Mental Out Arc

## Chronology

### Light Novels

The **Mental Out Arc** is the eighth story arc of *Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index*, encompassing the content of the 11th *Shinyaku Toaru Majutsu no Index* light novel volume. It primary deals with Shokuhou Misaki, the 5th-ranked Level 5, having to deal with a conspiracy against her that is connected to her past with Kamijou Touma.

## Background

The conflict of the arc is rooted in the similarities between Shokuhou Misaki and Mitsuari Ayu, both having similar powers and both having similar memories with Touma. In accordance with Parameter List, Misaki was given focus and development for her powers while Mitsuari was kept as a mere back-up in the event of her death.

Mitsuari had already met Touma prior to him meeting Misaki. Due to the circumstances surrounding development, Mitsuari falls into despair and considered suicide. When she was about to go through with it, she sent a message to Touma, hoping that he would save her. However due to bumping into Shokuhou Misaki at an intersection, Touma lost his phone and as such was unable to reach her in time.

She survives her attempt at Ground Geo, however, and was then drawn to Academy City's dark side. She discovers Misaki's relationship with Touma and thus resents her for not only stealing her chance to become Level 5, but also for being saved when she wasn't. Shundou Toshizou would later make use of her, manipulating Mitsuari without her noticing, for the purpose of finally stealing Mental Out for himself. For this purpose, he likely lends her the equipment that she would use for her vengeance. Using the equipment, she camouflages Ground Geo using the FIVE\_Over OS and somehow inserts a Strobila on Misaki in order to torment her and create doubt that would eventually lead to her to erase her own memories of Touma believing them to be fake.

## Chronology

### Conspiracy against Shokuhou Misaki

Early in the arc, Misaki reminisces of her time with Touma in the summer a year ago before he lost his memories of her. She visits places around Academy City that is significant to her memories of Touma until at last she arrives at Ground Geo. There, she falls for Mitsuari's ruse and believes her memories have been manipulated.

Misaki later concludes that the only other person she knows that is capable of matching her is Kumokawa Seria and travels to where she believes Seria is hiding. When at last she comes upon the place is caught in her trap by her. Misaki pleads her case to Seria and tells her of its involvement with her memories of Touma. Convinced, Seria helps her and soon discovers that a Strobila device has been implanted into her. Misaki later leaves with the Strobila in Seria's possession in order to find out who the true culprit behind it being implanted into Misaki, pained by the thought that her memories with Touma might be false.

However, Seria is not the only one who is aware of Misaki's investigation. Misaki is visited again by the Ringlet curl girl asking her if she needs assistance, though Misaki dismisses her again. Much more pressing however is Mitsuari discovering that Misaki has finally discovered what was going on. After the removal of the Strobila, Mitsuari had several of her subordinates approach Misaki disguised as Emergency Aid workers to replace it under the guise of treatment for instability. But Misaki sees through their ruse and manages to take control of them. She questions one of them and discovers that the Strobila had no actual data and that it was only used to make her doubt her own memories so she would erase them herself.

She is enraptured by the revelation that her memories may be real after all. She then calls upon the Ringlet curl girl and the rest of her clique that is willing to follow her as she needs their aid in finding out the truth behind the doubt in her memories, which is in Ground Geo. Prior to the arriving there, she speaks to Seria over the phone regarding her plan. Seria warns that the culprit has the power and conviction to do something on the scale of breaking away from the loyalty of the Board of Directors, and that is just a step in their preparation, telling Misaki to be careful as Touma isn't strong enough to handle someone's death. Seria then says that if she does die, then she will give her the proper decorations so she should make sure to contact her.

Arriving at the Ground Geo, Misaki strikes the ground's surface with a screwdriver and proves her suspicions. The entire Ground Geo has magnetic dust cover it and through it has been made to look different from her memories using colored magnetic dust that acts as a monitor.

### Shokuhou Misaki meets Mitsuari Ayu

Now knowing the truth, Mitsuari Ayu with the FIVE\_Over (Out\_Sider) arrives and disguises herself and the machine with the Designers' Gel to look like an obese Misaki. Seeing the huge mass in front of her in a Tokiwadai uniform, Misaki questioned if she was really in middle school, to which Mitsuari responded that she could ask the same. When Misaki attempted to use her ability on her, Mitsuari told her that it won't work and that she wouldn't have shown herself if she thought it would.

Mitsuari then began her attack, using the magnetic powder to make "illusions" and terrify Misaki. However, Misaki was not unprepared as she brought with her the volunteers of her clique to aid her. They destroy the dust with their powers. However, Mitsuari wondered where the other hidden pawns are, recalling that Misaki can only accurately control up to fourteen people at once and threatening to cut off her arms and legs, leaving just her brain that can't crawl. Slowly, Mitsuari marks the location of each clique member. Mitsuari asks to Misaki how many more there were, saying that she could crush them as long as she knew where they were and adding that Misaki couldn't stand to see one of her pawns die despite arrogantly controlling people. Seeing her reaction, Mitsuari wondered if the look on her face meant that she had ordered them all to withdraw, which saved her the trouble.

Wondering who her enemy was, being familiar with her past and powers and being able to outdo her in psychological warfare to such an extent, Misaki asked her if she had some connection to her, to which Mitsuari replied that she did as otherwise she'd have no reason to resent her and when Misaki said that she'd never met her, said that if she had met her, she wouldn't have been able to resist killing her then. On being told she was insane, Mitsuari laughed and asked who can prove that people like them who readily manipulated people's minds still had sounds minds of their own. As Misaki faced her, Mitsuari began to alter the surroundings again, but to her surprise Misaki started to throw her remotes at her face. As Mitsuari covered her face, Misaki got closer to her and grabbed at her neck, pulling out a Strobila embedded in it. Thinking that she'd removed Mitsuari's means of resistance, Misaki used her ability again and Mitsuari pretended to have fallen under her control.