Toaru Majutsu no Index Light Novel Volume SS

Toaru Majutsu no Index SS was first published on July 10, 2007, technically making it the 14th novel published in the series. Despite its name, much of the story is dedicated to Touma and Accelerator's point-of-view, which later converges in the end. It also features Hamazura Shiage, the future third protagonist of the series. The "SS" part is likely taken from the side story of the girls from the Necessarius through Kanzaki Kaori's point-of-view. This is the first sidestory novel by the author Kamachi Kazuma, a format which would later be a recurring staple in expanding the world of Toaru Majusu no Index.

It is also notable for being the first novel published after the debut of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga.

Prologue: The Calm Before the Start of War — Breakfast.
Kamijou Touma faces another day without a decent meal for breakfast; left with a tube of kamaboko that is two hours until expiration date. However, Index has other plans, and while the nun in white clothes raids his fridge, Touma can just look at his soon-to-be unfortunate meal.

Chapter 1: Pot with Meat and the Appetite for Great Tactics — A_Required_Thing.
Because of Index's fridge raid, Touma is forced to attend school and endure a growling stomach until lunch time. Aisa goes to eat lunch with him, and is even generous to share some of her food. Everything goes fine until Aisa chokes on Touma's taro; as Touma tries to rub her back to ease the passage of food, he unclasps her bra accidentally. That awarded him a right hook from Aisa.

Soon, Touma is joined by Fukiyose Seiri, who tells Touma of news about tensions between Academy City and the Roman Catholic Church building up. Soon, the topic in the room shifts to the Ichihanaransai, to commodities, to nabe. Soon, Tsuchimikado Motoharu and Aogami Pierce discuss plans for an eat-out with the class. The commotion they made soon reaches their teacher Tsukuyomi Komoe and Yomikawa Aiho, who were talking about having and losing roommotes along the way, and as she opens the classroom door, it seems that the class has settled for sukiyaki.

On the nabe store Tsuchimikado recommended earlier, the entire class where Touma belongs, Index, Komoe and Sphynx fill the store, heartily eating and making a ruckus. While some of the class talk about Tokiwadai students' parents fearing for their daughters' lives, Touma focuses on Index's appetite and various other things that might come up for him. He senses that misfortune is coming for him.

Touma soon leaves the store for a whiff of fresh air, and there, he is joined by Tsuchimikado Motoharu. He realizes that war is starting, and he needs to prepare for it, especially to protect his friends and classmates. However, learning English is the wrong way to prepare. As he is punched by Tsuchimikado, he loses the last chance of eating his share of meat.

Chapter 2: A Dull Gray Alley — Skill_Out.
After a shooting practice session to check which firearm would suit him, Accelerator is accompanied by Unabara Mitsuki to their first ever mission as member of GROUP. Tension builds up between the two, but Unabara manages to avert any unnecessary fights. Unabara then tells him that their target is Skill-Out, a group of Level 0s which could exploit the decrease in security after the events in September 30. More specifically, their target is the Skill-Out leader Komaba Ritoku, whose headquarters is in District 10.

Their mission starts almost immediately, with Accelerator dropped by to do his job within 20 minutes. As he enters the lair of the Skill-Out, he receives a warning call from fellow GROUP member Tsuchimikado Motoharu. A warning not to trust anyone related to GROUP, along with the request to come back safely.

Soon, another member of GROUP, none other than Musujime Awaki, starts doing her job, disabling attacking Skill-Out using her Move Point ability. Her job seems easy and boring at first, until she confronts the leader himself: Komaba Ritoku. For the first time, Awaki experiences having her ability miss completely and she finds herself outmatched by a powerless Level 0. She is forced to teleport away.

Meanwhile, Accelerator has finished his part of the job, taking out the attackers within 10 minutes. But now, he has to face Komaba. The Skill-Out leader manages to disrupt the electric signals on his choker using Chaff Seeds, rendering Accelerator powerless, and the Rank 1 Level 5 has to deal with Komaba with strategy. Although it took him some time of preparations, Accelerator manages to regain his control over the choker and he quickly turns the tides to his favor.

With Komaba now at the mercy of Accelerator, the Skill-Out leader decides to implant a certain message through his death and the picture of a young girl with him on a cell phone.

Although the mission was a success, Accelerator does not feel like celebrating, even with someone like Awaki helping him kill off Komaba. As he walks off, he holds on to the phone Komaba left behind and finds himself doing someone a favor.

Chapter 3: Women’s Dorm of the Anglican Church — Russian_Roulette.
Several days have passed since the Anglican Church's Girls' Dormitory adds more members to its family: Sisters Agnese Sanctis, Lucia and Angelene. As the everyday routine of the boarders begin, they receive an unexpected guest by the name of Sasha Kreutzev. Her real agenda: to determine which side the Anglican Church belongs to in the upcoming war.

As Kanzaki Kaori is faced with a tough question, Orsola Aquinas decides that they shall form a third side, where they will help anyone belong to either side, a type of mentality inspired from a certain teenager. Sasha leaves after receiving a confusing response from Orsola, and after Kaori's mind is cleared, the Pontiff of the Amakusa Christians rushed to the aid of Agnese, who finds herself stuck with a piece of technology he has no idea how to use.

Chapter 4: A Drunk Mother’s Circumstances — The_Two_Leading_Roles.
A drunk lady encounters Accelerator and Kamijou Touma in two separate events; that lady, named Misaka Misuzu, is trying to head for Dangai University, where she is enrolled as a student. While Accelerator ignores her request, Touma decides to exchange numbers with the familiar lady who is Misaka Mikoto's mother.

To sate his curiousity about Misaka Misuzu, Accelerator contacts Tsuchimikado. However, the line is hijacked by GROUP's informant, who tells him of a mission to eliminate Misaka Misuzu. It turns out that Misuzu is trying to retrieve her daughter after the spread of news of war coming to Academy City, and the only way for it to be stopped is through killing her. Accelerator rejected the mission, but soon finds himself forced to accept it after discovering GROUP hijacking his choker.

Touma soon receives a call from Misuzu herself, who is now stuck as a hostage by Skill-Out inside one of Dangai University's lecture rooms. Inspite of the trouble soon to come to him, he pushes on. Meanwhile, Hamazura Shiage, the substitude leader of the Skill-Out gang formerly led by Komaba Ritoku is now cornered after their plans fail without the presence of the old leader. They are now forced to take care of Misuzu themselves, and with the presence of Accelerator nearby, they are much more in danger than ever.

After a long run to Dangai University, Touma reaches the interior of the university and creeps past the bodies of knocked out Skill-Out, before reaching Misuzu. Touma soon dives into the heart of the battle and luckily survives due to Accelerator's unlikely intervention. He and Misuzu soon manage to escape the school compound. However, Hamazura Shiage emerges to pursue them.

Shiage becomes desperate to complete the mission, but Touma's strength was enough to stall him from taking away Misuzu. After a fistfight between the two Level 0s, Touma stands victorious. Soon, Touma is taken to the hospital for a terrible head injury, and there, Misuzu reveals that she was there to take Mikoto home; however, she reconsiders her decision after seeing how people close to Mikoto are willing to keep her safe.

Epilogue: A Single Will and a Small Key — The_Present_Target.
GROUP finally meets for the first time: Tsuchimikado Motoharu, Unabara Mitsuki and Musujime Awaki join Accelerator as he completes yet another job. It turns out that the hit on Misaka Misuzu has been called off after changing her decision to take away her daugher, and Unabara makes sure that it stays that way. After a tense night, Accelerator heads back home with GROUP, with plans to loosen GROUP's grip over his life.

Meanwhile, the Frog-Faced Doctor has finally finished treating the virus in Last Order's brain. As he advises Last Order to rest for the night, he assures the her that Accelerator will be back.