Kouzaku Mitori

## Synopsis

At the conference hall, Mikoto hijacks a Security Robot to restrain a guard assigned in the area. Then, upon taking the guard's tablet, Mikoto breaks through the facility using a Railgun shot. Misaki, who heard the blast from the other side of the facility, remarks about Mikoto's rough approach and opts for something more "elegant", using her ability to control the military personnel stationed in the area and block off any exit points.

Meanwhile, at the Judgment 177 Branch Office, Uiharu and Saten shift their investigation to liquid metal factories while Kuroko continues on searching the Bank for any records. As Saten locates a facility in District 7, Kuroko finds details on a certain Kouzaku Mitori, a middle school student of Kirigaoka Girls' Academy whose records are private. Uiharu eventually locates records about Kouzaku involving terrorist activity, but has doubts that the one who attacked them was the same girl. To investigate further, Kuroko and Uiharu decide to head to the Bank's control center, leaving Konori Mii to watch over Misaka Misuzu.

Saten leaves the Judgment office to look for something to kill time with. Here, she finds a spiky-haired participant of the Daihaseisai's Borrowed Item Race looking for a protective charm. She remembers having one, but the sentimental value of her charm prevents her from lending it to a stranger. However, upon seeing the boy's persistence, she changes her mind. The boy, who introduces himself as Kamijou Touma, promises to keep it safe and return the charm after the event.

To the shock of Kuroko and Uiharu, the records in the control center of the Bank reveal that Kouzaku Mitori had died from heart failure and was incinerated before any autopsy can be performed. But, the staff member in the area suggests that someone may be hiding something to warrant such a swift disposal of Kouzaku's remains. She tells about rumors of high-level espers or exceptional students disappearing from juvenile halls, and Academy City apparently enters deals with these people to release them in secret. Although unable to find any more information on Kouzaku, Kuroko concludes that someone influential may have enabled her release from the juvenile hall, and Misaka Mikoto was more likely the target of the attack.

Mikoto triggers confusion among the military personnel in the venue and slips through by dressing up as a member of the security detail for the event. She manages to reach the VIP rooms, but a guard stationed in the area informs her that evacuation plans were already in place and Kihara Gensei may have already moved to the basement. Unknown to Mikoto, the guard is already alerted to her suspicious activity. It is only through Misaki's intervention that Mikoto is allowed to deal with the guard. Misaki is then informed that Gensei has already been captured.

Saten sneaks inside the Shinohara Liquid Material Factory, where she is surprised to find people working inside the decrepit facility. As her instinct brings her deeper into the complex, Saten stumbles upon a functional area, only to be discovered by someone. This girl warns Saten to leave the facility immediately, and the presence of a creature made out of liquid metal prompts Saten to run away. Although this girl, later identified as Xochitl, saw Saten as non-threat to their plans, the liquid metal creature continues the pursuit of the intruder and is later successful in capturing her. Xochitl later frees Saten and confronts the creature, who represents her "colleague" Kouzaku Mitori, exposing her as a traitor against her organization MEMBER after being informed by a fellow MEMBER operative that Kouzaku is not working for the Academy City Board of Directors. Kouzaku, who is hiding nearby, is aware that she does not know anything about Xochitl's combat ability and decides to fall back, warning her to leave Academy City if she wants to live longer. Xochitl is unfazed by the threat, as she is still on the hunt for someone inside the city, and proceeds to lead Saten to the exit, but not after scolding the girl for her foolhardy tendencies.

Mikoto and Misaki head to the location of the captured Kihara Gensei. However, Misaki immediately discovers that this "Gensei" is an unknown man disguised as him and Gensei is already aware of Misaki's actions against him. As Misaki brings Mikoto to a hurried car ride back to School District 2, Keitz Nokleben is informed of a breach in the facility where he is tasked to watch over Misaka 10032.