenda kicks Mikoto onto a nearby wall, she prepares a straight right onto Mikoto's face.

At the S-Processor Cranial Nerve Application Analysis Laboratory, the scientists discuss about the current situation in the S-Processor Pathology Analysis Research Laboratory. Here it seems that they already have already prepared at the worst case scenario for the Pathology Analysis Lab. However, much to the surprise of the lead researcher, Nunotaba Shinobu is gone, with her milk tea still at the guest room table.

Their guest is actually at the lower levels of the Cranial Nerve Application Analysis Laboratory, using the lowered security on high-risk areas to infiltrate and destroy what she needs to destroy.

Mikoto is now in a worse shape than before as Frenda easily trumps her in fighting experience. As Frenda exposes a knife from within her shoe, she declares that Mikoto, like her targets in the past, is born to be killed by her. Mikoto remembers the fate of her clones and swiftly blocks Frenda's kick and retaliates by punching Frenda's leg, throwing her off-balance and vulnerable for a choke hold by Mikoto. Although taken aback by the attack, Frenda is able to suplex Mikoto off of her, but ends up dropping her electric detonators onto one of her many strips of explosive tape.

Frenda manages to evade the path of the ignited explosive tape, but Mikoto now knows about Frenda's bluff with Ignis and gets a numbing shock as punishment. Mikoto then urges Frenda to speak about the experiment, her current mission and whether she is alone in that mission. Frenda admits to know little about the client due to working through a middleman, but she refuses to talk about her companions, until Mikoto threatens her by burning the ground between her legs with her electricity.

Mikoto gives Frenda three seconds to reveal what she knows, but Frenda soon discovers that her tongue went numb by Mikoto's shock earlier.

After counting down to zero, Mikoto never unleashed her power on Frenda.

Suddenly, Mikoto senses something and steps back, barely evading a green beam of concentrated energy that burned through steel. Soon, a mature-looking girl with a girl dressed in a tracksuit emerges from the glowing red hole, seemingly relieved that their colleague, named Frenda, avoids being burnt to a crisp.

Major events

 * Mikoto and Shinobu separetely infiltrates two laboratories from S-Processor.
 * Mikoto fights and defeats Frenda.
 * Mikoto meets Takitsubo Rikou and the 4th Level 5 (without knowing her identity) Mugino Shizuri.

Adapted From

 * Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Manga Chapter 025
 * Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Manga Chapter 026
 * Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Manga Chapter 027
 * Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Manga Chapter 028

Characters

 * Misaka Mikoto
 * Nunotaba Shinobu

New Characters

 * Frenda Seivelun
 * Kinuhata Saiai
 * Mugino Shizuri
 * Takitsubo Rikou
 * ITEM liaison

Locations

 * Academy City

New locations

 * S-Processor Laboratories

Abilities

 * Electromaster - Misaka Mikoto, Level 5.

New Abilities

 * Meltdowner - Mugino Shizuri, Level 5.

Trivia

 * Ami Koshimizu retains her role as Mugino Shizuri. She first appeared in the Toaru Majutsu no Index (PSP game).

Referbacks

 * The ongoing theme of milktea is used once again this episode, with Shinobu adding powder milk to hers before promptly leaving to do her mission.

Cultural References

 * The man in the roof in the action opening at the beginning of the episode holds a SVDS Dragunov sniper rifle, while the handgun Frenda takes from another man resembles a Desert Eagle.
 * Frenda shows some remarkably poor trigger discipline, having her finger on the trigger while checking the magazine of the handgun, and nonchalantly pointing everywhere.
 * Frenda's gibberish is actually a nonsense dialogue from an old Pilot Fountain Pen commercial.
 * According to Toaru Kagaku no Railgun's editor, the ceramic grenade is similar to the Type 4 grenade Japan once used in World War II.

Animation Trivia

 * Scenes from episode 5 and 6 are used for flashback.
 * After Mikoto propels herself backwards using her magnetism to escape the bomb that Frenda planted inside the metal plating Mikoto was using, the fire is shown after the explosion is obviously computer generated.

Unanswered Questions

 * How powerful is Mugino Shizuri?
 * What does Shinobu intend to do to stop the experiment inside the facility?