"July 21, Part 2" (七月二十一日② Shichi-gatsu Ni-jū-ichi-nichi ②?) is the tenth chapter of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga series, released on December 21, 2007.
Synopsis
Shirai Kuroko is worn out from fighting with Trick, causing Saten Ruiko and Koujun Kikuhiko to be dismayed. Kuroko thinks that Trick's ability is preventing her teleporting from working properly on him. Trick attacks and Kuroko attempts to use her backpack as a shield, but Trick's leg appears to change direction in an impossible way and thus hits her. Kuroko realises that she only has one of her needles left. She tries throwing it at Trick, but it appears to also change direction and fails to hit its target. Trick laughs, thinking that Kuroko isn't even able to teleport anymore, and charges. Kuroko retreats. Trick decides to play along, but warns that she only has ten seconds to run away and if she leaves the building, he'll kill the other two. Kuroko finds that the rooms are empty and have no places to hide, with Trick telling her that all of the furniture has been removed by the workers. Kuroko reaches a dead end on the highest floor, but manages to teleport to another floor. She doesn't hear Trick coming and thinks this is a good chance to sneak up on him, but Trick ambushes and hits her. He explains how this building is one of his gang's hideouts and he knows all about its layout. Kuroko teleports away, but Trick isn't worried. He believes he has no chance of losing.
Outside the building, Kikuhiko tries to convince Saten that they should run away, as Level 0s like them can't help in this situation.
Trick finds an exhausted Kuroko on the top floor, leaning against a window. He thinks she's given up and says he might as well explain his ability, but Kuroko has deduced it on her own: Trick can bend light to create illusions. Trick congratulates her but points out that she still can't win. However, Kuroko starts teleporting the panes of the window into the building's support columns. The glass panes are immediately crushed but they still cut the columns. Kuroko tells Trick to surrender. He doesn't at first, but then he realises that the entire building is collapsing. He flees, but the light reflecting off the windows prevents him concentrating and eventually he can no longer walk. Debris falls towards him, but Kuroko teleports him out in the nick of time. Two Anti-Skill officers approach and reveal that Saten had called them. They thank her for their help as there has been a recent surge of espers, though they do wonder why the building was destroyed. Trick starts babbling incoherently about how they can't understand because they're not a part of "the experiment". One of the officers mentions that some of the other criminal espers said the same thing. Kuroko thinks that it's as though Trick is brainwashing himself.
Saten is relieved that Kuroko is safe, but realises the difference between Level 0s and espers. She comes across her friends Akemi, Muu and Mako. They talk and the conversation turns to the topic of Level Upper. They complain about how it's become expensive after Judgment blocked the website. Saten reveals that she has it.
Adapted To
Characters
In order of Appearance:
New Characters
- Yomikawa Aiho (cameo)
- Akemi
- Muu
- Mako