Chapter Summaries

Jiang Rui attacked a research facility, discovered a dead Railgun clone, and forced a researcher to reveal that 268 institutions in Academy City had taken part in the experiments. Mugino Shizuri arrived and attacked him, but their fight remained unresolved as Jiang Rui wounded her shoulder and kicked her away.

• Jiang Rui found a dead Railgun clone in a life-support device and questioned a wounded researcher about the experiment.
• Jiang Rui learned that the Tree Diagram Designer had issued the experimental policy and that 268 institutions in Academy City had participated.
• Jiang Rui killed the researcher and unleashed Ice Blade Storm through the facility.
• Mugino Shizuri arrived and fired Atomic Collapse at Jiang Rui, who dodged her attack and struck at her with his sword.
• Mugino Shizuri twisted aside, taking the sword through her shoulder, then fired another beam as Jiang Rui kicked her away.

Jiang Rui pressed his attack against Mugino Shizuri, but she unleashed a chaotic barrage of Atomic Collapse that devastated the research facility. As she filled the area with glowing orbs and prepared to meet his next charge, Jiang Rui realized she might be baiting him into striking her.

• Jiang Rui pierced Mugino Shizuri in the chest, but his blade narrowly missed a fatal spot.
• Mugino Shizuri unleashed a frenzied Atomic Collapse barrage, forcing Jiang Rui to retreat and wrecking the research facility.
• Mugino Shizuri accused Jiang Rui of using Imaginary Manifestation or Dark Matter, and Jiang Rui taunted her by calling her Sister Mugino.
• Mugino Shizuri surrounded the area with glowing orbs, while Jiang Rui used Great Sage to calculate that there were no safe gaps.
• Jiang Rui charged at Mugino Shizuri again, and she raised her arm to meet his blade with a crazed smile.

Mugino Shizuri unleashed a Crystal-fueled Atomic Collapse attack that destroyed Jiang Rui’s Divine Barrier and part of his arm, but his regeneration and Avalon let him recover and survive. The fight paused as Mugino stared at him and demanded to know what he was.

• Mugino Shizuri swallowed Crystals and triggered an ability rampage, engulfing the laboratory in Atomic Collapse.
• Jiang Rui’s Divine Barrier shattered, and the blast annihilated part of his left arm while Mugino lost an arm of her own.
• Jiang Rui discovered that Accelerated Regeneration could restore completely destroyed body parts and recover his lost attributes.
• Jiang Rui healed his arm with magic and taunted Mugino Shizuri from within Avalon’s golden barrier.
• Mugino Shizuri stared at Jiang Rui and asked what he was.

Jiang Rui taunted Mugino Shizuri from behind Avalon's barrier, claiming his ability could imitate others while her increasingly desperate Atomic Collapse attacks failed to reach him. He offered her an ice flower by extending his hand beyond the barrier, and the resulting collision unleashed an ice crystal storm across the research institute.

• Jiang Rui told Mugino Shizuri that his Imaginary Manifestation could copy abilities and demonstrated it by creating ice.
• Mugino Shizuri's hatred and desperation triggered her Demon Claw Mode, transforming her arm and one eye as she unleashed a barrage of Atomic Collapse.
• Jiang Rui remained protected by Avalon, while Mugino Shizuri grew furious at his relaxed, mocking smile.
• Jiang Rui stepped to the edge of the barrier and extended an ice flower toward Mugino Shizuri, causing his hand to disintegrate under her attack.
• The energies collided, and an ice crystal storm swept through the research institute.

Jiang Rui defeated Mugino Shizuri, completed his mission, and gained the ability to simulate her Atomic Collapse power without absorbing her Sequence. He let Kihara Tsumiki recover Mugino’s body and insisted that Aleister would recognize him as Level 5 despite his inability to develop esper powers.

• Fiery Sky infiltrated the research institute but was caught in Frenda and Kinuhata Saiai’s attack as frost spread through the western section.
• Jiang Rui defeated Mugino Shizuri, earning Twist Value and Contribution Points and completing the quest to kill ITEM’s leader.
• Kihara Tsumiki arrived to recover Mugino’s body on the Chairman’s orders, and Jiang Rui initially challenged her before allowing her to take it.
• Jiang Rui had Great Sage analyze Mugino’s power and obtained the skill Simulated Atomic Collapse without absorbing her Sequence.
• Jiang Rui told Kihara Tsumiki that esper development caused magical backlash for him, but claimed defeating Mugino meant Aleister would recognize him as Level 5.

Jiang Rui’s attack on the research institute continued as Fiery Sky hunted for Takitsubo Rihou, intending to kill her before she could help Mugino Shizuri locate him. Jiang Rui reached Takitsubo first, while she tracked Fiery Sky and felt the area grow unnaturally cold.

• Jiang Rui’s attributes rose slightly, with his mental stat increasing by 1.2, and he left Kihara Tsumiki to support the others.
• Kihara Tsumiki planned to meet Tsuchimikado Motoharu, who was infiltrating the institute for research data and classified intelligence.
• Fiery Sky avoided Frenda and Kinuhata Saiai and set out to kill Takitsubo Rihou so she could not help Mugino Shizuri track him.
• Jiang Rui saw that Fiery Sky was searching in the wrong direction and realized Takitsubo was close to him.
• Takitsubo Rihou used Crystals to activate her AIM Field sensing and manipulation, unaware that Jiang Rui was approaching through the ice.
• Jiang Rui’s ice spread through Takitsubo’s area, and she noticed the temperature dropping as he appeared nearby.

Jiang Rui killed Takitsubo Rihou and received quests to eliminate ITEM and Hamazura Shiage, then turned toward the rest of ITEM. Kinuhata Saiai and Frenda rushed to confront him, fearing Takitsubo was dead and hoping to hold out until their boss arrived.

• Takitsubo Rihou attacked Jiang Rui, but he regenerated his shattered arm and advanced on her while discussing the heroes of the world.
• Jiang Rui told Takitsubo Rihou that she would meet Hamazura Shiage and fall in love with him, then killed her.
• Great Sage announced Jiang Rui had completed the disappearance quest and received hidden quests involving ITEM, Hamazura Shiage, and the heroes.
• Jiang Rui took Takitsubo Rihou's earpiece, heard Kinuhata Saiai trying to reach her, and crushed it.
• Kinuhata Saiai and Frenda hurried back toward Jiang Rui, realizing Takitsubo Rihou was likely dead and deciding to face him while waiting for their boss.

Fiery Sky tried to kill Kinuhata Saiai and Frenda with Containment D-698, but Kihara Tsumiki teleported them to safety. Jiang Rui confronted Kihara Tsumiki over protecting them, and the two girls ended up under his intimidating gaze, unable to object to becoming his subordinates.

• Fiery Sky activated Containment D-698 to remove the air and shot at Kinuhata Saiai and Frenda, but Kihara Tsumiki teleported them away.
• Kihara Tsumiki told Fiery Sky that Mugino Shizuri was dead, ITEM was disbanded, and Kinuhata Saiai and Frenda were to be retrieved for the Anbu.
• Jiang Rui arrived and questioned Kihara Tsumiki for protecting the girls, while she explained that saving them was her personal mission.
• Kihara Tsumiki said Kinuhata Saiai and Frenda could become Jiang Rui's future subordinates, and Jiang Rui's Demon Lord Intimidation silenced their protests.

Jiang Rui completed his mission by disbanding ITEM and erasing its records, then settled into a new villa and followed Tsuchimikado Motoharu to meet the Magic Gods. The chapter left him face-to-face with Othinus, whose appearance prompted him to condemn lolicons.

• Jiang Rui demanded another person's information and location, along with all of ITEM's assets, in exchange for sparing Kinuhata Saiai and Frenda.
• Tsuchimikado Motoharu secretly told Jiang Rui to meet him after the operation at a gathering of the magic side.
• Aleister and Aiwass discussed the arrival of the Magic Gods, including Othinus, and worried that they might disrupt Aleister's plan.
• Jiang Rui forced Kinuhata Saiai and Frenda to disband ITEM and erase its Library records, completing his mission and rising to second place.
• Jiang Rui moved into a luxurious villa, then followed Tsuchimikado Motoharu to another villa and met Othinus.

Jiang Rui arrived at a gathering of powerful extraordinary individuals and discovered that Othinus and a mysterious man had been waiting outside the door. The man eventually let himself in, teased Jiang Rui about his codename and appearance, and hinted that they shared a talent for using a world's factions.

• Jiang Rui recognized Othinus as a true Magic God and tried to flee the gathering.
• Jiang Rui found extraordinary individuals playing cards and games in the living room while Othinus and her companion knocked from outside.
• Jiang Rui used Great Sage to identify several guests, including Ghost Blade, Wordless, Nine Abyss, Fa Hai, and the top-ranked Nine Tails.
• Jiang Rui realized Like a Dream was also inside, leaving him confused about who was outside the door.
• The man outside unlocked the door, entered, called Jiang Rui the Moe King, and teased him about his codename and undeveloped appearance.

Wingetron gathered Jiang Rui and other low- to mid-sequence operators to propose a joint invasion of the world, explaining that he had drawn Othinus away and that she was no longer a target for Twist Value. The chapter left the group facing his plan to break through the world together for greater rewards.

• Jiang Rui asked where Othinus was, and Wingetron said she had returned to her room and described their bond as her Understander.
• Wingetron introduced himself as Network Connection, also known as The Unifier, and explained that he had been assigned to restrain Othinus by luring her away.
• Wingetron said Othinus had become a supernatural being outside the world's system, weakening her but making her power no longer bound to A Certain Magical Index World.
• Nine Tails and Ghost Blade questioned the mission and Wingetron's rewards, while Like a Dream explained that demigod-level powerhouses carried out separate missions.
• Jiang Rui asked what the cooperation was meant to achieve, and Wingetron proposed that everyone break through the world together for greater rewards.

Jiang Rui learned that a group of powerful transmigrators planned to cooperate in the A Certain Magical Index world, with Wingetron offering support while their abilities remained constrained by the world and Extraordinary Space. The meeting ended with Wingetron asking the group to reserve first place for Nine Tails, who had killed Hamazura Shiage, turning their mission into a babysitting job.

• Jiang Rui asked how far the group intended to intervene, and Wingetron explained that the world restricted powerful outsiders from acting freely.
• Wingetron said he had helped someone kill Hamazura Shiage while attempting to trigger the hidden mission, Hero's Demise.
• The group discussed Wingetron's offer to protect them from powerful figures and connect them through his Network Connection ability.
• Wingetron asked the group to reserve first place for Nine Tails, revealing that she had killed Hamazura Shiage.
• Ghost Blade realized the cooperation's real purpose was to act as babysitters for Nine Tails.

Jiang Rui agreed to team up with Nine Tails for the mission, then returned to Academy City with her and discovered she planned to live with him. Their arrival left him trying to fit four girls into a villa already shared by Frenda, Kinuhata Saiai, and Kihara Tsumiki.

• Nine Tails asked for a teammate to help her gather World Source Material, and she chose Jiang Rui because he was good-looking.
• Ghost Blade explained to Jiang Rui that Nine Tails belonged to the Star Spirit Clan and that her race prized appearances.
• Nine Tails joined Jiang Rui on his mission and said she would act with him, prompting him to worry about his plans in Academy City.
• Jiang Rui returned to his villa with Nine Tails, where Frenda and Kinuhata Saiai pointed out that there were not enough rooms.
• Jiang Rui discovered that Rimuru would share a room with Nine Tails and then asked Kihara Tsumiki why she was moving in too.

Jiang Rui discussed the alliance’s first clash and planned to avoid drawing attention while working with Nine Tails. After Nine Tails kissed his cheek, she teased him about whether their pretend relationship might become real.

• Ghost Blade and Spider intercepted a Puritan Church force, were routed, and informed Jiang Rui and Nine Tails that Index had betrayed the church and was being hunted and protected by Kanzaki Kaori and Stiyl Magnus.
• Jiang Rui said he would avoid clashing with Kamijou Touma and instead try to prevent Kanzaki Kaori from reconciling with him.
• Jiang Rui told Nine Tails he planned to keep a low profile for the next few days, partly to avoid attracting Aleister’s attention to her undocumented presence.
• Nine Tails kissed Jiang Rui’s cheek and asked whether he feared their make-believe relationship might become real.

Jiang Rui discussed his plans with Nine Tails while Accelerator was approached about the Absolute Power Project. Saten Ruiko and Kazari Uiharu met up and discovered that Rimuru Tenspert had been ranked Academy City's fourth Level 5.

• Jiang Rui told Nine Tails that A Certain Magical Index would begin on July 20 and promised to give her information about Kanzaki Kaori, Stiyl, and the plot.
• Accelerator saw news of a new fourth-ranked esper and was invited by men in black to join the Absolute Power Project and become Level 6.
• Saten Ruiko arrived to meet Kazari Uiharu without Rimuru Tenspert, who she thought had overslept.
• Kazari Uiharu pointed Saten Ruiko toward the information airship, where they saw Rimuru Tenspert listed as the fourth-ranked esper with the ability “Dream Manifestation.”

Saten Ruiko and Kazari Uiharu discussed Rimuru's Level 5 status and Academy City's ranking system while waiting for him and Misaka Mikoto. Meanwhile, Frenda and Kinuhata Saiai debated their loyalty to the dark side before spotting their Captain with four girls and fearing he was a womanizer.

• Saten Ruiko learned that Rimuru was a Level 5, and Kazari Uiharu reassured her that he probably would not be angry she had failed to congratulate him.
• Kazari Uiharu explained that Academy City's rankings measured potential rather than current strength, while Saten Ruiko wondered whether Rimuru and Misaka Mikoto would compete.
• Frenda told Kinuhata Saiai that staying alive mattered more to her than revenge and that she only truly cared about her little sister.
• Kinuhata Saiai spotted their Captain with four girls, and she and Frenda worried that he was dating them all at once.

Jiang Rui met Misaka Mikoto, Shirai Kuroko, Saten Ruiko, and Kazari Uiharu at a café, where his gender surprised Misaka and intensified Kuroko’s hostility. As the group debated whether to go shopping, Kuroko regretted arranging the meeting, and Jiang Rui suggested stopping for food instead.

• Jiang Rui arrived at the café and shocked Shirai Kuroko after hearing her insult him as an ape-man.
• Misaka Mikoto greeted Jiang Rui as an acquaintance, which made Kuroko’s hostility toward him reach its maximum.
• Jiang Rui and Misaka Mikoto discussed his Electromaster ability, while Saten Ruiko marveled at meeting two Espers.
• The group considered going to Seventh Mist, but Shirai Kuroko objected to bringing a boy along.
• Misaka Mikoto learned Jiang Rui was a boy and blushed with surprise, while Kuroko regretted helping arrange the introduction.
• Jiang Rui pointed out a taco stand across the street and asked whether the others wanted food and a Gekota giveaway.

Jiang Rui and the others responded to a bank robbery, with Shirai Kuroko subduing robbers and Jiang Rui saving Saten Ruiko from an attack. A sniper then targeted Saten Ruiko and Kazari Uiharu, but escaped after Jiang Rui and Misaka Mikoto attacked the rooftop where the shot came from.

• Jiang Rui noticed Kinuhata Saiai and Frenda nearby and reflected on how the deaths of their teammates had left Kinuhata alone.
• Kazari Uiharu sensed something was wrong at the bank, and an explosion erupted as robbers broke out.
• Shirai Kuroko ordered Uiharu to contact the Security Force, then teleported to intercept and arrest the robbers while Misaka Mikoto watched.
• Jiang Rui stopped a robber from kicking Saten Ruiko, knocked him unconscious, and reassured Ruiko after she admitted she had no ability.
• A sniper fired at Saten Ruiko and Uiharu, but Jiang Rui raised a Divine Barrier; he and Misaka Mikoto attacked the distant rooftop, though the sniper escaped.

After a sniper attack on Jiang Rui’s group, he arranged for Frenda, Kinuhata Saiai, and Fiery Sky to capture the attackers, who crossed into the Imaginary Number District and were seized by Aleister’s forces. As Jiang Rui prepared to walk Saten Ruiko home, Misaka Mikoto asked him whether he had ever killed anyone, referring to the original Number Four.

• Shirai Kuroko and Misaka Mikoto found Jiang Rui’s barrier marked by a large-caliber explosive round after the attack, while one of the apparent robbers protested that his group was innocent.
• Jiang Rui called Frenda and Kinuhata Saiai, then had Fiery Sky take them to deal with the attackers and leave their judgment to Aleister.
• Jiang Rui invited Misaka Mikoto, Shirai Kuroko, Saten Ruiko, and Kazari Uiharu to play arcade games, and he and Misaka Mikoto later argued over lunch before she challenged him to a duel.
• Fiery Sky reported that Aleister’s Adjudication Unit and Heroes captured all three attackers after they fled into the Imaginary Number District; Jiang Rui dismissed their public accusations and told Aleister to deal with them as he saw fit.
• At dusk, Jiang Rui prepared to walk Saten Ruiko home, and Misaka Mikoto privately asked him whether he had ever killed anyone, mentioning the original Number Four.

Jiang Rui argued with Misaka Mikoto about killing Mugino Shizuri, insisting that conflicts between Anbu were deadly and that he had never claimed to be a good person. After leaving Misaka unsettled and more determined to fight darkness, he discussed his interest in befriending her—and possibly bringing her into Supernatural Paradise—with Great Sage.

• Jiang Rui explained to Misaka Mikoto that Mugino Shizuri had attacked him with Crystals and could not safely have been spared, while Misaka challenged his choice to kill her.
• Misaka Mikoto rejected Jiang Rui's talk of darkness, nearly fought him, and left convinced that she would oppose darkness rather than become part of it.
• Jiang Rui teased Misaka with the nickname Biri-Biri, then reflected that his actions had lowered her favorability and that she would be eager to challenge him.
• Jiang Rui told Great Sage that he hoped to become friends with Misaka Mikoto, while considering whether recruiting her to Supernatural Paradise could bring him a reward.
• Jiang Rui tugged Saten Ruiko's ear and accepted the label of scumbag as he continued toward her and Kazari Uiharu.