Misaka Mikoto firing her railgun at the wheel snake to help Lessar.
The 'Wheel Snake' (車輪の大蛇 Sharin no Orochi?)(proper name unknown, term used for reference in text) was a large spiritual item which was deployed by Caliche I. Niknosh's magic cabal during the incident at the Russian Shopping Center.[1][2][3][4]
Appearance
The spiritual item was made up of giant wheels, made of a white stone like marble with a gold-colored metal reinforcing the outer edges. The small wheels had a radius of 3 meters while the large wheels had a radius of 15 meters. The individual wheels were comprised of different sized wheels on top of one another like a bike's gear and fit together like gears, connecting together in a shape resembling a giant snake over 70 meters long.[1]
Principles
The wheel snake is powered by Telesma aligned to Archangel Michael, who is also considered a patron saint (the cabal having previously made use of the symbols of patron saints via Ex Voto).[1][3][4] It is derived from the story involving Michael's suppression of Lucifer and is based on the chain used to bind the highest class of fallen angel for 1000 years.[3][4] The property of bringing balance to the world via military force is used to constantly give stability, preservation and regulation to the space between the wheels.[4]
The weapon destroys its surroundings with its size and weight, and then draws the resulting debris into the space between the wheels where it is further crushed.[3][4] When the wheels swallow pieces of rubble which are too large or the arrangement of the gears is changed, the wheels temporarily ignore gravity and distance themselves from each other.[3]
According to Lessar and Floris's analysis, the weapon was likely created to destroy an enemy base or landscape rather than an individual (though that does not make it any less of a threat to an individual).[3] They also guessed that the absorption of rubble could be related to the binding property and that friendly damage could be avoided by adding an expanded interpretation of the fact that the chains which bind evil don't bind believers.[3] In its construction, Telesma was forcibly gathered together into a spiritual item with its symbols skewed and values for stability overwritten,[1][3][4] something which might have caused a fair amount of power to be lost.[3]
As a huge amount of power was needed to move the giant wheels (Telesma in this case), similar destructive power would be produced if the energy was sent out of control,[3] with the moment where the gears were being rearranged being an opportunity for interference to destructively overwrite the conditions for stability and cause self-destruction.[3][4] Lessar accomplished this after analyzing the symbols, via an incantation involving the key sealing the pit and the binding chain held by St. Michael - meant to bind Lucifer in the pit for 1000 years of stability, forcing the reconfirmation of the key and recalculation of the outputs, causing the wheels to fall and scatter.[4]
As the shopping center did not have the space needed to hide a weapon of this size, Lessar suspected that a hidden magic circle had been put in place to call it in from afar or only the necessary components had been brought together so the other parts could be gathered automatically.[1] During Lessar and Floris's discussion about the wheel snake's nature while fleeing from it, the latter brought up the possibility that the Telesma wheels might have their foundation in the Ophanim or Thrones.[3]
Chronology
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun SS2: Shopping Mall Demonstration
- Main article: Toaru Kagaku no Railgun SS2: Shopping Mall Demonstration
The cabal originally constructed the spiritual item as insurance to use against the higher ups of the Russian Shopping Center if they did not give them their reward for their cooperation.[1] While they did not get to use it against its original targets as the situation got out of hand, they unleashed it against New Light's Lessar after she defeated Caliche I. Niknosh and other members with support from Bayloupe.[5][1]
Floris saved Lessar from getting crushed and the two flew away with the wheel snake chasing after them while under fire from Bayloupe's bombardment. With prolonged escape doubtful and guessing the nature of the wheels, they realized that they could interfere at the moment the gears arranged to cause self-destruction. As this required an analysis of the symbols and it would be slow while flying away, Lessar had Floris drop her onto one of the wheels to look at it up close.[3]
Managing to land on the non-rotating axis of one of the wheels, Lessar quickly began analyzing the symbols. The wheel snake tried to scrape her off, but was hit by a railgun shot from Misaka Mikoto, delaying it for a few seconds and buying Lessar enough time to complete her work. With help from Bayloupe, Floris and Lancis, Lessar used an incantation, connected to the key and chain held by St. Michael, at the moment the gears rearranged to overwrite the values for stability, causing the wheel snake to fall apart.[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Toaru Kagaku no Railgun SS2: Shopping Mall Demonstration Chapter 7 Part 7
- ↑ Toaru Kagaku no Railgun SS2: Shopping Mall Demonstration Chapter 7 Part 8
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 Toaru Kagaku no Railgun SS2: Shopping Mall Demonstration Chapter 7 Part 9
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Toaru Kagaku no Railgun SS2: Shopping Mall Demonstration Chapter 7 Part 11
- ↑ Toaru Kagaku no Railgun SS2: Shopping Mall Demonstration Chapter 7 Part 4