309 pages
Published 10 November 2007
Contains chapters:
- Prologue: あまりにも暗い聖堂 Bread_and_Wine.
- Chapter 1: 早すぎる変化の速度 In_a_Long_Distance_Country.
- Chapter 2: 決定打となる引き金 Muzzle_of_a_Gun.
- Chapter 3: 魔術師から遠いもの Power_Instigation.
- Chapter 4: 空を覆う鋼鉄の群れ Cruel_Troopers.
- Epilogue: その解は次の謎へと Question.
Summary
Terra, Acqua and the pope are having a conversation outside. They decide if to use their believers to attack Academy City.
Yomikawa along with her co-workers from Anti Skill are at 3rd district demonstrating their equipment to people from outside. There were times where Academy City would invite people with interest to show their inventions, but this time it's strictly weapons and arsenals only. She speculates that this was due to protest going on around the world, in the aftermath of Roman Catholic Chruch's assualt into Academy City in volume 13. Roman Catholics are protesting against Academy City world wide, and the demonstration they're having right now is aimed at showing what Academy City is capable of. This exhibition is one of Academy City's ways to get funds, selling off weapons that's 3-4 generations behind the best they have, ones that can be reproduced using technology from 'outside' the City.
Touma, Tsuchimikado and Aogami were having a conversation as well on which color suits the bunny girl the best. (black, red or white?) Fukiyose tries to shut them up by choking Tsuchimikado, kicking Aogami and headbutting Touma. Oyafune, a teacher working at their school, hears the commotion and breaks up the fight. She orders them to pick the weeds away by hand from school grounds after school. The two ditch them, and Touma is left alone to work with Fukiyose. While working they start playing around again, Fukiyose trying to show her 150km/h fork ball against Touma showing her panties in the process when Touma shout her to stop when she raised her leg. Touma almost gets into trouble again after foul ball hits Oyafune who came to check up on them, but manage to escape.
Stiyl and Anieze are interrogating Biagio Buzoni and Lidvia Lorenzetti trying to find out what God's Right Seat is after. Lidvia agreed to give them information if it means to save more people, and if they release Oriana Thompson to help people. Stiyl notes this is something no other fanatical Roman Catholic would do.
Touma meets Misaka on the way home. They talk about how he got her mom's number and why there's protest against Academy City going on around the globe. Misaka talks about defeating the mastermind behind all this, while Kamijou thinks that's impossible since all this began by Vent's attack on Academy City, there are no mastermind to defeat and the only way is to convince every one of the protesters, which is next to impossible. After they split Touma is contacted by Oyafune's mother, who happens to be one of Academy City's 12 directors, in person. She tells him that there's supernatural power at work behind the protests, that these people are forced to take action against the city. She further goes on explaining the details of the situation, like how most people are benefiting from both Religion and Science, belonging on both sides and are only involved because of the supernatural power that's driving them. She asks for his help since governments of various countries fear being dragged into the backlash, and that only his Imagine Breaker can help settle this mess by destroying the artifact that's the cause. Then she is shot by Tsuchimikado right after. Academy City wanted a reason to go on war so what she was doing would only works against them. Tsuchimikado was asked by her to shoot her to prevent Academy City from doing further form of punishment(such as attacking her daughter). Kamijou thought that she didn't have to use this guilt trick to force him into action, all she had to do was ask. Misaka hears the shot and comes back, but they've already left after calling for help.
Cutting back to Stiyl and the others in [Intermission 2], Lidvia continues on the nature of God's Right Seat, how they are imitating the Holy Mother Maria by reducing their 'Original Sin' passed down since Adam and Eve's time to gain power above that of a normal human; for example they can use to an extent a Angel's spells. She also says reducing the Original Sin is the ultimate goal of Humankind, but God's Right Seat treats this as merely a step in their goal. When Stiyl asks what are their ultimate goal Lidvia smiled and replied their goal is in their name - "God's Right Seat".
Kamijou and Tsuchimikado get on a super plane that can go up to 7000km/h (The same kind as what Kamijou was on when he was returned to Academy City for medical treatment at the end of volume 11) to head to France. Tsuchimikado tells Touma they're after Document of Constantine, called the 'C Document' in short. It has power to make Catholic people believe whatever the Pope says. In this case the Pope declared Academy City an enemy of the Roman Catholic Church at the end of volume 13. Before Tsuchimikado could finish his explanation, they reach above Avignon, so they parachuted off from there, with Touma being pushed off by Tsuchimikado. Touma makes a vow to kill Tsuchimikado for this if he gets a chance.
Touma got strangled by the lines on his parachute and faints, so he drifted off course and lands in a river 100m away from the original drop point, but Itsuwa rescues him before drowning. Amakusas were gathering info in France on what was causing this, and Itsuwa found Touma by pure chance since she didn't know about Tsuchimikado. They join up before regrouping with him. They go to nearby cafe to wrap things up before making a move. Itsuwa explains how popes used to be here at Avignon couple centuries ago, when France and the Vatican had a dispute and France was the victor. After that dispute the Pope was imprisoned at the Papal Palace (Palais des papes) here at Avignon. And since using the document in Vatican would take long time (taking votes and approvals), they decided to use it here instead after reestablishing the magical link between Avignon and the Vatican. The Papal Palace seems most likely place to be where the document is housed.
They're spotted by angry mob before they could plan things out. This seems to be their attack against Touma, after spotting him drop off from the plane. They start moving toward Palais des papes. While dodging the mob to get there, Tsuchimikado contacts them. He was heading there as well, but wall of angry mob got too dense to pass by. They decide to cut the magical pipeline connecting Vatican and Avignon which allows the document to activate instead. This pipeline is flow of energy that runs through the globe, and they need either Itsuwa or Tsuchimikado to alter its path away from Avignon.
Touma and Itsuwa end up at one of museums. Touma thought about breaking the link using the Imagine Breaker but was told by Tsuchimikado it might not work on the natural mana flow of the land, as there are exceptions to what the Imagine Breaker can negate. For example the life force of a person can be used as magic in some instances, and people don't just drop dead when they touch Touma's right hand. Also it seemed ridiculous to Tsuchimikado that if Touma put his hand to the ground he can destroy the Earth by negating the whole planet's mana flow. Though Touma still have his suspicions in that Tsuchimikado could be mistaken, from what his own interactions with Misha and Kazakiri suggsts. Just as Itsuwa is about to shut the pipeline using a magic circle made from common items such as water bottle, tour guide book, slippers and her panties, Terra attacks them with giant white guillotine blade.
When Touma touches it the blade shatters into pieces, but goes back to Terra's right hand and forms a blade once again. Terra mentions that since God's Right Seat can't use normal magic he has to let someone else use the document, so he hopes that they'll entertain him a little. Terra starts attacking again. Touma block most of his attacks and Itsuwa jumps in, using seven wires to attack like Kanzaki. The wires wrap around him without any damage. Terra goes through wall behind him and attacks, and the two can't do anything but to defend themselves.
Terra is disappointed in Touma, saying that Vent would never have lost against him if her 'Divine Punishment' wasn't broken and the 'Fallen Angel' and 'Artificial Heaven' wasn't activated. Terra strikes with his blade and Touma is blown away but his body remain intact instead of getting sliced in half. Itsuwa figures out that Terra's blade is made of flour, symbolising how bread is also the 'flesh of God' and the 'Fruits of the Earth'. After she does Terra explains with a smile that he can alter the hierarchy of things. He put himself above the metal wires so it didn't deal any damage to him. Tsuchimikado joins in and attacks Terra with his magical origami and a handgun while sending a note to Itsuwa and Touma to get away when the two collide. Before they do there's huge explosion outside, crumbling the museum wall. Academy City had sent their peacekeeping forces to attack Avignon.
Hundreds of HsPS-15 AI suits landed and start taking down the mob using gatling rifles, mostly filled with blanks but can still cause serious bruises if hit. Terra retreats in order to secure the Document of Constantine and escape because that's what the Academy City is here for. Touma and Itsuwa goes after Terra while Tsuchimikado stays behind to stall the Academy City forces. Tsuchimikado manages to crash the suits' system by forcibly sending conflicting comannds, thanks to the AI of the suits still being at testing stage. He spots HsB-02 planes flying above him and questions now immobilized soldiers if they plan to bomb entire city of Avignon, and wonders if they got something more.
Accelerator was put in charge of the operation to subdue the problem in Avignon. Eight HsB-02 planes were sent to Avignon, and proceeded to slices around Avignon using its speed to create a vacuum after the plane's path, then send iron sand into the vacuum to make it explode. Accelerator tells them to change their plans to bomb just the Palais des papes instead of bombing whole Avignon, and this order was approved when the pilot he was with checked with the higher ups.
Touma and Itsuwa reaches Palais des papes, once there he calls Misaka to check on why Academy City sent their people in. She tells him that right now there's nothing but news on Avignon on TV. There's a cult group working to create weapon of mass destruction and French government has asked Academy City to intervene, asking for their expertise in taking the weapon apart. She asks Touma where he is but their talk is cut short when Terra shows up after taking out suits that have infiltrated into palace, with the document in his hand. Touma's phone falls off from his hands and the screen was shattered.
Bombing starts and with that Touma begins his fight against Terra with Itsuwa. Terra explodes his blade and shoots them out like a bullet at them. Touma is unable to react but Istuwa pulls him away just in time and strikes at Terra. Itsuwa gets injured instead and Terra scoffs at her for being dead weight but she answers to him that she's found his weakness. Before she could speak Terra attacks and knock her unconscious. Terra tells Touma how he's utterly disappointed and that his could have protected her if he had full power of Imagine Breaker. He suggests that at full power he could have extended the Imagine Breaker away from just his right hand to block a ranged attack. Finding a confused look in Touma, Terra asks "How can you not know? Or is it possible that you've forgotten?" Touma screams in anger at the fact someone found this out, that he broke his promise to himself to never let anyone know in order to keep the smile on Index's face. Terra confirms his suspicion, and asks when and how he lost his memory, and even speculated he'll find some amusing things if he captures Itsuwa and questions her about this. But Terra starts attacking again saying it won't matter since Touma is going to die here anyway.
During the fight Touma realizes his weakness; Terra can't change more than one rank at a time. If he puts human being above a weapon, his blade isn't deadly for time being unless he puts flour above a person, and on top of that he has to actually say it out loud every time he does. Touma asks why go this far, and Terra's answer is that he needs to guide lost sheep and judge them before passing onto the promised land - 'God's Kingdom', a utopia with no conflict. After that Touma gives his usual speech saying how flawed/narrow the logic is, and proceeds to pummels Terra to ground and destroys the document. During the fight when Touma blocked a attack that would've cut him in half from the flour Terra exclaimed that has Touma regained his full power since Imagine Breaker could envelope his entire body at full strength, though it turns out Touma just blocked the attack which can only cut a human body with a fallen rifle that he picked up from the HsPS-15 suits. With the document destroyed and Terra lying on ground, Touma asks him what Imagine Breaker is. Before Terra finishes speaking a attack from HsB-02 blows the two away and where Terra was laying is covered in scorching flame. Kamijou screams Terra's name in anguish as he thought Terra is dead from the attack.
When Itsuwa comes to, she finds Touma unconscious and damages caused by HsB-02. Parts of room has melted due to so much heat and covered with steam. She hears Accelerator speaking just as she start tending Touma, from where heat is still generated and no normal human being should be able to stand there. Accelerator is speaking with one of the higher ups of Academy City on the phone, telling them to send troops to come search for Terra's corpse and run DNA Tests to see if he's really dead. She stays put not knowing if he's ally or foe, steam giving good cover for her and Accelerator leaves soon after to deeper part of palace. She found Accelerator, who can stand in flames like that, even more terrifying than Terra.
Lidvia tells Stiyl that God's Right Seat is trying to become being equal to an Archangel and even more, sitting right next to where God resides. In Christianity symbolism sitting right of someone means to be on equal status with him/her. This position used to be held by the 'Envoy of Light' Lucifer, before being cast down by the 'One similar to God' Archangel Michael, who leads the army of Heaven. After reaching that level they plan to use the angels' power to reach the next stage beyond that - "La persona superiore a Dio" (The person higher than God). In Japanese, it's pronounced as 'Kamijou', just like Touma's name, which Stiyl and Anieze thought of immediately.
Terra manage to survive the attack and escape to Vatican, where he's welcomed back by Acqua. The two discussed the events and said it doesn't matter that the Document of Constantine is destroyed as it has served its purpose - as a tool to ensure the Russian Orthodox Church in their negotiations cooperate with the Roman Catholic Church. Ideally the Roman Catholic Church wanted to unite all three major Christian powers on their side, but due to events like the 'Book of Law' incident with Orsola and the 'St. Peter's Cross' incident there's a wide gap between the two Churches. Aqua found out that Terra was experimenting his power on non-Catholics tourists who pass by Rome and crushed him using one of the pillars supporting the Basilica they are in. He talks to the Pope who saw their exchange, and decides to leave military matters out of normal civilian hands by stepping in himself, who is both a Saint and a part of God's Right Seat, to resolve all this.
Misaka is staring blankly at her phone after hearing the talk between Touma and Terra, before turning her own phone off. Though Touma's screen shattered it was still working and connected with her phone when they were talking, and Misaka heard about everything Touma and Terra talked about. Though Mikoto didn't understand most of it and then forgotten them all in her shock when she heard about how Touma lost his memory.
credit: bob4000 and Lummie from AS.