To Aru Majutsu no Index LN - New Testament Volume 14 Discussion / Poll

[ACertainStark]

^Link for Credit: http://pastebin.com/Nn2AFF8x

Volume 13 cover. Kamijou & Mikoto are running away from the “uhohoi” old man known as the High Priest.
The novel was really only about those three characters, so I thought it was inevitable for those two to be on the cover. (What about the High Priest…?)

Uho hoi~

My personal first candidate was the Shundou battle in Volume 11, but since a fully-armored dog vs. a killer whale in a tank would have been a strange illustration, I rejected the idea myself. I remember thinking it was not so much how hard the illustration would have been, but more that it was not really a good “character illustration” and Volume 11 was Shokuhou-san’s story anyway.

Haimura, how could you!? well, it's okay. Misaki-chi in most illustrations was more than I could ask for.

Volume 13’s cover rough. Is the best part how they almost look lovey-dovey at first, but both of them are looking at different things?

Haimura...

there was a suggestion to force girls onto the cover by putting in his faction, but I firmly rejected the idea. Just like with New Testament 9 & 10’s covers, it would have been in poor taste to shove in some other character.

Good on you, Haimura. I'm glad they let that pass.

[Marcus H.]

It is true that I hate the current Kamisato... but his position does make a bit of sense... he feels like the Magic Gods are toying with his friends personalities and making it so that they put him at the center of everything instead of living their own lives, and he has all this ridiculous good luck and he can't do anything about it at all.

He's looking too far at things. First off, you don't immediately blame God if a person dies for the sake of an organ transplant that eventually fails anyway. Tragedy always has a human element first. Sure Touma says that he will kick punch the system of God, but most of his actions are attached to actual people. (That's not to say Magic Gods are not people. Well, they actually aren't but only stooped down to the level of humanity because of certain events.)

Kamisato doesn't bring his friends... they just follow him because "they're dependent on him." It hasn't exactly been proven that he is totally wrong about this yet. Kamisato has the opposite problem of Touma. He has too much bullshit luck or OP power. And not only that but also he causes trouble where there is none as opposed to Touma who only shines where there exists supernatural trouble. Given the extent of his troubles... I don't blame him for being a pompous dick. I mean... he is a bit blind... he thinks he can talk down to Touma who has way more experience than he does... but at the same time, I won't blame him. He's just a newbie, a rookie. He hadn't lost until now, and now it has finally happened so yay...

Well, Kakeru has to suck it up or someone else has to do it for him.

Goddamn it Kamachi why choose to go all grimdark on us? This novel definitely marks a departure from the previous structure of the series. This novel had me feeling anxious and anticipatory the entire time. Kamachi apparently wants to do this to us on a regular basis now that we have a new type of villain...

I don't think the concept of destroying sanctuaries is something new. After all, AC has been targeted several times in OT. On a micro scale is no different. Othinus herself invaded Touma's world, and only time will tell if the sanctuaries of other people would be next.

[ACertainStark]

Originally Posted by Kuroageha

It feels like Kamisato's actions will lead him to play a protagonic role kind of like Accelerator or Hamazura did on the OT doing a parellel with Touma's.

Indeed. It's like Fiamma + Both of them turned up to eleven. Have a feeling he's going to have a lot more POV to come and maybe even volume length ones. Which will be nice since I want to see where he heads.

[Kuroageha]

I just want shit up to happen in England.

Miss the Amakasusas.

[Marcus H.]

Indeed. It's like Fiamma + Both of them turned up to eleven. Have a feeling he's going to have a lot more POV to come and maybe even volume length ones. Which will be nice since I want to see where he heads.

But why, though? If we want Fiamma+Accel+Shiage action then we should hope for Fiamma, Accel and Shiage.

[ACertainStark]

Originally Posted by Marcus H.

But why, though? If we want Fiamma+Accel+Shiage action then we should hope for Fiamma, Accel and Shiage.

Oh that was just a superficial comparison since they're different characters to help explain.

[Wandering Soul]

So it sounds like Kamisato will take a role similar to Touma in OT where through his exploits, he ends up changing things for all the sides involved.

I'm curious to see what other sanctuaries Kamachi has in mind. I really hope we go back to England sometime soon.

[The One Above God]

Maybe Heaven Canceller's Hospital would be one of the Sanctuaries?

[shmaster]

Originally Posted by bakato

My point was they no less redeemable than any other antagonist turned good guy we've had so far. Calling them malicious and heartless is unwarranted.

Where did that come from? Touma said that Kamisato, not everyone, should be grateful to the magic gods for getting WR. It is Touma's belief that Kamisato always had the will and character to accomplish what he has so far. WR gave him the push and put him in the position to realize his potential.

We've already seen Touma's case. See volume 4.

And the point is. Do you not realize that because they are heartless people in the first place so they need redemption?
They can be forgiven and painted white from a different angle doesn't mean they suddenly turned into a nice person.
For example, did Othinus ever feel sorry for altering the world to make the entire humanity to hurt Touma? She might have feel sorry on what she did to Touma, but did we ever see her feel sorry for the people that got turn into Touma sabotaging devices against their will by her?

And giving Kakeru a hand? Did Kakeru say he wants help?
Over feeding others with kindness they don't want often is no different than being stabbed by a knife. Hell, I personally know two people who act like that in real life, and they are unbelievably despicable human being I have met in my life.
Kindness stop being kindness when it end up hurting people.

[Hiss13]

I'mma avoid doing the reactions in TL;DR tags this time.

You can probably already think of several characters who act as opposites to Kamijou Touma, but this time that comparison was based on the power that acts as one of the bases for his character.

Now that I think about it…I wonder…how different would it be if Patricia was the one who ended up with Kamijou Touma instead of Leivinia?
I think things may have resolved in quite a different way if the matchings were switched.

In other words, the true essence of this series is not to convince someone with a logical argument but to take that next step and use the power of emotion to destroy a fully-constructed dead-end.

That's definitely a huge key to this series.

When a series keeps running for a long time, you end up creating safe areas that I suppose you could call sanctuaries. Pay special attention to the stages for the slice-of-life scenes. I think making a move on those places is a small change and a small bit of growth for me.

Well, Stiyl did attack the dorms in Volume 01...
So, where do you think is our next fallen sanctuary, guys?

I also give my thanks to the readers. I have to apologize for how this turned out if you were hoping for Niang-Niang and Nephthys to end up friends with everyone, but I was going for something that would make you think this was the right answer. You be the judge on that one.

What did they ever do about dinner?

Meh. I bet Dark Matter is edible.

Volume 13 cover. Kamijou & Mikoto are running away from the “uhohoi” old man known as the High Priest.
The novel was really only about those three characters, so I thought it was inevitable for those two to be on the cover. (What about the High Priest…?)

I have only one thing to say to that. Uho hoi☆.

Volume 14 cover. In a complete change from last volume, we get the “Double Right Hand Guys” which isn’t exactly the most desirable cover image for a light novel, but just like for Volume 13, I thought it had to be these two given the contents of the novel. Was I right?

You were right.

Volume 14’s cover rough. As an alternative to the double guy cover, there was a suggestion to force girls onto the cover by putting in his faction, but I firmly rejected the idea. Just like with New Testament 9 & 10’s covers, it would have been in poor taste to shove in some other character.

You did well, Haimura. You did well.


Overall, a wonderful novel. Honestly, I'm too tired to summarize my full impressions so I'll let all of my previous reactions sum them up as they do a wonderful job.

[Flere821]

Originally Posted by bakato

So ISIS bombing Paris must be my fault? If the President decides to start a nuclear war, it must also be my fault?

Negligence implies you could have stopped something from happening. A learning driver is at fault because they were behind the wheel, which gave them control over the result.

Uh huh, exaggerate why don't you First off, negligence means something went wrong under your control, nothing about stopping it or not. I'm inclined to believe you're either just plain don't get it or are blatantly trolling - as from the learner driver example you understand that there the degree of control involved isn't required for negligence, a learner driver while in a place that could prevent a accident does not have the skills to do so.

Originally Posted by bakato

I'll say this again. The system that produced IB and WR is independent of the magic gods. Even if they hadn't been disappointed in IB and gave birth to WR, some deep, collective desire would have given birth to another power that would've chosen someone. It's like some entity monitoring your every desire and granting them. You don't know about it and you can't control it.

Yeah, no. A adult is expected to be more capable than a child, and a professional is expected to be more capable than amateurs. I see no reason why Magic Gods shouldn't be held accountable to a higher standard given all their power and knowledge. Nephthys herself put it nicely:

“That’s right. I am a god. I’m not supposed to hope for a miracle; I’m supposed to be the one causing the miracles.”

All that subconscious stuff you're spouting would be acceptable if it's applied to just about anyone else in the setting, from Aleister and Kiharas to Laura Stuart, but for Magic Gods who holds that much power it's borderline ridiculous to say something is flat out impossible, given what's been revealed so far in NT.

[Kuroageha]

Volume 14’s cover rough. As an alternative to the double guy cover, there was a suggestion to force girls onto the cover by putting in his faction, but I firmly rejected the idea. Just like with New Testament 9 & 10’s covers, it would have been in poor taste to shove in some other character.

Both would have worked tbh.
Think of Sword Oratoria vol.3&5 covers.

[dniv]

Originally Posted by Kuroageha

Both would have worked tbh.
Think of Sword Oratoria vol.5 cover.

I prefer the classiness of not resorting to sexual fanservice and only badass fanservice (which is allowed for something to still be called tasteful).

[Kuroageha]

In case someone doesn't know Haimura is the artist for that series too.

[IndexOfIdeas]

and so i finish reading vol 14 and here is what i want to say

so kamisato kakeru say he is not a harem accepter yet he himself have a harem.
he say they only notice him because o the power the magic gods gave to him.
he dont think of other possibilities and only go the one way and only set on that way.
his powers only effect on those who have doubts on what they are doing?
isnt he just naive?

dont go telling me that there is no backstory yet on kakeru that my understanding on him is so biased this volume alone convince on saying that touma is much more better than him.

[dniv]

Originally Posted by Kuroageha

In case someone doesn't know Haimura is the artist for that series too.

I don't mean that the other version isn't classy. I just like how Index particularly avoids the gratuitous fan pleasing stuff to focus on the actual content. It's refreshing to see. Different series have different styles.

[Kuroageha]

Originally Posted by dniv

I just like how Index particularly avoids the gratuitous fan pleasing stuff to focus on the actual content. It's refreshing to see. Different series have different styles.

What?
Except for some covers/illustrations, that's what this series did the most .

[Marcus H.]

Compared to Rakudai Kishi with its buxom, twintailed, ripped-clothes goodness? (Not that I don't mind, though. )

[DragonXX]

I think the next sanctuary to fall is most likey the enemy will target people Touma care about to get to him like his mom and dad because they are the only two who really do not have any safe zone there not in AC which Esper and Crowley around or the Anglian Church fill which magician to this day Touma mom and dad are Touma weakings link.

[Hiss13]

It will be the Anglican Church. Now that all of the Magic Gods barring Othi-tan are dead, who are the next biggest names in the world of magic? Either the Saints or Necessarius and either way, Kanzaki will be threatened.

Kamisato's revenge has not been quelled after all. Since Othi-tan still has Kamijou Touma protecting her, he will logically go for the next largest group in the magic side. After all, are IB and WR not the hopes and dreams of all magicians?