Toaru Majutsu no Index: Genesis Testament-Volume 4, Afterword

If you picked them up one at a time, welcome back. If you bought them all at once, welcome.

This is Kamachi Kazuma.

Christmas is over and the story has reached the 26th!! How did you like it? Since GT3 was so dark and gloomy, I made sure this one had Kamijou Touma running straight toward the center of the incident. Kamijou Touma and Hamazura Shiage both did their best, so what made the results so different? I think you can imagine what exactly it was Kamijou Touma found after he risked his life to fight for a complete stranger while saying he would do so even if she was a villain.

I also tried to use the Between the Lines sections to visualize the process of the various theories being proposed and then gradually narrowing in on the truth from chapter to chapter.

Since I had Stiyl show up for the first time in a while, I decided now was the time to have him make a harsh decision. He wouldn’t be our sketchy smoker priest without that. And it’s also just like Kamijou to not even consider cutting ties with him or plotting revenge. That aside, rune magic sure is convenient, huh? By choosing and carving the rune, dyeing it, and destroying it, you have a clear visual and physical side to the preparation, activation, and deactivation of the magic. The only real problem is that it’s a little too powerful and versatile, so it creates a character who’s too convenient to use all that much.

Accelerator’s trial was first mentioned in GT1 and it was underway in the background of this volume. Without Anna Sprengel around messing everything up, things actually go quite well for the #1.

A mother and her daughter was another theme this time, so I focused on Helcalia in the first half and Melzabeth in the second half. That may be something you haven’t seen much in the series so far. I also wanted to see how much I could build up Melzabeth’s presence without actually having her appear until the very end. What did you think of that?

I give my thanks to my illustrators Haimura-san, Itou Tateki-san, and Kasai Shin-san who did the Five Overs. I also give my thanks to my editors Miki-san, Anan-san, Nakajima-san, and Hamamura-san. The sand magic isn’t very visually impressive for the effect it has, so that may have been a challenge. And then there was the terrifying Logistic Hornet. Thank you for going along with my nonsense again.

And I give my thanks to the readers. How did you like this story of Kamijou Touma in America, where he doesn’t understand the language? I think the real Americanness isn’t found in the big cars and motorcycles, but in Othinus’s comment: “I have a soft spot for these American toys. Especially two-wheeled ones ridden standing up.” But what did you think? Until next time!!

It is time to close the pages for now while praying that the pages of the next book will be opened.

And I lay my pen down for now.

A fictional president needs to be able to pilot a stealth fighter, don’t you think!?

-Kamachi Kazuma