A Certain Magical Index (season 1)

A Certain Magical Index is an anime series adapted from the light novel series of the same title written by Kazuma Kamachi and illustrated by Kiyotaka Haimura. The story adventures of Tōma Kamijō, a high school student with a unique power in his right hand, who resides in a scientifically advanced city, and his interactions with other psychic and magic users after he meets Index, a young nun whose mind has been implanted with the 103,000 magical texts of the Index Librorum Prohibitorum. It was produced by J.C.Staff and directed by Hiroshi Nishikiori. The series was broadcast on the Mainichi Broadcasting System from October 4, 2008 to March 19, 2009. The first season adapts the light novels from the first to the sixth volume.

A Certain Magical Index
Season 1
Country of origin	Japan
No. of episodes	24
Release
Original network	AT-X
Original release	October 4, 2008 – March 19, 2009
Season chronology

Four pieces of theme music are used for the episodes: two opening and two ending themes. The first opening theme is "PSI-Missing" by Mami Kawada, used from episodes 1 to 16 (corrected in the DVD version to episode 14). From episode 17 (episode 15 in the DVD version) onwards, a second opening theme, "Masterpiece" by Mami Kawada, was used. The first ending theme is "Rimless ~Fuchinashi no Sekai~" (Rimless 〜フチナシノセカイ〜, Rimless ~Rimless World~) by Iku. From episode 20 onwards, a second ending theme called "Chikaigoto ~Sukoshi Dake Mō Ichido~" (誓い言 〜スコシだけもう一度〜, Oath ~Just a Little Once More~), also by Iku, was used.[1]

Episodes

No.	Title	Original air date
1	"Academy City" Transcription: "Gakuen Toshi" (Japanese: 学園都市)	October 4, 2008
Tōma Kamijō, a Level 0 student living in Academy City, has a unique esper ability that allows him to nullify psychic, magical and divine powers, but it also negates his own good luck. He survives a reluctant duel with said ability against Mikoto Misaka, a powerful Level 5 psychic capable of controlling and generating electricity, ending with Mikoto causing a citywide blackout. The next morning, Tōma wakes up to find a young nun from the Anglican Church hanging off his balcony. Introducing herself as Index, she reveals that she is being chased by magicians because she carries 103,000 grimoires. The two become friends after an embarrassing incident, involving Index proving the existence of magic and Tōma proving the power of his right hand, and they part ways. However, when he returns home from remedial class, Tōma finds Index laying on the ground bleeding and, behind him, a red-haired man who calls himself a magician.
2	"The Witch Hunting King (Innocentius)" Transcription: "Majo-Gari no Ō (Inokentiusu)" (Japanese: 魔女狩りの王 (イノケンティウス))	October 11, 2008
The magician reveals that his name is Stiyl Magnus and explains that his partner Kaori Kanzaki unintentionally hurt Index as her magical garb was supposed to stop the blow. His mission was actually to protect Index, who possesses photographic memory of the 103,000 grimoires implanted in her mind called the Index Librorum Prohibitorum. Angered by Stiyl's harsh treatment of Index, Tōma attacks him, to which Stiyl responds by using fire magic and is surprised when Tōma nullifies the spell. To stop Tōma, Stiyl summons a fire creature known as Innocentius. When Tōma finds himself unable to negate the creature, Index activates John's Pen, her self-protection system personality, to reveal that Innocentius' power comes from runes placed around the building. Tōma defeats Stiyl and Innocentius by setting off sprinklers to wash away the runes. However, because of Index's wounds and Tōma's inability to use magic, he brings Index to the only non-esper he knows, that being his teacher Komoe Tsukuyomi.
3	"The Church of Necessary Evil (Necessarius)" Transcription: "Hitsuyōaku no Kyōkai (Nesesariusu)" (Japanese: 必要悪の教会 (ネセサリウス))	October 18, 2008
After Tōma leaves, Komoe successfully helps Index heal her wounds using an ancient magic ritual but asks Tōma the next morning who she is. When he lies that she is his sister, Komoe spots the fib immediately but decides not to press the issue since she believes it is something he must solve on his own. While Komoe goes out to shop, Tōma learns that Necessarius, the organization that Index belongs to, implanted the Index Librorum Prohibitorum into Index's mind so that she would be a living library for the Church, since reading the originals would curse and taint people. Meanwhile, Stiyl and Kaori continue to watch Index and comment on how her happiness will be short-lived. When Tōma and Index get into a fight and separate, Tōma finds himself in an empty street and meets a girl wielding a nodachi, who reveals herself as Kaori.
4	"Perfect Memory Ability" Transcription: "Kanzen Kioku Nōryoku" (Japanese: 完全記憶能力)	October 25, 2008
Tōma refuses to hand Index over to Kaori, who reveals that she is also a member of Necessarius and a dear friend to Index. Kaori never intended to hurt Index when attempting to secure her the day before, unaware that Index's magical garb was previous damaged by Tōma. While eighty-five percent of Index's memory contains the entire Index Librorum Prohibitorum, the remaining fifteen percent needs to be annually erased to avoid any strain with any unnecessary memories, and there is only three days left before the limit is reached. Even though Index would not be able to recall him, Tōma asks Kaori why she does not explain everything to Index. Stiyl and Kaori had tried everything to restore Index's memories, but it became unbearable to see her smile with each successive failure. Tōma criticizes that Index's feelings were not taken into account each time, questioning why Kaori was hiding this from her. When Tōma is severely injured by Kaori, he wakes up three days later in Komoe's apartment in the care of Index. When Stiyl and Kaori arrive, Index tries to protect Tōma by promising to do as they ask.
5	"12 o'clock (Limit)" Transcription: "Jūni-ji (Rimitto)" (Japanese: 十二時 (リミット))	November 1, 2008
Tōma learns that Stiyl and Kaori will come at exactly midnight to perform the spell to erase Index's memory. Despite Tōma's attempts to find another way to save Index, midnight arrives and he is helpless as Stiyl and Kaori arrive to prepare the spell. The duo give him time to say goodbye to Index. However, Tōma becomes suspicious of Kaori's statement that Index's memory only has fifteen percent for daily life in a year. Calling up Komoe, he learns that humans can never suffer or die from being overloaded with information and realizes that the Church regularly erased Index's memory to ensure her loyalty to them and tricked Stiyl and Kaori. In a desperate attempt to save Index, Tōma tries to dispel a magical rune in her throat, only to activate her John's Pen mode. Unable to analyze and devise a means of countering Tōma's ability, John's Pen activates St. George's Sanctuary, a spell it has determined as the most effective way of eliminating Tōma.
6	"Fantasy Killer (Imagine Breaker)" Transcription: "Gensō-Goroshi (Imajin Bureikā)" (Japanese: 幻想殺し (イマジンブレイカー))	November 11, 2008
After Tōma makes Stiyl and Kaori realize that they were tricked by Necessarius about Index's condition and that destroying the magic responsible for Index's pain will allow her to live a normal life, Tōma is able to disable her John's Pen mode with help from the magicians. However, St. George's Sanctuary remains in effect and Tōma is rendered unconscious when a feather from the spell touches his head. At the hospital, Index discovers that Necessarius will leave her alone for now since Stiyl and Kaori are now questioning why the Church tricked them about her condition and that Tōma's memories have been erased as the spell destroyed his brain cells. At first, Tōma says that he is unable to recognize Index when she goes to see him, but brushes it off as a joke and explains that he canceled the spell with his right hand's ability, now called Imagine Breaker, before she leaves. What Index does not know is that Tōma really was unable to remember anything but did not want to burden Index with his condition, though feeling that his memories still remain in his heart. Two weeks later, Stiyl meets Aleister Crowley, the ruler of Academy City, and to keep the status quo of non-interference between science and magic, Aleister lends Tōma to Stiyl for an assignment to rescue "Deep Blood", someone capable of killing vampires, from a magician in Academy City.
7	"Misawa Cram School (Science Cult)" Transcription: "Misawa-juku (Kagaku Sūhai)" (Japanese: 三沢塾 (かがくすうはい))	November 15, 2008
Tōma continues to keep his memory loss a secret and inadvertently upsets Index when he meets with his two friends, Motoharu Tsuchimikado and Aogami Pierce, who both inadvertently insult her. Forced to buy them all lunch, they go to a fast food restaurant, where Index gets into an argument with a girl dressed like a miko, who says that she is a magician and leaves before Index can get any answers concerning which magical organization the girl belongs to. On the way home, Index chases after a kitten she names Sphinx and is separated from Tōma. She then runs into Stiyl, who needs Tōma to rescue Aisa Himegami, a girl codenamed "Deep Blood", from Aureolus Izzard, an alchemist leading a secret science-worshiping cult at the Misawa Cram School after three years in hiding. When Tōma refuses, Stiyl coerces him with threats that Necessarius will take Index away. When they arrive at the cram school, Tōma is surprised to learn that "Deep Blood" is the girl he met earlier and finds a dead corpse in a suit of armor.
8	"Gold Transmutation (Ars Magna)" Transcription: "Ōgon Rensei (Arusu Maguna)" (Japanese: 黄金練成 (アルス＝マグナ))	November 22, 2008
Stiyl explains the dead knight was from the 13 Knights of the Roman Catholic Church and that a magical barrier is concealing all magical occurrences inside the school from the public. Tōma and Stiyl are forced to separate when the students, under the control of a spell, cast an imitation of a Gregorian choir to attack. When Stiyl destroys the spell's source, he finds Aureolus while Tōma runs into Aisa, who reveals that she came to Aureolus willingly because the Misawa Cram School is able to repel vampires, who are otherwise ordinary people. Aureolus had agreed to help her with her powers if she used her blood to lure vampires to the Misawa Cram School in order to save someone important to him. When Aureolus finds them, Aisa confronts him about his objectives and threatens to leave if he continues to kill people. However, Aureolus seals Tōma and Stiyl's memories, and the two awaken outside the school without any recollection of their mission until Tōma uses his Imagine Breaker to nullify the spell. Meanwhile, Index has followed Stiyl's mana trail to the school, but is put to sleep and captured by Aureolus. The remaining 13 Knights attack the school with a true version of a Gregorian choir, but it is restored by Aureolus's true power, Ars Magna. Tōma finds Sphinx outside with Index's habit and realizes that Index is now inside the school.
9	"Vampire Killer (Deep Blood)" Transcription: "Kyūketsu-Goroshi (Dīpu Buraddo)" (Japanese: 吸血殺し (ディープブラッド))	November 29, 2008
Tōma and Stiyl find Aureolus at his office, along with Aisa and Index, who is still asleep. It is revealed that Aureolus was Index's partner three years ago, though devastated that her memory needed to be erased. He intends to use Ars Magna along with Aisa's powers to save Index by turning her into a vampire, which will overcome Index's one-year life expectancy. However, Aureolus, distraught when he realizes that Tōma had already succeeded this by using his Imagine Breaker, uses Ars Magna against Aisa, Stiyl and Tōma. Nonetheless, this reality-distorting magic finds itself useless against Tōma's Imagine Breaker. When Tōma realizes that Ars Magna cannot alter reality, but rather makes Aureolus's thoughts come into it, he manipulates Aureolus into fearing him, which ends in Toma's arm changing into a dragon and Aureolus passing out from fright. Tōma winds up in the hospital again to have his right arm reattached after the battle, and Stiyl visits him, explaining that Aureolus lost his memory and powers. He disappears when Index and Aisa come to visit, and Index reveals the Church will now take care of Aisa. When Aisa learns why Tōma saved her life, she smiles at him.
10	"Big Sister (Mikoto Misaka)" Transcription: "Onee-sama (Misaka Mikoto)" (Japanese: お姉様 (みさかみこと))	December 6, 2008
A girl resembling Mikoto wearing military goggles uses a sniper rifle to shoot a teenager called Accelerator, only for the shots to be reflected back and her to wind up face-to-face with Accelerator. Tōma runs into Mikoto at a vending machine and, after learning of how he defeated her, expects the worst until she is caught off guard by Kuroko Shirai, Mikoto's kōhai, who soon teleports away, and then by another girl who looks exactly like Mikoto, identified as Mikoto's younger sister and referred to as simply Misaka. Frustrated, Mikoto leads Misaka away despite Misaka’s objections, though Misaka approaches Tōma later that day and helps him carry tin cans. At summer class the next day, Tōma, Tsuchimikado and Aogami learn that Mikoto became the third most powerful esper in Academy City from Level 1 to 5 through hard work and effort while Mikoto later tells Tōma how she dislikes Tree Diagram, a powerful supercomputer on a space satellite that monitors Academy City. As soon as Mikoto leaves, Tōma runs into Misaka again, who wants to care for a black cat. As Tōma leaves her to find books on caring for cats, Misaka senses Accelerator nearby and a fight ensues in a back alley.
11	"Sisters (Sisters)" Transcription: "Imōtotachi (Shisutāzu)" (Japanese: 妹達 (シスターズ))	December 13, 2008
Accelerator stops and redirects Misaka's attacks back at her using vector transformation, controlling elements like kinetic momentum, heat or electrical charge by touch. When Tōma returns from the bookstore, he finds Misaka's dead body in the dark alley and calls the police department, but the body has gone missing when trying to find it. A confused Tōma continues to search the alley, soon relieved to find Misaka alive but horrified to see her carrying a body bag containing the body he had seen in the alley. Dozens of identical girls resembling Misaka then appear, revealing that they are all part of a confidential experiment and are mass-produced military-use somatic cell clones of Mikoto Misaka called the Sisters, in which the one he has already encountered, currently carrying the body bag, is named Misaka #10032. Tōma plans to go see Mikoto at her dormitory to learn the truth behind the Sisters, considering how Mikoto treated Misaka earlier. However, he ends up waiting alongside Kuroko, who is Mikoto's roommate, but is forced to hide under Mikoto's bed when the Tokiwadai Dorm Supervisor comes by for inspection. Tōma finds and reads a report about Tree Diagram's calculated methods for how Accelerator, the most powerful Level 5 esper in Academy City, can evolve to Level 6 by fighting the Sisters at special battlefields where he will gain experience from combat and finds a map with several red X marks on it. Now aware of the truth, Tōma goes to confront Mikoto.
12	"Absolute Power (Level 6)" Transcription: "Zettai Nōryoku (Reberu Shikkusu)" (Japanese: 絶対能力 (レベル6))	December 20, 2008
Komoe demonstrates extrasensory perception to Index and Aisa, based on Schrödinger's theory using a chocolate box as a prop. In the past, Mikoto had attracted a group of doctors, who told her that her ability may help people with paralysis, only to later learn about her DNA being used to create clones for the military in Academy City and was horrified to witness how her Sisters were used to fight Accelerator. Tōma confronts Mikoto about the experiment, where 20,000 clones of Mikoto would be used in lieu of 128 exact duplicates of her to fight against Accelerator in specific locations to advance him to Level 6. Mikoto feels helpless for being unable to stop the experiment, since a research center, pinpointed on her map as an X mark, would be created after each one she destroys. Mikoto believes that sacrificing herself is the best solution to save her Sisters because the scientists no longer have Tree Diagram, which Index earlier destroyed when St. George's Sanctuary was knocked off course, to recalculate the values for the experiment. As Tōma tries to talk her way out of considering death as her only option, a frustrated Mikoto shocks him over and over again. Tōma is somehow able to get up each time, eventually moving Mikoto to tears. Tōma passes out while trying to think of alternatives toward ending the experiment.
13	"One Way (Accelerator)" Transcription: "Ippōtsūkō (Akuserarēta)" (Japanese: 一方通行 (アクセラレータ))	December 27, 2008
Misaka #10032 arrives at a goods station, where she prepares for the upcoming battle with Accelerator, and wonders why is she thinking about Tōma during this time. Meanwhile, at a bathhouse, Komoe continues to tell Index and Aisa that espers acquire their powers by separating them from proper reality and making their own reality and that Academy City's purpose is to facilitate this process, though Level 0s like Tōma indicate the process has not yet been perfected. Tōma reawakens and tells Mikoto that the only way to end the experiment is if he, as the weakest esper, defeats Accelerator, as the strongest esper, to prove the experiment's underlying purpose as wrong. Despite Mikoto's attempts to make him reconsider, mainly due to his injuries, Tōma leaves. Meanwhile, Accelerator battles Misaka #10032, quickly defeating her. Tōma arrives to save her, much to her confusion over why he wants to do that, and Accelerator is impressed that Tōma does not fear his power. Accelerator overpowers Tōma but is shocked and enraged when his power is unexpectedly canceled by Tōma's right hand. When the fight causes several containers to release huge quantities of flour into the air, Tōma is forced to run as Accelerator sets off a dust explosion.
14	"Strongest vs. Weakest (Weakest vs. Strongest)" Transcription: "Saikyō vs Saijaku" (Japanese: 最強 VS 最弱 (さいじゃく VS さいきょう))	January 8, 2009[lower-alpha 1]
Having survived the explosion, Tōma is found by Accelerator, who is impressed that Tōma has managed to actually bring him so close to death. Tōma lands a hit on Accelerator, realizes his Imagine Breaker is able to nullify the latter's powers, and continues to physically beat the esper up with his right hand. Accelerator breaks away and begins to manipulate the air to launch projectiles at Tōma, who is saved when Mikoto arrives. However, she realizes that Accelerator is creating a plasma attack by controlling the direction of the wind and condensing it into one place. Finding the injured Misaka #10032, Mikoto convinces her to tell the other Sisters to increase the city's wind turbines to disrupt the wind Accelerator needs for his attack. Unable to form his plasma storm, Accelerator tries to make a final lunge at Tōma, who knocks him out with a punch before fainting. When Tōma wakes up, he is in the hospital with Misaka #10032, who explains that the experiment has been halted and that all the surviving Sisters will be sent away to be treated for their shortened lifespans but promises to meet him again someday. In the morning, he is visited by Mikoto, who thanks him for saving the Sisters, and then by a worried and annoyed Index, who wants him to come to her for help next time.
15	"Angel Fall (Angel Fall)" Transcription: "Otsukai Oroshi (Enzeru Fōru)" (Japanese: 御使堕し (エンゼルフォール))	January 15, 2009
Komoe sends Tōma, with Index tagging along, off to a beach resort until things calm down with the superiors of Academy City, due to his interference with the experiment. Tōma is anxious because his parents will be coming to see him for the first time since his memories were destroyed. Although relieved to see his father Tōya Kamijō, he is convinced that his cousin Otohime Tatsugami and his mother Shiina Kamijō respectively resemble Mikoto and Index, as if were some sort of prank. Moreover, he becomes confused to see that the townspeople have been changed to familiar faces or just unmatched personalities, yet he seems to be the only one who notices the difference. Tōma later encounters a strange blonde girl, who then holds a saw to his neck, questioning if he is a spell caster. Luckily, Kaori and Motoharu arrive to explain that Tōma is not responsible for a spell known as Angel Fall. The blonde girl, calling herself Misha Kreutzev, a magician from Annihilatus of the Russian Orthodox Church, along with the two, conclude that Tōma is unaffected since he is at the center of this spell, which has changed the appearance of everyone, but the spell will end if the ritual site is destroyed or if the spell caster is defeated. It is revealed that Motoharu is a member of Necessarius working as a spy, much to Tōma's surprise.
16	"Father (Tōya Kamijō)" Transcription: "Chichioya (Kamijō Tōya)" (Japanese: 父親 (かみじょうとうや))	January 22, 2009
Kaori, Motoharu, and Misha, all suggesting that the spell caster must be someone close to Tōma, join him at the beach resort at night to investigate the source of the spell. Motoharu reveals he used to be an onmyōji before becoming an esper. It is explained that Motoharu and Kaori were able to cast a spell against Angel Fall, but they remain affected, appearing to others as a famous pop singer named Hajime Hitotsui and Stiyl, respectively. Kaori was formerly a priestess of the Amakusa Church, a Japanese Catholic organization, and was a Saint with the gift of Stigma, the ability to temporarily use holy powers. However, she left the organization due to her resenting both her fate as a priestess and the concept of luck and fortune. When Tōma later gives Misha some gum using his right hand, she hesitantly takes it, but somehow knowing more about Angel Fall firsthand. The next day, Misha insists on accompanying Shiina back to her new home, since she forgot to lock the door, but Tōma and Motoharu decide to get there first due to suspicion. Upon inspecting the contents of the house, Tōma realizes that Tōya's appearance has not changed upon seeing his family photos. Racing back to the resort, Tōma confronts his father, deduced as the spell caster.
17	"Archangel (The Power of God)" Transcription: "Daitenshi (Kami no Chikara)" (Japanese: 大天使 (かみのちから))	January 29, 2009
It turns out that Tōya knows absolutely nothing about Angel Fall, but when Misha appears to them, she is revealed to be an impostor taking advantage of her appearance as Sasha Kreutzev, a member of Annihilatus. Misha subsequently unveils herself to be the Archangel Gabriel, the fallen angel who was cast down from Heaven by the spell, who now plans on destroying Tōma (believing him to be the caster) in order to grant her return. While Kaori holds Gabriel off, Motoharu tells Tōma and Tōya that the ritual site is actually the family's new home, since Tōya accidentally cast the spell from coincidentally arranging occult souvenirs around the house in a feng shui arrangement. Motoharu plans to destroy Tōya, technically being the source of Angel Fall. However, when Tōma tries to stop Motoharu, the latter beats up the former then knocks Tōya out. In a sudden twist, Motoharu casts a spell to destroy the ritual site, despite knowing his life is at risk from using magic, which allows Gabriel to return to Heaven. Tōma returns to the hospital again, surprised to see Motoharu alive and well, all thanks to his psychic healing ability, Auto Rebirth. Motoharu is actually a freelancer for many organizations for espionage. Tōya and Shiina visit Tōma, who is outraged to learn that his family's new house was completely destroyed by Motoharu's spell. However, Tōma must suffer Index's wrath for mistreating her while she was under the spell, appearing as Aogami the whole time.
18	"Impostor (Replica)" Transcription: "Nisemono (Repurika)" (Japanese: 偽者 (レプリカ))	February 5, 2009
Mikoto is being stalked by Mitsuki Unabara, the Tokiwadai Middle School principal's grandson, ever since the last week of summer vacation. When she sees Tōma passing by with his friends, she pretends to go on a date with Tōma. After an embarrassing mix-up with hotdog sandwiches, Tōma learns that less than ten of the Sisters remain at Academy City while the rest went overseas for treatment. Mikoto later goes to a restaurant to get food while Tōma converses with Unabara outside. Tōma sees an identical Unabara running into the restaurant, injured and warning Mikoto about an approaching danger, which means Tōma was talking to an impostor, who hits him from behind. As Tōma flees, Index reveals by phone that the impostor duplicated Unabara's appearance by using Aztecan sorcery, wielding an obsidian spearhead replicating the lance of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli. When Tōma is forced to fight him at a construction site, the impostor reveals that his mission was to become close to Tōma's friends to prevent the formation of the Kamijō Forces, in which Tōma would ultimately lead a group of mages and espers who fear will destroy the truce between them. The impostor, who had fallen in love with Mikoto, decided to protect her by killing Tōma. However, after being defeated and severely injured by falling steel beams, the impostor asks Tōma to promise him to protect Mikoto since Tōma and his friends will continue to be targeted. Unknown to both of them, Mikoto is listening nearby and is embarrassed to hear Tōma's answer.
19	"The End (Last Order)" Transcription: "Uchidome (Rasuto Ōdā)" (Japanese: 打ち止め (ラストオーダー))	February 12, 2009
Since his defeat, Accelerator is no longer feared by others, though he remains powerful enough to get rid of troublemakers. During the last day of summer vacation, he is approached by a younger Misaka clone capable of showing emotions, who introduces herself as Misaka #20001, nicknamed Last Order, and begins to follow him around, much to his annoyance. Because she is hungry, Accelerator takes Last Order to a restaurant and sees Ao Amai, a former researcher for The Sisters Project, but does not pursue him. As Last Order eats, she converses with Accelerator on the Sisters and how she believes that Accelerator was an unwilling participant of Project Level 6 Shift. Tired of her comments, Accelerator leaves her at the restaurant to confront Kikyō Yoshikawa, a researcher in charge of Project Level 6 Shift. She informs him that Last Order was not created for The Sisters Project but for administrating the Misaka Network and that Amai injected a virus into Last Order, which could spread to the other Sisters and cause them to go berserk and attack humans. To stop the virus before activating by midnight, she gives Accelerator the choice of finding Amai to explain how to stop the virus or returning Last Order to her incubator, so Accelerator chooses the latter.
20	"Final Signal (Virus Code)" Transcription: "Saishū Shingō (Wirusu Kōdo)" (Japanese: 最終信号 (ウィルスコード))	February 19, 2009
Accelerator returns to the diner only to find that Last Order has been kidnapped by Amai. Accelerator manages to track down Amai and knocks him out before he can escape with Last Order. However, the virus in Last Order activates earlier than expected and Yoshikawa is still en route with Last Order's incubator. To stop the virus, Accelerator uses his powers and a clean copy of Last Order's data to remove the virus. However, nearing the end of the process, Amai awakens and shoots Accelerator in the head. Accelerator is unable to fully stop the bullet, having chosen to finish removing the virus instead of protecting himself, and collapses afterward. Amai tries to finish him off but is shot by Yoshikawa, who has arrived to put Last Order into her incubator. After discussing their roles as researchers and her dream of wanting to become a teacher, she and Amai shoot each other. When Yoshikawa awakens in the hospital, she learns from Heaven Canceller, who is none other than Tōma's frog-faced doctor, that Accelerator saved her but suffers from brain damage from the shot he took while saving Last Order and needs rehabilitation.
21	"Identity Unknown (Counter Stop)" Transcription: "Shōtai Fumei (Kauntā Sutoppu)" (Japanese: 正体不明 (カウンターストップ))	February 26, 2009
Tōma returns to school after summer break but is followed by Index, who thinks she will not have anything to eat for lunch while he is away at school. Arriving at school, he learns that Komoe is doing research on AIM (An Involuntary Movement), a diffusion field of power that espers emit. When Index arrives in class, Komoe sends her away and then introduces Aisa as the new transfer student. Instead of leaving, Index runs into another transfer student, Hyōka Kazakiri, and befriends her. When Tōma finds them later, Komoe catches Tōma skipping the opening ceremony and Hyōka mysteriously vanishes. Aisa becomes suspicious of Hyōka, recalling her as the top student at her old school who was never seen, and warns Tōma and Komoe about her. Meanwhile, Motoharu meets with Aleister concerning the illegal arrival of a Necessarius mage named Sherry Cromwell in Academy City and, despite Motoharu's offer to take care of Sherry discreetly to preserve the peace between Necessarius and Academy City, Aleister wants Tōma to defeat her, as his involvement will help the "key" to the Five-Element Agency. As Tōma, Index and Hyōka head to an underground mall for lunch, Kuroko finds Sherry and attacks her unsuccessfully when the latter summons a golem. Though Kuroko is saved by Mikoto, Sherry escapes and casts a spell to send eyeballs throughout the city.
22	"Statue (Golem)" Transcription: "Sekizō (Gōremu)" (Japanese: 石像 (ゴーレム))	March 5, 2009
Sherry begins her assault on Academy City to start a war between it and Necessarius. As a result, Tōma, Index and Hyōka are locked in the underground mall before they can be evacuated with everyone else. Mikoto and Kuroko find them and Kuroko teleports Mikoto and Index away to safety. When Tōma hears an explosion, he goes to confront Sherry, who has defeated the Anti-Skills led by one of his school teachers, Aiho Yomikawa, and leaves Hyōka to wait for Kuroko to return. As he tries to fight Sherry's Golem Ellis, Hyōka arrives but her face is cracked, and Tōma sees a prism-like object in her head. When she flees, Sherry decides to pursue her, while Tōma gets a call from Komoe, who explains that Hyōka's is an artificial being created from the AIM diffusion fields. Hyōka manages to regenerate her face, but Sherry, who knows Hyōka is not human, insults her by calling her a monster and is about to crush her when Tōma appears and saves her.
23	"Hyōka Kazakiri (Friends)" Transcription: "Kazakiri Hyōka (Tomodachi)" (Japanese: 風斬氷華 (トモダチ))	March 12, 2009
Tōma stops and successfully destroys Sherry's golem with Imagine Breaker. When she summons another one, Tōma coordinates with the Anti-Skills to put her on the defensive. However, when Sherry suddenly decides to flee, Tōma realizes that her target is not Hyōka specifically but anyone valuable enough to trigger a war between Necessarius and Academy City, so Index is now Sherry's intended target. Hyōka, acknowledging how she came into being, chooses to save Index and escapes the underground mall without Tōma. Meanwhile, Index separates from Mikoto in order to pursue a runaway Sphinx and is attacked by Golem Ellis. Though Index is able to hold her own against Golem Ellis by interfering with its remote-controlled mechanism, the tables are turned against her when it is switched to automated control and she is about to be crushed until something unexpected happens.
24	"Imaginary Number School District - Five-Element Agency" Transcription: "Kyosū Gakku · Gogyō Kikan" (Japanese: 虚数学区・五行機関 (きょすうがっく ごぎょうきかん))	March 19, 2009
Tōma pursues Hyōka but encounters Sherry instead and is forced to fight her. He learns Sherry once had a friend named Ellis who was an esper involved in an experiment between Necessarius and Academy City twenty years ago to create the first esper-magician hybrid but suffered from the experiment and was killed by the Knights as the experiment was a violation of the truce between science and magic. To prevent this tragedy from occurring again, Sherry intends to divide both sides forever through conflict. Outraged that Sherry does not believe that people who are different like Index and Hyōka could be friends, Tōma successfully defeats Sherry. However, doing so results in Golem Ellis above ground losing control, and Index is cornered until Hyōka suddenly appears and destroys the golem each time it reforms. After Tōma arrives to deliver the finishing blow, Index and Hyōka reconcile, and Hyōka later fades away to the Imaginary Number School District. Meanwhile, Motoharu confronts Aleister upon realizing the latter was behind the whole incident all this time to test the Imaginary Number School District and warns him that Tōma will be his enemy if he keeps using him. As each of the characters settle back into their daily lives, Stiyl meets with the Archbishop of Anglican Church, Lola Stuart, who decides that Necessarius will need Index and Tōma's help for an upcoming problem as Kaori is missing in Japan after the events of Angel Fall.

Home releases

The first Blu-ray and DVD compilation for the series was released on January 23, 2009, with one scheduled for each month until all episodes were collected into eight volumes. Each volume contains 3 episodes. A DVD Box Set of the first season of Index was released on December 22, 2010 containing the first twelve episodes of the season, with a second Box Set scheduled to be released on March 9, 2011 containing the rest of the season.

Toaru Majutsu no Index Japanese Blu-ray and DVD Releases

Volume	Date	Episodes
Volume 1	January 23, 2009[2]	1-3
Volume 2	February 25, 2009[3]	4-6
Volume 3	March 25, 2009[4]	7-9
Volume 4	April 24, 2009[5]	10-12
Volume 5	May 29, 2009[6]	13-15
Volume 6	June 26, 2009[7]	16-18
Volume 7	July 24, 2009[8]	19-21
Volume 8	August 21, 2009[9]	22-24

Toaru Majutsu no Index DVD Box Set Releases

Box Set	Date	Episodes
Set 1	December 17, 2010[10]	1-12
Set 2	March 9, 2011[11]	13-24

A Certain Magical Index North American
Blu-ray and DVD Releases

Volume	Date	Episodes
Season 1 Pt. 1 (DVD only)	December 18, 2012[12]	1-12
Season 1 Pt. 2 (DVD only)	December 18, 2012[13]	13-24
Complete Season 1 (Blu-ray + DVD combo)	November 18, 2014[14]	1-24

Notes

1. The newest episodes then onwards started airing on AT-X

References

1. "Index - Music" (in Japanese). J.C.Staff. Archived from the original on 2009-04-03. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
2. "Blu-ray&DVD -劇場版 とある魔術の禁書目録＜インデックス＞ 公式サイト【アスキー・メディアワークス創立20周年記念作品】". Project-index.net. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
3. "禁書目録 -劇場版 とある魔術の禁書目録＜インデックス＞ 公式サイト【アスキー・メディアワークス創立20周年記念作品】". Project-index.net. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
4. "禁書目録 -劇場版 とある魔術の禁書目録＜インデックス＞ 公式サイト【アスキー・メディアワークス創立20周年記念作品】". Project-index.net. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
5. "禁書目録 -劇場版 とある魔術の禁書目録＜インデックス＞ 公式サイト【アスキー・メディアワークス創立20周年記念作品】". Project-index.net. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
6. "禁書目録 -劇場版 とある魔術の禁書目録＜インデックス＞ 公式サイト【アスキー・メディアワークス創立20周年記念作品】". Project-index.net. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
7. "禁書目録 -劇場版 とある魔術の禁書目録＜インデックス＞ 公式サイト【アスキー・メディアワークス創立20周年記念作品】". Project-index.net. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
8. "禁書目録 -劇場版 とある魔術の禁書目録＜インデックス＞ 公式サイト【アスキー・メディアワークス創立20周年記念作品】". Project-index.net. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
9. "禁書目録 -劇場版 とある魔術の禁書目録＜インデックス＞ 公式サイト【アスキー・メディアワークス創立20周年記念作品】". Project-index.net. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
10. "禁書目録 -劇場版 とある魔術の禁書目録＜インデックス＞ 公式サイト【アスキー・メディアワークス創立20周年記念作品】". Project-index.net. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2012-11-01.
11. "禁書目録 -劇場版 とある魔術の禁書目録＜インデックス＞ 公式サイト【アスキー・メディアワークス創立20周年記念作品】2". Project-index.net. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2019-03-16.
12. "A Certain Magical Index: Season 1, Part One: Atsushi Abe, Austin Tindle, Yuka Iguchi, Rina Satou, Kimiko Koyama, Jamie Marchi, Hiroshi Nishikori: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
13. "A Certain Magical Index: Season 1, Part Two: Micah Solusod, Monica Rial, Morgan Garret, Brittney Karbowski: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
14. "A Certain Magical Index: Complete Season 1 (Blu-ray/DvD Combo): Micah Solusod, Monica Rial, Austin Tindle, Brittney Karbowski, Jerry Jewell: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2015-12-24.