10 Second Anime - Toaru Majutsu no Index III - Episode 20

Hamazura defends a small town against a private militia. Touma meets and confronts Accelerator on his way to Fiamma.

#20 - "A Reason to Protect"

Hmm.

The title of the episode says it all. The only reason Touma had to meet Accelerator was so that they could both go Shouty McShouterson Big Punchy Guy on each other to work through their respective issues on why they need to protect the loli in their lives. Touma's hangup is not the doubt that Fiamma tried to put into his head about whether he's doing things in Index's best interest. His hangup is that he's kept from her that he has amnesia of the period where they first met and her protectors convinced him to keep that a secret from her.

Accelerator's problems are the same ones we've seen throughout the season with him and the dark side of Academy City. To protect Last Order's smile, he decided to play the villain because he thought his powers could only be used for violence. Well, he seems to be able to stop bleeding with his knowledge of vectors and physics, so he only brought that on himself because of the guilt he carried from killing ten thousand copies of Last Order's big sisters. Of course, it took more than one Touma punch to literally beat it into his head that he should just do what he can and forget about whether he's a bad guy or not.

This Touma guy. In one short scene he shows us how much of a side character Accelerator always was from his perspective. Touma shows up to save a Misaka sister by punching Accelerator in the face a couple of times. Side plot done, have to get back to the important business. Also, his Touma punch resolves Accelerator's doubts about himself too. He really does have the Right Hand of God... Is that saying too much?

Finally, I had to chuckle at the note Touma left him with Index's name on it. Maybe it's all connected, wonders Accelerator. You think?

Heh.

Accelerator is in full-on villain mode. Cackling, growling, croaking. I love it.

Hamazura is going to use those landmines like I thought he would.

Carissa is having fun with a flying castle extending Britain's territory. Even better, she's provoking the knights into protecting her "purity." Someone needs a spanking and Knight Leader is just the one to do it!

France still needs a Holy Virgin, but instead of burning her at the stake, they keep her inside Versailles. Well, they let this Holy Maiden of Versailles out for their next war against Britain. Makes sense, considering the history of Joan of Arc.

Touma just had to run into an evil cyclone named Accelerator at a military base. Misfortune...

Ha. Accelerator calls Touma the Hero who saved all the Sisters. Touma's all, "who the what now?"

Welp, that Touma punch needs to put down a rabid dog.

Accelerator said he could only do bloody things, but he stopped Third Season's bleeding (in more ways than one, metanarratively), so he can't be just the villain. Take the L, Accelerator. You're a good guy.

Touma is literally beating it into Accelerator's head about doing what he can do to protect the ones he cares about. Just do it!

And then Touma Jesus just casually cures Last Order.

You can't protect people with just evil, sez Accelerator. Here's the part where we say "duh!" with all the weight of 20 episodes behind it. Duh!

And Hamazura's outrageous fortune puts a big old British sword through a helicopter. Oh, that was Acqua's sword. He's going to help out. He just happened to be there. Lucky!

Uh oh. Mikoto saw her man in Russia. She's going. And Mugino is going to be on the Stealth Bomber that Mikoto probably decides to steal. Lucky for Hamazura...

Maybe it's all connected to Index, muses Accelerator. Maybe that fake angel Aiwass was right. Huh.