GROUP

Left to right: Etzali, Tsuchimikado Motoharu, Accelerator, and Musujime Awaki.

### **Role**

Performs dirty jobs which are too dangerous for Anti-Skill and crucial for Academy City.

### **Size**

4 field operatives and a large support staff

### **Headquarters**

Academy City

Leaders| * Tsuchimikado Motoharu *(de facto field leader)*
* GROUP liaison

**GROUP** (グループ, *Gurūpu*?) is an Academy City-based underground organization. They are composed of four main field operatives: Tsuchimikado Motoharu, Accelerator, Etzali (disguised as Unabara Mitsuki), and Musujime Awaki. The organization is referred to as "a small group that exists in the underworld, working to defend the mainstream society." GROUP is referenced during the invasion of Academy City where Accelerator becomes its newest recruit. They are later properly introduced during the Skill-Out uprising to deal with Komaba Ritoku's troublesome plans against the city.

Although much of their appearance has them act on the orders of the higher-ups of the city, they chafe under the yoke of the Dark Side of Academy City and the higher-ups that control them. The faction often works behind the backs of their superiors in order to undermine them and eventually free themselves from their control.

After the events of World War III, the organization is disbanded, succeeding in their desire to be free from the city's control. The organization becomes the only known faction from the Dark Side of Academy City to have fought in the factional war on October 9 and have all its field operatives survive.

## Principles

Like the other Dark Side of Academy City factions, their level of security and authority are the same—an unofficial unit created by putting a few people together. Their primary purpose is to take Academy City's Dark Side, similar to ITEM, and more often than not, perform illegal acts for Academy City. GROUP was formed to take care of internal affairs of Academy City's Dark Side, and is one of the more successful organizations. After the events of October 9, GROUP becomes the only underground organisation which remains intact out of the five that were shown in the story.

The four field operatives are composed of espers and magicians blackmailed in some way to join and keep them in the organization, as such they are coerced to work together for the sake of their mission in order to protect something important to them. GROUP is referred to as a "cold-hearted" group, with the standard idea within the group that each member had to deal with their own problems. This exemplified by the three field operatives leaving Etzali to his fate and not determined to rescue him from BLOCK during the course of their missions in October 9.

After joining the organization, members are supposed to follow rules set-out by the GROUP liaison, and can apparently be individually used for a mission if it needs be. The field members are provided with transportation to their mission if they so desire, but as well as information, and technology provided by the technical team. It is likely that much of what the members do doesn't matter as long as they finish the mission, though the liaison can call them out if they go overboard, as shown when he berates Accelerator after he tears Kakine Teitoku apart in front of a large crowd. GROUP members are apparently recommended to stay in the building known as the "Nap Room," though this isn't required as they are allowed to have their own living quarters.

Despite this, it is implied that there is no way out of the organization other than dying. Motoharu says to Accelerator that if he followed the rules laid out by the Board of Directors then they will not let him out. He says that the organization is made so they profit no matter what happens.

## Organization

There are four core members of the organization who do the field work during missions, composed of powerful and skilled Espers and Magicians. Although they seem to have no official leader, and operate based on individual decisions, Tsuchimikado Motoharu is the one who actively gives orders, requests, and even advises other members during missions. Even Accelerator once referred to him as "senpai," as a reference to his seniority. They do however, take orders from the GROUP liaison, also known as the Man on the Phone, though Accelerator seems to be contacted by their backer more often than the others, he in turn, takes orders from the higher-ups.

Along with the four, the organization is supported by a large subordinate organization. They do things for the organization from menial labor such as transporting prisoners, corpses (including members of the field operatives), and even the team, to complex background work such as the technical department which supports the organization by giving the members useful technical aid. The organization is also composed of telepath-type espers and Powered Suit operatives.

As with SCHOOL's example, the team is also likely able to accompany them in missions if they wanted to.

### Field Operatives

* Tsuchimikado Motoharu
* Accelerator
* Musujime Awaki
* Etzali under the guise of Unabara Mitsuki

## Chronology

### Toaru Majutsu no Index

Prior to the formation of the four field operatives becoming part of GROUP, a few of its member have already met. Etzali met Tsuchimikado Motoharu after Kamijou Touma defeated him and called Motoharu to deal with the magician, while Accelerator met Musujime Awaki when she attempted to revive the Tree Diagram using the Remnant and rousing the anger of Accelerator as there was a potential that the Sisters would be in danger.

#### Skill-Out Uprising

*Main article: Skill-Out Uprising*
Due to Academy City currently fortifying its anti-Roman Catholic battle lines, the defense on the inside has gotten thinner. GROUP was given a job to do a clean sweep of a force that is going to use that gap in the defences to do some damage to the functionality of Academy City.

#### Battle Royale Arc

*Main article: Battle Royale Arc*

Tsuchimikado Motoharu met Management inside his closet disguised office inside a department store, he posed as a client to gain entry and catch him. Meanwhile, Accelerator asked the electrode designs from Heaven Canceller at gunpoint, to which the latter complied. Tsuchimikado then had Etzali search Management's apartment for information on contacts and business deals. While Mitsuki was doing the investigation, the apartment was raided by a group of black-clad men apparently destroying the information that GROUP is after. In the aftermath of BLOCK raiding the apartment worried about Management's information getting obtained by another dark side organization, Tsuchimikado then showed that he was aware of Etzali's true identity and power and realized that in the confusion he had infiltrated BLOCK when they found Yamate's corpse and give an explanation to Accelerator and Awaki. They head to one of their safe-houses to read the chips where they hear about Management being killed. After using a reader to scan the chips that Etzali found in the apartment, they found out that he was used to hire Sunazara Chimitsu and realized that the target was Oyafune Monaka. While searching for Chimitsu, Motoharu and Accelerator saw Last Order asking Uiharu Kazari for help looking for Accelerator, much to his annoyance and Motoharu's amusement until he spotted Maika in the crowd as well. Suddenly the Wind Defense nearby turned off they realized that it had been done with Chimitsu's Magnetic Sniper Riffle. After the failed attack thanks to Accelerator destroying a car to put security on alert, they found the hotel room that Chimitsu had fired from already abandoned when Accelerator informs him by phone that his employer is a rival group SCHOOL.

Later they discover that other organizations existed similar to theirs and were in motion and wonder which ones were involved with the destruction of Management's apartment, the attack on the paddy wagon, which one Etzali was concealing himself a part of and why did SCHOOL try to assassinate Oyafune Monaka. Shortly thereafter they received information that District 5’s Virus Isolation Center was being hacked while Accelerator protest at being sent to deal with this, Tsuchimikado states that the culprits are most likely one of the other groups and that they have betrayed Academy City and began to move. While heading to District 7, they received information that a satellite control center is under electronic attack and then concluded that some other group is trying to split them up and used the Virus Isolation Center as a decoy. Accelerator then decides to head to District 23 despite Tsuchimikado's protests and goes in order to prevent Hikoboshi II from being used as a weapon. He then contacted Anti-Skill to ask information about the satellite but the "man on the phone" who usually gives instructions to GROUP interrupted so Accelerator asked him instead. After the conversation with the "man on the phone," his phone began ringing again, and this time, it was Mitsuki who just informed him that SCHOOL is not the one who is hacking the satellite but BLOCK, the group where he disguises. It turns out that the satellite will be used to attack District 13. On the way, Accelerator met someone from yet another group called MEMBER trying to stop Accelerator to prevent the antenna from being destroyed and they fought with Accelerator emerging victorious despite having his sight being bent.

Tsuchimikado and Awaki later meet back up with both Accelerator and Etzali after the latter ruined BLOCK's attempt to bring 5000 mercenaries into Academy City. They then argued about the actions of SCHOOL and BLOCK before interrogating one of BLOCK's mercenaries that they captured about their plans whom they learned that their target was the Juvenile Hall in District 10 to take Awaki's comrades as bragging chips to gain entry to the windowless building and then assassinate Aleister Crowley. After their arrival to their destination, they split up again where Etzali stays to fight Xochitl, Accelerator goes to finish off the remaining mercenaries while Tsuchimikado and Awaki go off to where her comrades were being held. Down stairs Tsuchimikado and Awaki meet the leader of BLOCK Saku Tatsuhiko who then has argument with his second Teshio Megumi on how they would use the hostages ending with Megumi knocking out Saku. Tsuchimikado tries to fight her but is easily overpowered by her experience and own version of Anti-Skill subduing technique, she then faces down Awaki showing a large difference in their skills be easily fending her off. Awaki points out to Megumi that they can't defeat Aleister Crowley through that method, because if it did any teleportation-type esper could take him out. She asks if she truly thinks that Aleister has not created a counter-measure for that likelihood. Decisively, Awaki confirms it to her and that she is going all out, she teleports a metal stake into her hand, injuring her palm a bit due to the AIM Jammer's effects overcoming pain, fear, and shock she defeats Megumi. Eventually Xochitl collapses and her body begins to unravel like a bandage, Xochitl explains that her body has reached the limit, and says she made up for her lack of power using a grimoire. Etzali is enraged with his former magic cabal for their actions, and wonders what happened to them when he was gone, Etzali determines that though he has no power to save her. Knowing the properties of original grimoires wanting to be read, Etzali will gain the ownership of the grimoire, and trick the original grimoire that it can't pass knowledge on if Xochitl dies. And from there, he can teear the original from her body. Despite that there has been a precedent for what he is about to do, Etzali does not give up just so he can save her. After the fight Tsuchimikado asks Awaki if she was alright before they both rejoined the rest of GROUP upstairs, Etzali is shown to have successfully taken ownership of the grimoire that took over Xochitl's body, the four members of GROUP, all are shown not to have emerged unscathed.

Due to BLOCK's collapse things began to settled down Motoharu was taking care of wrapping things up, Awaki was taking care of her wounds, and Etzali was safe and likely took Xochitl to a hospital. later receives a call from the GROUP liaison, though as usual he doesn't receive him well. He thanks Accelerator and GROUP for his efforts against BLOCK, saying that he is fortunate to have such capable subordinates. This however annoys Accelerator. The liaison points out however that he is thanking him from the bottom of his heart, and to prove it, gives him useful information related to Last Order's life. Accelerator finds Kakine Teitoku torturing Uiharu Kazari for information to where Last Order's whereabouts where. After Uiharu defies Kakine, Accelerator throws a ATM vending machine at Kakine. Despite Accelerator's attack, it barely made a reaction on Kakine, saying that he was hurt. He however, says that he was irritated and that it was only right for him to come and kill him first. Accelerator mocks him however for talking and then taking a hostage. Kakine then mocks him for believing that protecting weaklings made him out as a good guy. Accelerator however states that Kakine still doesn't understand, and that he will show him on how even villains have standards. With that the two of them clashed in the city. As they continued to attack each other, wreaking havoc upon their surroundings. Kakine mentions on how killing him, the #1, is the fastest method in accomplishing what he wants, which is to to directly speak with Aleister himself. As they exchange blows, Kakine reasons that since Aleister has a web of plans up his sleeve, he needs to destroy all other plans, allowing him to the only viable plan left for him, the so-called "Spare Plan". Accelerator however mocks what Kakine said, to which Kakine says that despite Accelerator having the right to directly communicate with Aleister he doesn't use it and that he has no right say that to him. He tells Kakine that the moment he spoke those words of his, he became common filth passing themselves as a great villain. Kakine however is unconvinced, giving his explanation as to why, saying he doesn't want to touch normal people, and if he's in a good mood, he'd let bad guys live, though all in all he doesn't really care whether they live or die. He tells Accelerator that they are the same as in their battle he asks him how many bystanders got hurt by their attacks. Accelerator admits on how his Dark Matter can work against his reflection, to which he tells Kakine that all he needs to do is add Dark Matter into his calculations, using his ability to control Dark Matter. Kakine laughs at this prospect. After a couple of banters, the two clashed once again.

Accelerator defeats Kakine Teitoku, taking control of his white wings and stabbing him with it. Though terribly injured, Kakine still lives. Yomikawa Aiho appears before Accelerator and begs him to put down his gun and spare Kakine. Accelerator points a gun towards Aiho, as even though she was one of the "good guys" she impeded in what Accelerator believes to be his "path of evil". Accelerator hesitates, to which Aiho says that he can't do it, as he hasn't "rotted" that much. With Accelerator unable to fire, she slowly takes the gun from Accelerator's grasp and took away its ammunition. Kakine Teitoku then stabs Aiho sending Accelerator into a rage and leashing the black wings upon the number 2. Accelerator continues to go on a rampage with his black wings, forcing Anti-Skill to respond. Luckily, Aiho was able to survive, and tries to stop Accelerator after she comes to. However, their last hope, Last Order, appears, coming out of the crowd at great speed towards Accelerator. As his black wings continued its rampage, Last Order approaches, and says that she has finally found him. Last Order catches Accelerator with arms wide open, and held him with all the strength she could muster. With that Last Order whispers to Accelerator's ear of her relief. Finally the lost child is found.

After the battle against Kakine, the liaison calls him to remind him of the gravity of his actions in the battle. He tells him that he was the one who gave him the information regarding Kakine in the first place and as such won't be too hard on him. Accelerator asks him what his penalty is, though the liaison wonders as both increasing his debt and killing him just is inappropriate. Tsuchimikado who is hiding among the crowd of onlookers recovered the Tweezers. He then shares the purpose of the device and the existence of UNDER\_LINE. They decoded data and found information on several things relating to the Battle Royale including the existence of DRAGON.

#### DRAGON Arc

*Main article: DRAGON Arc*
The liaison gave Accelerator orders to meet and kill Depart.

GROUP tasked to take on a rogue the group called Spark Signal in Academy City who revolted against Academy City and started a strange seizing operation incident where they occupy the largest particle accelerator of the world which is situated below the city's wall, the Hula Hoop. They would held hostage around 30 primary school students, captured from an astronomy field trip, along with their teacher and driver they act as a ‘bargaining chip’ for use against the higher ups. GROUP used an elevator in School District 23 to gain entry to it where they then waited fifteen minutes to strengthen the signal from the Misaka Network to Accelerator's collar, he then effortlessly eliminated Spark Signal in 300 seconds while also saving the first hostage that set to be executed. After Accelerator wipes out their main force, they find out that Spark Signal demands was for information on the mysterious DRAGON.

After the main team from Spark Signal was taken out, Group is contacted by director Shiokishi instead of their usual contact over the phone. He informs them of a group of survivors tried to made an escape and for that reason ordered GROUP with chasing them down and deal with them. While the Spark Signal survivors were executing their plan to escape first, they were attacked by Tsuchimikado, Musujime and Etzali from GROUP in the School District 3 underground shopping mall, but after a short firefight ten of twenty of the remaining members escaped. They escape and take hostages in a private salon in the 3rd district, one of the hostages was Takitsubo Rikou and thus Hamazura Shiage decided to jump into the fry and stop them, his attack would took out the three members on the roof of the Spark Signals survivors. While Shiage was breaking into the building, Accelerator, who had been chasing them finally caught up with them and proceeded to exterminate the team who where caught off guard prearranging to deal with the situation on the roof. While the terrorists were distracted by Accelerator, Sugitani suddenly appeared and killed all of the remained members of Spark Signal. After that, Accelerator started checking inside building and found the worn-down Takitsubo nearby. Right when he was about to help her, Hamazura arrived and misunderstood the situation before his eyes, the two then had a brief fight before being stopped by an ill Takitsubo.

Afterwards Accelerator proceeded to tell they others about Sugitani's actions and realize that Shiokishi is eliminating everyone with knowledge of DRAGON as they debate there options they come under attack. Tsuchimikado and Unabara jumped out using different exits, Musujime escaped using Move Point and Accelerator uses his power to tear open his escape, following their agreed upon rule the flee separately and kept themselves alive. Accelerator’s choker is then disabled leaving him vulnerable. Luckily, he's saved by the intervention of a high school student driving a sports car who he had helped in saving his girlfriend in the aftermath of underground shopping mall. After escaping, Accelerator contacted Tsuchimikado on their next action, he explains that they need the backing of one of the board of directors. He suggests Oyafune Monaka as being one of the positive members of the board, despite not wanting to involve her he has no choice, but also knew that Kumokawa Seria would never allow their other option Kaizumi Tsugutoshi. He then directs Accelerator School District 21 where she was holding a charity astronomy trip for the kids that were captured by Spark Signal in the Hula Hoop incident. At first he was refused upon arrival by her secretary, he then explains about the fact of her life which goes to and fro between Light and Darkness has taken a toll on her when Shiokishi used the life of her daughter to threaten her. Monaka finally noticed their small argument, and jogged over towards them. Accelerator choose that moment to leave and having decided that he would not involve her, when the boy he rescued at the Hula Hoop came over having recognized him who then begged to come with him. After witnessing their interactions Monaka decide to aid Accelerator having heard him mentioning Shiokishi earlier. They then headed to his base in School District 2 under the protection of Oyafune Monaka, who invoked the observation system between members that have equal powers he was forced to let them inside his bunker knowing that a denial on his part would led to GROUP and Monaka to legitimately attacking his forces that would lead to a war between the members of the Board of Directors.

With the rest of GROUP having met up once again they discuss a strategy against his defenses, which included an AIM Jammer, Accelerator used an ordinary car to shatter the shelter and rendered the soldiers unconscious. Tsuchimikado then disappears while presumably handling any stragglers outside, while a barricade separates Monaka from Accelerator and Musujime who are then confronted by he then casually takes out a cigarette while commenting on he and Accelerator meeting again. Accelerator asks him if he knew about DRAGON while Sugitani replies yes while taking out a disposable lighter from a pocket. The lighter fired out a small anaesthetic bullet of high pressure gas that instantly knocked Musujime unconscious.

Meanwhile, in another room, Monaka holds her meeting with Shiokishi, which quickly reaches an impasse due to his unwillingness to divulge an information on DRAGON. Shiokishi then attacks her, but his power suit suddenly stopped working and it is reveled that the "Unabara Mitsuki" of GROUP had disguised himself as Monaka knowing that Shiokishi would betray the truce of the negotiations and try to kill her. According to him, Oyafune didn’t hesitate in allowing him to rip off 10cm of skin from her arm, to make the charm using her skin as raw material. After destroying Shiokishi's power suit, Shiokishi called for Minobe the leader of his other bodyguard group. To Etzali and his surprise they found the other group had been replaced by two people from Return of the Winged One: Tecpatl, the now leader of the organization and Tochtli, they had come to infiltrate Shiokishi's inner circle in hope of replacing themselves as him for the purpose of rooting out Etzali.In the meantime, Sugitani battled Accelerator employing an ever changing strategy where he succeeded in landing a hit at him by imperfectly replicating Kihara Amata's the technique of drawing back his fist an instant before receiving impact to break through Accelerator's reflection. After having a quick debate on good and evil, Sugitani then decides to end the fight by activating the wavelength that blocked off the Misaka Network and deliver a coup de grâce to Accelerator.

Etzali realizes that Tecpatl is using a Grimoire to attack, and using Tochtli as "materials" leaving her in a now quasi-comatose. Etzali chooses a similar course of action against this enemy than when he did in the Battle Royale Arc, however in this case Etzali didn't use the same care to gain the Grimoire from its host and as a result Tecpatl was killed. Etzali decides to use the Grimoire to heal Tochtli who had more than half of her bones used by Tecpatl at this point. Sugitani a second later he realized that now had a hole in his stomach, Accelerator explained as he got back on his feet that the modifications to his cane were to camouflage the function to find and cancel their ‘long distance controlling wavelength’. They then proceeded to open fire on one another with Accelerator’s bullets hitting Sugitani, while Sugitani’s bullets were all ‘reflected’ away, in the end despite his injures Accelerator left him alive and unconscious.

With the battles over and Shiokishi was captured, GROUP proceeds to interrogate him about DRAGON he remarks he 'unfortunately' does know the truth about DRAGON, and it might have been better if he didn’t know in the first place. When GROUP asked him what DRAGON was, he replied “DRAGON is everywhere" and then everyone else, including GROUP, except for Accelerator, got knocked unconscious. After the director exclaimed the one behind them that did this wasn’t Fuse Kazakiri like he thought after Etzali's comment about DRAGON could be used as a meaning for an "angel", he lost consciousness as well due to blood loss. In front of Accelerator appears Aiwass, a higher dimensional super-being, the true author of the Book of Law and Crowley's mentor summoned to the physical plane of existence by Aleister himself. Aiwass keeps Accelerator conscious out of curiosity having recognized that he has a certain level value and is surprised at Accelerator's inaction on GROUP's current state. Aiwass then explains with some difficulties that when AIM entities like itself are manifested, Last Order is heavily strained and may die/collapse if left untreated. This finally provokes a response from Accelerator. Accelerator tries to strike down Aiwass, but he suddenly receives a heavy wound on his upper body when charging in. It turns out Crowley had embedded an auto defense into Aiwass's appearance to prevent suicide. Accelerator then lost completely to Aiwass even after unleashing his Black Wing. However, in the end he used his cane to block the Misaka Network, thus making Aiwass to be slowly disintegrated. He then pulled out his gun and shot the core in it's head. Unfortunately, Aiwass was unscathed and Accelerator laid on the floor bloody and unable to move. As he struggled, Aiwass praised his attempt, said that would have taken it out if it were on the same level as Fuse Kazakiri. An angel's halo then appeared above its head and Aiwass said "It seems I can transform," before knocking Accelerator unconscious.

Taking Last Order with him and hiding themselves in a freight train, Accelerator headed to Russia, specifically toward the Elizalina Alliance of Independent Nations, after Aiwass suggested not even Heaven Canceller could heal Last Order this time. Aiwass said him that he could find a completely different set of laws that he has never seen before there and to remember the term "Index Librorum Prohibitorum", because, though that itself was not actually there, important item dealing with it was. Accelerator crushed his cellphone, erasing his last link to Yomikawa Aiho, Yoshikawa Kikyou, GROUP and then began his search for a means to save Last Order in Russia.