Misaka Mikoto light speed lightning

[DBKnight]

There are various lines about Misaka Mikoto's lightning being ligh speed in OT1 and OT3

From OT3

"There were only 7 meters between Kamijou and Mikoto.
That distance was too great for Kamijou to reach her in one step, but it was well withi
the range of Mikoto's electrical attacks that moved at the speed of light."

From OT3 (this one is about clone who are a lot weaker than the original)

"She released a lightning spear from it.
The spear of purple electricity moved forward at the speed of light and held enough
destructive force to knock someone unconscious.
She did not think that it would act as a fatal blow.
As long as it distracted him long enough for her to get away, that was enough.
However, the lightning spear she had fired at the boy rebounded and struck her in her
own chest."

From OT1

"Bluish-white sparks flew from the girl's bangs like a horn and a spear-like line of
lightning flew towards Kamijou.
There was no way to evade. After all, he was up against a bluish-white lightning spear
shot from a Level 5's hair. It was an experience like watching a thundercloud fire a bolt
at light speed and then trying to dodge it."

From OT1

"Kamijou Touma's calm and composed expression stiffened awkwardly. Even with a right
hand that could completely negate those light-speed lightning spears, it was sheer
coincidence that they struck his right hand"

Now, aside from these volumes, theres no more mention about her lightning being light speed.

Should these feats be considered?

 

[Antvasima]

You should ask some active members listed in the To Aru Majutsu No Index verse page and the Knowledgeable Members List to comment here.

 

[ReshRech]

There are various lines about Misaka Mikoto's lightning being ligh speed in OT1 and OT3
From OT3

"There were only 7 meters between Kamijou and Mikoto.
That distance was too great for Kamijou to reach her in one step, but it was well withi
the range of Mikoto's electrical attacks that moved at the speed of light."

From OT3 (this one is about clone who are a lot weaker than the original)

"She released a lightning spear from it.
The spear of purple electricity moved forward at the speed of light and held enough
destructive force to knock someone unconscious.
She did not think that it would act as a fatal blow.
As long as it distracted him long enough for her to get away, that was enough.
However, the lightning spear she had fired at the boy rebounded and struck her in her
own chest."

From OT1

"Bluish-white sparks flew from the girl's bangs like a horn and a spear-like line of
lightning flew towards Kamijou.
There was no way to evade. After all, he was up against a bluish-white lightning spear
shot from a Level 5's hair. It was an experience like watching a thundercloud fire a bolt
at light speed and then trying to dodge it."

From OT1

"Kamijou Touma's calm and composed expression stiffened awkwardly. Even with a right
hand that could completely negate those light-speed lightning spears, it was sheer
coincidence that they struck his right hand"

Now, aside from these volumes, theres no more mention about her lightning being light speed.

Should these feats be considered?

Yes, theses feats still being considered. Kamaichi just stop quote that because the new characters already have their own SoL FEATS

 

[Sigurd_Snake_in_The_Eye]

If the lightning she has is considered light speed in verse what's the problem?

 

[ReshRech]

If the lightning she has is considered light speed in verse what's the problem?

No one. This literally buffs the verse. I don't read all the 6 big blogs about To Aru, but i really think that they just don't accept this feat because they misinterpreted these feats

 

[Antvasima]

You should ask DontTalkDT and LazyHunter to comment here.

 

[Accelerate420]

IMO most of the Light-speed quotes were in the very early infancy stages of the series so they're to be taken with a grain of salt, especially when lower-tier espers are able to react to them which would pose MASSIVE scaling issues. We know they are faster than her Railgun so we base it off real-lightning speeds.

Asking DT and Lazy for their opinion would be helpful though.

 

[Malox1696]

well if im not wrong saint were said to be only super sonic but real math showed otherwise, same reason why mikoto lighting are said to be light speed but are actually just lighting speed

 

[LazyHunter]

The lightspeed lightning quotes, as mentioned by Accelerate420, only showed up in the first few novels before being dropped entirely, as far as I know. In OT1 the lightning is also described as simply "well above Mach 1", which is an understatement regardless of it is lightning speed or light speed. and later on Mikoto's lightning is described as "even faster than her Railgun".

The series also references the light speed barrier (how nothing can go as fast as light) later on, so it's likely that Kamachi looked up how fast lightning actually is after those novels, realized he made a mistake and quietly decided to drop it. Kamachi is not infallible with physics, one only has to see Mikoto's Mach 3 Railgun.

 

[Antvasima]

@LazyHunter

Thank you for the information. Would you be willing to add a clarification footnote about this to the Misaka Mikoto profile?

 

[LazyHunter]

I can, but shouldn't we give users who might be in favor of the lightspeed lightning a chance to answer? Other Toaru supporters can disagree with me and be in favor of using the lightspeed statements, I just gave my personal opinion as to why I don't support it.

 

[Antvasima]

Okay. We can wait then.

 

[ReshRech]

Well, this quotes was giving in the manga too, and the manga was written by Kamaichi. It's really impossible to say that him just abandon this idea, because the manga was written in the moment the novel was already in V13

 

[LazyHunter]

The manga is an adaptation of the novels. If the manga adapts OT1 and OT3, of course things like that can reappear. Like, it's undeniable that there's some things in early Index that don't hold up well with later novels. I think OT1 even has a quote that says that Mikoto's Railgun can wipe out a nuclear shelter in one blow, which is not supported by her feats so far unless it's a pretty crap shelter (and Academy City can make secure walls that tank her coin Railgun if they want to, as seen in Railgun SS3), and it's also mentioned that it can be negated by IB, which is not supported by later materials.

One of the quotes even implies that Kamachi at that time thought that natural lightning bolts move at lightspeed ("It was an experience like watching a thundercloud fire a bolt at light speed and then trying to dodge it"), which removes the "Mikoto's lightning is lightspeed because her power" excuse, which already doesn't make much sense since the Sister's lightning in OT3 also gets the same description, suggesting that Kamachi thinks all lightning/electricity moves at that speed. We know that's false, and given than in NT17 Fran references the light speed barrier Kamachi likely looked it up at some point and, since it's not an iconic number like Mikoto's Mach 3 Railgun, decided to drop it.

 

[Accelerate420]

There's too many scaling issues, especially since like Malox stated, Mikoto's fight with Saints wouldn't make sense given how horribly she'd be able to spam and simply catch them off guard constantly due to the sheer speed difference in attacks, which clearly didn't happen. I think it's clear that the statement has been retconned due to the later feats and battles in both the Railgun Manga and the light novels, so I'm in agreement with Lazy and Malox in why it isn't.

 

[Scrlk666777]

There are too many contradictations with actual later feats for Misaka to actually have any Light Speed feats to her railgun and electrical attacks and as others said it would completely mess up the scaling. I think Kamachi probably meant Lightning speed or even as others have said retconned it later.

 

[Zensum]

I agree with the above. Mikoto's Lightning Spear is genuine and equivalent to a natural lightning bolt and should stay at lightning speed, which should supersede any early SoL statement errors.

...and it's also mentioned that it can be negated by IB, which is not supported by later materials.

Which later materials?

 

[Malox1696]

Ah yea the long myth of railgun not getting negated by IB, why did it even start anyway, IB should be able to negate it has mikoto is constantly accelerating it until certain range and has to make rails for it that if IB negated would stop the whole thing has it has no more driving force (like with Ellis)

 

[Peter1129]

Wait but Touma did stop the Railgun in the Railgun manga. Where was it stated he can't?

 

[Malox1696]

nowhere

 

[Antvasima]

@LazyHunter

So, have we received enough responses to add a clarification footnote about this to the Misaka Mikoto profile now?

 

[TIHYDDWBE]

lightspeed lightning isnt legit.

IB negating misakas railgun is though.