Kamijou Touma/Chronology (Toaru Kagaku no Railgun)

Although Misaka Mikoto is the main protagonist in the side story, Kamijou Touma occasionally appears as a recurring character. He is often shown helping people or being chased around by Misaka Mikoto demanding him to challenge her, but his role as a hapless target for Mikoto evolves in the narrative during the course of the Sisters Arc, becoming one of its most important characters.
He initially appears as an enigmatic recurring character with the power to negate any of Misaka Mikoto's attacks, assisting the needy even if it is against Mikoto's plans. His role in the series expands greatly when he reappears after his memory loss during Mikoto's struggle against the Level 6 Shift Project. He appears during Mikoto's great time of need, when she has no allies to turn to, her Sisters are doomed to their deaths against an opponent they and even she cannot hope to defeat, and believes that only in her sacrifice can they be saved. Here Touma shows to Mikoto that she is not alone, that her death would not make her Sisters happy, and that Accelerator can be beaten. From then on, though not often appearing, Touma becomes a potential love interest for Mikoto as part of his role as a supporting character in the series.
This article provides Kamijou Touma's chronological history as he appears in the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun sidestory.
==Level Upper Arc==
Touma appears earlier in the anime eventually where he meets Kiyama Harumi and tries to help her locate her car before running away when she starts stripping (as is her habit) and leaving Mikoto behind with her. Touma later meets Mikoto after doing some shopping and having the eggs he just bought ruined. He then relents to Mikoto's demands and battles her. She uses her ability to control iron sand and attack Touma which he quickly dispels with his right hand. Despite Misaka's following 'trick' by grabbing his right hand to directly electrocute him, he is unaffected due to his ability and allows him to have an opening to attack her, though seeing her flinching when he raises his arm he throws the fight by faking that he was hurt. An irritated Mikoto then proceeded to chase him all night, trying to shock him.
He is later seen during the graviton bombing incident. Touma meets Mikoto in the Seventh Mist mall in which the latter quickly challenges him to another battle, which Touma points out that it was an inappropriate place for them to fight. Later during a massive graviton explosion, Touma uses his right hand to block the explosion from Mikoto and company after she failed to use her Railgun. They later meet again in which Mikoto asks why he let her take the credit for stopping the explosion, which he then replies that as long as everybody is alright it doesn't matter who gets the credit. This also infuriates Mikoto and takes her frustration on a nearby vending machine (an elevator door in the manga).
During Mikoto's attempt in obtaining information on the Level Upper, Touma meets her trying to rescue the thugs from her as he knows the thugs will get hurt when they cross Mikoto. This ruins her plans and she attacks him with her Railgun which is easily dispelled. She then proceeds to use her full power and conjures a powerful electrical storm to attack him, causing a massive blackout which is the beginning of Toaru Majutsu no Index. In the anime Touma does not appear in this scene.
In the anime, Touma also sees Mikoto on an electronic billboard happily prancing around with the swimsuit she wanted to wear. This is apparently his final appearance before he loses his memories.
==Poltergeist Arc==
In the anime, Index refers to Touma teaching her about the "3 second rule" on food during her struggle against a cleaning robot taking her donuts.
Touma meets Mikoto for one last time before Mikoto's violin performance where he was searching for a lost Index. Here he has already lost his memory and acts polite and apologetic towards her as if he didn't recognize her. A flustered Mikoto then believes he came here to mock her. Touma comments that she looks quite good in her dress which causes an extremely embarrassed Mikoto to threaten him with a chair prompting Touma to run away, though this meeting relieved Mikoto somewhat as she has lost all her doubt and nervousness in performing her solo.
He is seen for one last time in the final episode of the anime during the end credits with Index giving her a drink, looking up at the sky smiling.
==Sisters Arc==
In the manga, Mikoto meets Touma near a vending machine after having the misfortune of getting his money eaten by it. Touma also meets Kuroko and one of Mikoto's clones. This scene coincides with the beginning of the Sisters Arc in Toaru Majutsu no Index; Touma's role during this arc is the same, though it is in Mikoto's perspective, Touma seemingly appears out of nowhere to help Mikoto with her problem with the Level 6 Shift.
There is also an expanded epilogue in the manga ("The Iron Bridge is a Sign of Love"), where Mikoto actually does make some cookies for Touma after he told her that homemade cookies are the best. She originally plans on visiting him at the hospital, but she meets Touma on a bridge on the way instead. Unfortunately, she is too embarrassed to give him the cookies. Mikoto tries to thank Touma for what he did for her, but she is unable to speak properly, so he misinterprets what she says. However, before he leaves, she tells him that she does not like being called "Biri Biri." After hearing that, Touma calls her by her name.
==Silent Party Arc==
Touma's influence in the story is still felt by Misaka Mikoto after the events of the story arc, inspiring her to fight against STUDY despite the odds stacked against her. Touma briefly appears on September 2, while looking at the sky during a lesson, after having scribbled a spoof of Index on his notebook.
==Daihasei Festival Arc==
Touma makes a brief appearance where he is seen buying drinks for him and Misaka since the lines are long. He is introduced to Shokuhou Misaki, the number 5, who apparently knows who he is, and asks if they really are classmates. They later agree on Mikoto's tendency to release electricity upon them, infuriating her. Later while in a Borrowing Race asking for a protective charm Saten Ruiko witnesses him running, she hesitates before giving him her charm. Touma takes it with his left hand, since he's afraid he'll negate the charm's "power". They agree to meet in front of a station in an hour so he can give Saten her charm back. Saten suggests that if he can't find her then if he could give it to Judgement's 177th branch office, they exchange names before heading their different ways. Later Touma is shown to have finished the race and is on his way to meet Saten at the station when he sees her and Xochitl as they exited from the laboratory. He heads in her direction and slowly climbs a fence to get to her and return the charm just as Xochitl is about to reveal the details and stops to smilingly listen. When he hears Xochitl speculate that the true goal is likely Misaka Mikoto. He immediately gives the charm back to Ruiko without much fanfare, and runs off to find her.
He arrives at Exterior just in time to see Misaka in her new form. He then get a mental debriefing on the situation from Misaki who suggests he hold her off if not stop her using the Imagine Breaker. As he charges at the distracted Misaka only to be rebuffed by a barrage magnetically controlled objects and lighting blasts. he is able to hold off the attack until she creates a large pile of magnetic controlled rubble, he is then saved from being crushed by the newly arrived Sogiita Gunha which he easily destroys with a single punch. He then ignores Touma's explanation of the situation, as they continue to argue about what to do when Misaka fires a lighting blast at each of them. Both teens not bothered by the incoming attacks and stops them in their own ways, they then decide to stop their argument and work together to stop her. As their fight against Mikoto continues she is becoming stronger due to her ongoing transformation. When Touma mentions that he wanted to come near Mikoto to check if he can negate her transformation, Sogiita says to leave it to him and uses Amazing Punch to create a path for him. He then proceeds to throw Touma at Mikoto and catching him in midair, Touma explains that he can't fully negate her transformation because her source of power is constantly sending her power and that they can only hold Mikoto back as an another person tries to stop her transformation. As she further transforms, Gunha asks what she is trying to do. As he ponders this, he is stuck full on in the face by one of her attacks and is shot into a building. When Touma wants to check if he is okay, he jumps up and lands near Touma saying he is pathetic for letting his guard down and needs more guts or he will be in trouble, they then resume their fight against her.
As the battle continues, Gunha is eventually struck down, leaving Touma to fend off Misaka alone. However, in the climax of the battle, he gets back up, having stopped his bleeding and reconnected his bones. Touma feels that something about Mikoto is odd and wants to stop her at all costs as she can't contain her power. Gunha dissuades Touma from charging in alone, as he felt the force that pushed him is an unknown incomprehensible force from another world. So after making a plan, Gunha opens a path to Misaka and Touma closes in, but when he finally lays his right hand on the black sphere, Imagine Breaker is unable to negate it and is blown off along with his right arm, much to Mikoto and Gunha's horror. But this triggers the manifestation of the same Dragon King's head from the fight against Aureolus Izzard, this time with a long neck. It bites the black sphere and allows the seven other dragons to emerge from Touma's severed arm. The dragons viciously rip apart the black sphere and completely nullifies Mikoto's transformation, leading her to return to normal. Touma then tells her that he knows the city has a dark untouchable side, but destroying it all wouldn't bring her the world she wants. As he covers up her nude body with his jacket, he tells her that others were trying to help and that she should change things bit by bit with them; him included. But Misaka suddenly remembered about his arm and tells him that he needs an ambulance, but both are surprised to see his arm being completely fine as if nothing happened. Both then leave, while the surroundings is covered in Shadow Metal.
Later in the festival, Touma gathers around the bonfire for the folk dance. Here, he meets up with Saten Ruiko, and thanks her for the protective charm she lent. Touma offers her to buy her some food to make it up to her, though she says that it is all right. Mikoto later comes around with the drinks, and finds Touma talking with Ruiko. Touma says that he borrowed a protective charm from her, confusing Mikoto though later figures out it was for the borrowing race. Mikoto's stutters and awkward way of presenting herself to Touma does not go unnoticed before the eyes of Ruiko and Kazari.
Capitalizing this new found knowledge, Ruiko approaches Touma and asks him to dance with her around the bonfire as a way to thank her for lending him her protective charm. Touma is fine with the idea, though asks if she is sure with it, to which confirms. Ruiko then tells Touma to go on ahead, leaving the girls alone. Mikoto is utterly shocked by what has transpired, but with a knowing look between Ruiko and Kazari, they make their move. Ruiko fakes an ailment finally catching up to her, prompting Mikoto to ask her if she is okay. However, Kuroko suddenly figures out their ruse and tries to tell Mikoto, but Kazari comes up behind her and covers her mouth. With this ruse finally set up, Ruiko says that she can't move but tells Mikoto that she can dance with Touma in her place. Mikoto becomes embarrassed by this, and makes up a bunch of excuses. Fed up with this, Ruiko forces Mikoto to say that she wants to dance, to which she does.
The girls later see Mikoto dancing with Touma which is unceremoniously interrupted by Kuroko, teleport dropkicking Touma away, much to Kazari and Ruiko's disappointment.
==References==
Category:Chronology