Episode 10 - Meltdowner
As a weary Mikoto makes her way towards her destination, she notices that Mugino's attacks have stopped. Realizing it's unlikely that ITEM has just given up, she figures they're planning an ambush. However, her powers are almost exhausted from pushing herself so hard. As she wonders what to do, she notices more of Frenda's flammable tape strips all over the floor and walls. Following them, she finds some of Frenda's exploding dolls, and wonders if she can make use of them.
Leaving the building, Frenda and Takitsubo have some waiting underlings drive them over to the S-Processor institute. On the way, Frenda remarks that Takitsubo seems worn out from using her powers. Takitsubo says she doesn't mind, saying that having somewhere to belong is worth it. Just then, Frenda realizes to her dismay that she forgot to clean up all her explosives before leaving.
Mugino is waiting nonchalantly in a large, brightly-lit area of the facility when Mikoto emerges, carrying several doll-bombs. Seeing them, Mugino mentally curses Frenda for leaving them behind. Greeting Mikoto as "Railgun", she identifies herself as the fourth-ranked Level 5, then says she can prove her superiority by killing Mikoto here.
Mikoto throws one of the bombs at Mugino, detonating it with electricity, but Mugino simply blocks it with her own ability. Asking Mugino how many she can block, Mikoto reveals a large number of dolls floating out of the passageway behind her; she has stuffed them with metal, which allows her to control them via magnetism. A battle erupts, with Mikoto trying to overwhelm Mugino with speed, agility, and exploding dolls, and Mugino using her firepower to blast everything in sight. Eventually, Mikoto is reduced to a single doll, and Mugino pauses to gloat.
Throwing caution to the wind, Mikoto charges directly at Mugino, keeping the last doll in front of her as a shield. Caught off guard, Mugino hesitates, unsure which of them to attack first. Mikoto throws a lightning bolt at her; but Mugino deflects it, pointing out that their ability to affect each other's powers runs both ways. However, the brief distraction allows Mikoto to bring the metal-reinforced doll up behind Mugino and slam it into the back of her head, knocking her cold.
Bringing the doll with her, Mikoto quickly heads up to the lab on the top floor. Now thoroughly exhausted, she uses the doll's explosives and a few well-placed shocks to destroy the computer banks before hurrying back the way she came. As she re-enters the room where the battle took place, she notices to her dismay that Mugino has disappeared. As she looks around, however, the other Level 5 suddenly comes up behind her, with blood running down her face and wearing an expression of utter rage. Before Mikoto can react, Mugino downs her with a vicious knee to the gut.
Retching, Mikoto manages to scramble to her feet and flee. Mugino follows her into the darkened maze of passages, firing her electron beams indiscriminately and screaming threats and insults. She does pause long enough to take a call from Kinuhata, who reports that the evacuation of S-Processor is complete, and that Frenda and Takitsubo have joined her.
When the call ends, Frenda, who is hovering anxiously, asks Kinuhata if Mugino was angry. Kinuhata says she seemed more fired up than anything, but then adds that Mugino told her to pass on the message that Frenda's 'punishment' would be forthcoming.
Resuming the chase, Mugino catches up to the exhausted Mikoto and corners her on a catwalk. Weakly deflecting Mugino's attack, Mikoto collapses to her knees... and starts laughing. As a bemused Mugino comes up to deliver some final taunts, Mikoto admits she barely has enough power left to generate a few sparks. But a few sparks is all she needs... to ignite the strips of Frenda's flammable tape that are crisscrossing the catwalk. Before Mugino can react, the burning tape slices the catwalk apart; Mikoto has just enough magnetic power left to pull herself to safety, but Mugino falls down to the floor below.
After pausing to catch her breath, Mikoto staggers to the exit and escapes. She reflects that she'd been planning to take out the S-Processor facility as well, but realizes she's in no condition to do anything more tonight.
Having used her electron beams to cushion her fall, Mugino is only slightly injured. Realizing Mikoto has escaped, she starts wondering why Railgun was so interested in destroying these facilities. Heading up to the lab, she finds a few scientists frantically clearing out their surviving equipment. She corners one and forces him to show her the files on the Level 6 Shift project. Upon reading them, she laughs and says it's completely ridiculous; after pausing to think for a moment, however, she mutters that "they" can just sink into the darkness for all she cares.
The next day, Mikoto wakes up in the hotel room she's been using as a base. After cleaning herself up, she heads over to the S-Processor institute and finds it dark and abandoned, all computer systems wiped clean. Searching on the net, she finds a report saying that the institute has just declared bankruptcy, and closed down permanently. Digesting this news, Mikoto wanders back through the city and tries to figure out what it means. Since she destroyed all the other project facilities, she eventually concludes that the project must be finished: she has succeeded in shutting it down. She figures there's still more to do — such as helping the Sisters make new lives for themselves — but for now, she's just relieved the nightmare is over.
Passing through a park, she notices a familiar-looking spiky-haired boy feeding money into a certain vending machine. She pauses to watch as he pleads and curses at the machine; then she smiles...
Tropes
- Ax-Crazy: Shizuri Mugino, once she loses her temper.
- Evil Gloating: Mugino does this a lot — a habit which directly contributes to her defeat.
- Fatal Flaw: When she's truly enraged, Mugino becomes much more violent and aggressive... but arguably less dangerous because she lets her rage drive her at the expense of tactical thinking. She also can't resist stopping to taunt her opponent when she thinks she's gained the upper hand. Neither of these traits escapes Mikoto's notice.
- Hope Spot: The episode ends with one, at least from Mikoto's perspective, as it looks as though Project Level 6 Shift may have been shut down. It hasn't.
- Minor Injury Overreaction: Mugino completely loses it after Mikoto briefly knocks her out and leaves her with a cut on the head.
- Modesty Shorts: Mugino is wearing these, although it's largely a Freeze-Frame Bonus. This is presumably to underline her status as a foil to Mikoto.
- Save the Villain: When Mugino falls off the catwalk, Mikoto throws a cable down toward her, telling her to grab it. Mugino contemptuously blasts it away and continues falling. Ultimately subverted in that Mugino didn't actually need the help anyway.
- Unskilled, but Strong: Comparing their abilities, Mugino has more raw firepower than Mikoto (at least in the latter's weakened and exhausted state), but isn't nearly as versatile in how she can use it.
- You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!: When she learns about Project Level 6 Shift, Mugino laughs and says it has to be one of the most ridiculous things she's ever heard.
