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Yuko: "A pleasant wind that tickles the skin..." Yuko: "A hot, burning sun to synthesize vitamin D..." Yuko: "The weather's fine." Miki: "Hey, Yuko. Be serious about this." Yuko: "What's it matter? The provisional director isn't here today. I need to photosynthesize now and then," Miki: "Rotting? I think it got to your brain already." Miki: "There are drugs for that, you know." Miki: "In position. Doctor, orders." Miki: "Mikami-kun?" Arashi: "On call. Arashi here. We're ready." Arashi/Mikoto: "Roger." Yuko: "Fifty meters to the gate." Yuko: "Fire." A: "Damn them!" B: "After them!" Sayo: "No, no, you can't just wander around like that. Now, my patients, it's time for my rounds." Mikoto: "Turn and head to the hall's end. It's the room on the right." Mikoto: "Damn it! All right, fine!" Aranami: "Wh-Who are you? Do you know who I am?" Arashi: "The malignant tumor, Aranami Hideo." Arashi: "I will excise you from this city." Aranami: "Are you some kinda cop? Idiot. I have influence with everyone from the police department's top brass to the Diet. Taking me in won't do anything." Arashi: "You have committed countless vile deeds. You are a lesion, and today, you will be excised." Arashi: "Your label color is black. You're not worth saving." Arashi: "There is no salvation for you. But I will give you this, in case you wish to die like a human being." Arashi: "Terminate your own life." Ryu: "Why are you doing this?" Arashi: "I want to see something." Ryu: "See what?" Arashi: "Human conscience." Aranami: "Die!" Arashi: "As I thought. There is no curing you. You are level zero black." Mikoto: "Arashi, what are you thinking?" Arashi: "You have 90 seconds to escape, or you'll die, too." Mikoto: "You suck at this. You're riding behind on the way back." Yuko: "Oriha, where's our finale?" Oriha: "All ready!" Oriha: "Roger!" : "The operation was completed successfully, Chairman Mochizuki." Mochidzuki: "Good work, Black Label." Mochidzuki: "You were able to rid this city of another lesion." Mochidzuki: "We have prevented damage to healthy tissue." Mochidzuki: "A populous city is no different than a human body." Mochidzuki: "Its various systems work together organically, growing and evolving." Mochidzuki: "But sometimes tumors form that invade the healthy tissues of this body. We must forcefully excise any lesions" Mochidzuki: "Black Label is an organization of surgeons that removes evil from this city." Mochidzuki: "I look forward to your continued good work." Ryu: "Let's play hero!" Ryu: "I'll be the hero. You be the bad guy." Arashi: "That's not fair, Ryu. I want to be the hero, too." Ryu: "What?" Ryu: "Oh, I know. We can both be the heroes." Arashi: "Both of us?" Ryu: "Yeah. Let's get the bad guys together!" Mikoto: "Hey, Arashi. What was that?" Arashi: "That?" Mikoto: "You know what I mean. Why did you give him the gun?" Mikoto: "Tell me why you did it." Arashi: "To confirm human conscience." Mikoto: "What?" Mikoto: "If he had a conscience, he wouldn't be assigned a label. Are you disagreeing with Doctor Mochizuki's triage?" Arashi: "That's not it." Arashi: "I wanted to confirm my own conscience." Mikoto: "What?" Arashi: "I obeyed the triage. The mission was completed." Mikoto: "Don't mess around with—" Mikoto: "Your body..." Kyoji: "Aranami Hideo is dead?" Goryu: "Yes. It seems it was a planned murder by an unidentified organization." Kyoji: "What do we do now?! There'll be less money with him dead!" Kyoji: "I guess it's fine. There's still his son." Kyoji: "Goryu, I want you to look into this organization. I can't just let people get away with things in my city." Goryu: "I understand..." Goryu: "Also..." Kyoji: "What? There's something else?" Goryu: "The cargo ship we discussed has left port as planned." Kyoji: "My Riri-chan..." Hr: "Mikami-kun." Hr: "Hey, Mikami Arashi-kun... What are you looking at?" Arashi: "Sorry. I wasn't listening." Hr: "You stayed through the whole class for once, so try to see this through. Make sure you get the printouts for the days you missed from the class president." Hr: "Got that, Kominato-san?" Hr: "Kominato-san?" Hinako: "Yes! I wasn't listening, either!" Hinako: "Huh? Where's Arashi-kun?" Yuu: "Mikami went that way." Hinako: "Really? Thanks, Yu-chan." Yuu: "No problem. This is a good chance for you. Good luck." Hinako: "You've got it all wrong. Oh, Arashi-ku—" Arashi: "Kominato." Hinako: "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I wasn't trying to spy on you." Arashi: "It's fine. I was just talking to a friend." Hinako: "Oh, your friend. That's what's going on. What a wonderful friend!" Arashi: "Sure." Arashi: "What's up?" Hinako: "Well, I brought those printouts, and Hinako's special notes! You were absent yesterday, right? So here." Arashi: "Thanks for always doing this. It helps." Hinako: "You know, Arashi-kun... I was thinking we could walk home together, you know, if you want..." Arashi: "Sure." Arashi: "I wanted to eat at your family's restaurant again, anyway." Hinako: "So Arashi-kun, just how hungry are you right now?" Miki: "Mikoto, want a ride?" Mikoto: "Doctor Tsurugi, are you heading to work?" Miki: "I'm on the late shift. What about Mikami-kun?" Mikoto: "He's going home with the cutie, apparently." Miki: "I see." M: "Welcome." Hinako: "I'm home." M: "Oh, Arashi-kun. Welcome." Arashi: "Thanks." M: "You want food, right? Hold on a second." M: "Hinako, go change." Hinako: "Sure." Hinako: "Sorry for the wait! I'll get everything ready now, Arashi-kun." Hinako: "Huh? Dad, where's Arashi-kun?" M: "He left. Said something came up." Hinako: "What?!" Taisei: "Oriha really is great. She's got that explosive voice... Doctor Fujino, you need to talk to me," Taisei: "or there's no telling what'll happen to your daughter. I'm getting kinda bored, you know. We need to think of something more fun. Right, Masaki?" Masaki: "Yes, Taisei-sama. You're absolutely correct." Taisei: "You were living the good life for a long time. And as soon as my dad died, you tried to take the books to the cops. Honestly, who does that?" Taisei: "It scared the shit out of me." Tatara: "Sorry to bother you when you're all so busy." Tatara: "Good evening, Aranami Taisei-kun." Taisei: "Oh, if it isn't Detective Tatara. It's been a while." Taisei: "Strange... Three of my friends should've been waiting downstairs." Tatara: "Yeah. They seemed to be taking a nap, so I just waltzed through." Taisei: "Taking a nap, eh?" Taisei: "What brings you here tonight?" Taisei: "Don't say you just happened to be strolling by." Tatara: "Yes, I was just strolling by. Completely by chance. That's when I heard screams. I am something of a police officer, after all. I just had to come and see what was up." Taisei: "This is a movie. We're filming an independent production for my thesis." Taisei: "I need to finish college and take over the family business." Tatara: "A movie, eh? Well, I'd like to ask you some questions, so how about coming down to the station with me?" Taisei: "That line again? Does anyone even say that anymore? I bet people call you old-fashioned." Taisei: "You can borrow anyone who seems unoccupied. Pick whoever you'd like, and take them back with you." Tatara: "You're more gutsy than your old man." Masaki: "Tatara-san..." Tatara: "Yes?" Masaki: "I can't say it's intelligent to enter someone else's private property without permission. You knocked out the people downstairs and are trespassing. I think you're the one on shaky footing here." Tatara: "Hey, lighten up, would you?" Tatara: "It's not like we just met yesterday." Taisei: "I've had enough of you, old man! You wanna die here?!" Konomi: "Is it really wise to investigate this way?" Konomi: "I shouldn't involve myself with Tatara-san if I want to get promoted. Senpai was right." Taisei: "I'm the president of Aranami Construction now. You deal with me. It'll be better for you if you forget what you saw here and go home. If you try to take me in on something as trivial as this," Taisei: "I've got tons of important people backing me. Isn't that right, Masaki?" Masaki: "Taisei-sama, you should keep that information to yourself." Taisei: "Are you mad about something? Given how powerless you are, I'll let you go." Taisei: "What's the problem? You don't know these people. Anything's fine as long as it's fun! If we're having a good time, then it's fine!" Masaki: "A bike? But we're on the fourth floor!" Arashi: "I will excise the malignant tumor, Aranami Taisei, from this city." Taisei: "What?!" Arashi: "You are a lesion that will be excised today. Level zero. Your label color is black." Tatara: "What have you done?!" Mikoto: "He's... Oriha!" Tatara: "Damn you!" Mikoto: "Arashi, he's a detective! Don't kill him!" Masaki: "Kill them! Kill them! Kill them all!" Tatara: "I won't let you!" Tatara: "What?" Arashi: "Don't get in my way." Mikoto: "Let's go!" Tatara: "Wait! Do you think you saved me?" Tatara: "Screw you!" Masaki: "Don't let anyone upstairs get away alive. Kill every last one!" Oriha: "Hi, everyone!" Oriha: "Let's light up this spaceship's engine! Charactic, on stage!" C: "What's up with this brat?" Oriha: "I did warn you." Oriha: "Bye-bye, mister." Tatara: "What's going on?" Konomi: "What the hell is going on?" Konomi: "Tatara-san, please respond! Tatara-san!" Oriha: "Hey, lady." Konomi: "Huh?" Oriha: "Did you see a guy with glasses around here?" Konomi: "No..." Oriha: "I wonder if the barrier was breached. Maybe there was some way out..." Konomi: "What are you doing here?" Oriha: "Is this your car?" Konomi: "Yes, it is..." Oriha: "Oh, sorry about that." Oriha: "Later!" Konomi: "Hey, wait!" Tatara: "Suzue!" Konomi: "Tatara-san!" Tatara: "We're going after them. Where's the car?" Arashi: "The secondary objective got away." Mikoto: "We couldn't have done anything about that. It was a free-for-all with poor visibility." Arashi: "A hostage died." Arashi: "A person who shouldn't have died was killed." Mikoto: "Arashi... Don't mess around with—" Mikoto: "Your body..." Arashi: "I'm sure you've heard about it. Nine years ago," Mikoto: "Yeah... I heard you were the only one who survived." Arashi: "No, I'm not the only one. There were two survivors. I was one, and the other was my best friend, Mochizuki Ryu." Arashi: "He was Doctor Mochizuki's son. I protected Ryu with my body during the explosion, and it really tore me up." Arashi: "Ryu suffered a serious head injury. Doctor Mochizuki assigned his own son, who was brain-dead, a black label. Then he cut up the body" Arashi: "and performed transplant surgery to save my life." Arashi: "I received Ryu's limbs and heart, even though I meant to save him." Arashi: "I am here because of Doctor Mochizuki's ultimate decision, his Triage." Arashi: "But..." Arashi: "The other boy inside me compels me to test it... To examine the truth of the triages I see with my own eyes," Arashi: "as I myself am born of such a triage." Ryu: "Did you find anything out?" Arashi: "No, not yet, Ryu." Masaki: "How could this happen?" Masaki: "How dare you kill that idiot son of his?! I was finally in a position where I could control everything." Masaki: "I won't forget this. I won't!" Masaki: "I'll get you for this!" R: "Everything is going according to plan so far. The cargo ship has left port on schedule, and its route is being tracked via satellite. We only get one shot at this, so make sure you're ready on time." Siren: "Ready on time? Who do you think you're talking to?" R: "Someone in that general direction, I suppose." Kaoru: "What do you mean, someone? You think I'm going to mess this up?" R: "Don't let everything get to you. We don't need a heated atmosphere." D: "Don't fight, you guys. Teamwork, teamwork." Siren: "As for more pressing matters... We're sure the goods are on the ship, right?" R: "Probably." Kaoru: "Probably? Can't you at least do your job?" R: "It takes a thief to catch a thief. If my information network tells me "probably," then it's definitely the case."

Mikoto: "What are you doing, Nee-san?" Oriha: "What's wrong? Stomach hurt? Eat too much? Drink too much?" Sayo: "Grown-ups have to worry about a lot of things. You kids wouldn't understand." Mikoto: "Yeah, being a grown-up must be hard. That's when you should..." Oriha: "That's right!" Sayo: "You've got a point." Sayo: "Let's relax and forget our troubles!" Mikoto: "Bath time!" Oriha: "Yahoo!" Oriha: "Yay!" Miki: "Don't be so loud in the bath. You're going to slip and fall. They act like such kids." Mikoto: "Doctor Tsurugi, Doctor Yuko." : "Oh, I'm here, too." Mikoto: "Oh, Fiona." : "Hi there." Mikoto: "I'm sorry, but how old are you?" : "You should feel sorry for asking that, Mikoto-kun." Mikoto: "She's in the ICU, isn't she? Is she that bad off?" Miki: "I've got her marked down as "critical" for the moment. She's in a coma after being kidnapped, imprisoned, assaulted, and given drugs, after all. And we can refuse visitors this way." Tatara: "What's going on? Why can't I see Suzue?" Miki: "You saw Detective Tatara in the lobby, right? I'm sure he looked as outraged as ever." Oriha: "Yeah, I did. He was putting out serious rage vibes. I bet he can't rest with Glasses Girl in a coma, and him not able to see her." Miki: "There's no need to worry. Her life isn't in danger. It's just that she was abused, or rather, tortured. You noticed it, didn't you?" Mikoto: "Yes, I suppose so." Miki: "The issue is her mental state. I had her put in the ICU because it's best to leave her alone right now." Miki: "She's already showing signs of short-term memory loss. She has no memory of the day of the incident, and this past week as a whole is hazy to her." Mikoto: "Will that get better?" Miki: "Her physical exam results showed no signs of brain damage. Even if her memories don't return, she'll have no problem returning to her daily life. The rest is up to her. Along with the memory loss due to the drugs, it's likely that stress is also playing a role. It might be best for her not to have any memories of the incident." Mikoto: "It was that hard on her?" Yuko: "Contusions, lesions, abrasions... Put more simply, that's bruises, welts, and scratches." Yuko: "The worst of her injuries is probably onychectomy. Armor check penalty?" Yuko: "It means they tore her fingernails off. That's gotta hurt!" Yuko: "They're all minor wounds, unlikely to leave scars... But psychologically, it's probably hit her pretty hard." Yuko: "Of course, the drugs are a part of that... But we can assume this is the work of a professional torturer." Yuko: "A professional torturer..." Yuko: "Every gang needs one. Amateurs get too emotional while working over a victim, so they can't hold back. Even if they don't intend it, they will sometimes kill their victim. A professional minimizes physical injury as much as possible, while maximizing the pain inflicted. They brainwash them by pushing them to their physical and mental limits, then get all the information the subject has." Yuko: "There's no doubt the Tobishiro group uses one." Yuko: "How horrible... If that happened to you," Yuko: "Yeah. I couldn't handle drugs. I'd talk for sure. I'd talk right away if I was tortured, too. Hey!" Yuko: "The drugs we detected were pentagin, thiopental, and pancuronium. All widely available drugs, so they're hard to trace. They understand how each is used, and can use the maximum possible dosages." Yuko: "Even medicine can kill you easily if it's used incorrectly. It's a hazardous substance, just like poison." Yuko: "I suppose we're lucky that we didn't detect any D99 or related drugs." Yuko: "An explanation from a doctor is so realistic, it's scary. Those yakuza are pretty scary. Oh, my. Maybe we should train you guys, just in case. I'll pass! Me too! Me too!" Yuko: "Oh, right. Doctor Tsurugi... Sorry to ask for your help on such short notice." Yuko: "You made the right choice to call me." Yuko: "It's dangerous to move an unconscious patient. I was able to pump her stomach there, and give her good first aid. Thanks to that, I was able to find her using Hijiri-kun, and have her brought to my hospital in an ambulance." Yuko: "Who's Hijiri-kun? My underclassman from college." Yuko: "I just remembered. This isn't funny..." Yuko: "Huh? While I was fighting Tobishiro's thugs, I ran into someone who seemed like one of their leaders. I should've been able to excise the lesion right then, but then Miki called me out of nowhere, and I was chasing after that giant guy and two others..." Yuko: "I can't chase all three of them at once, you know. Well, Detective Suzue's life was on the line. Uh... Sorry. It's fine, Mikoto. Yuko's just mad because they put one over on her. It's Miki's job to handle patients who need emergency care, anyway." Yuko: "Thanks to that, my bike is ruined. Your bike? They left a trap behind on their escape route. I guess we are dealing with an organization of that caliber." Yuko: "I got my bike out for once, and then I had to walk home... Some guy tried to recruit me for his porno film, and a bunch of flirty college boys and weird old guys kept following me..." Yuko: "Well, it's not healthy to stay too long in the bath. I'm gonna head o— Hitsugi." Yuko: "We lost our lead because you're always spacing out like that!" Yuko: "You already lectured me to death about that earlier..." Yuko: "Time for your punishment!" Yuko: "Oh, so that's why she was depressed earlier. She'd just gotten chewed out, was all. It's good that we were able to save Detective Suzue," Yuko: "but we should think about what countermeasures to take now. That's true. They seem to be in a hurry, too. Especially that Syringe organization... We must give top priority to recovering the briefcase in their possession." Yuko: "D99." Yuko: "Everyone..." Yuko: "I caused a lot of trouble for you this time. Thanks to you, I could face the part of myself I was running from, and finally understand myself. And those sisters, too..." Yuko: "They are enhanced humans created by D99, just like me." Yuko: "Enhanced humans?" Yuko: "My dad, Togo Itaru, did evil things, and now he's dead. Sometimes I thought that if I disappeared too, that would end everything. But I had no idea there were other people who could recreate those abilities, which were created by chance." Yuko: "Hitsugi... I don't know who they are. But... I have so much fun here. I'll protect this place or die trying." Yuko: "As many times as it takes." Yuko: "I won't lose to those empty people." Yuko: "No matter what." Yuko: "Besides, I'm in love! I have real love in real life, so I can't lose!" Yuko: "Wait, Nee-san! Are you talking about Arashi?" Yuko: "As his partner, I can't accept that! Why? Arashi doesn't belong to you." Yuko: "Just wait, Arashi! Hey! Nice! Keep at it! It's so nice to be young." Yuko: "This is because they're young?" Yuko: "You're free of uncertainty now, right? Yeah. That's right." Yuko: "You've gotten stronger, haven't you, Arashi?" Yuko: "There's no such thing as perfect strength." Yuko: "If you fight, you will face the repercussions. Both your body and your soul." Yuko: "But even if you're wounded, you can recover." Yuko: "Yeah." Yuko: "I have people I care about." Yuko: "So I can recover and return as many times as it takes. No, it's because I have people I care about that I can be hurt in the first place." Yuko: "As much as it takes." Yuko: "How violent." Yuko: "Is it?" Yuko: "It's more than enough for me." Yuko: "What is it, Kominato?" Yuko: "I was wondering what we should go see!" Yuko: "Oh. The movie? That's a week away." Yuko: "It's a promise! You'd better be there! You too, Yuu-chan. We're going together! I think I'll pass... maybe." Yuko: "I-I can't go if it's just me and him! What are you saying? This is why you two aren't getting anywhere." Yuko: "Just grab his hand while you're out walking around!" Yuko: "Yuu-chan! Wanna practice? Mikami! Mikami! What are you two doing?" Yuko: "You guys really are good friends. Hey, hey, Yuu... You know that rumor everybody's been talking about? The Tobioka disappearances? Disappearances?" Yuko: "You haven't heard? It's an urban legend that everybody's talking about on social media! It's a pretty old story, but everybody's talking about it again lately. It's one of the seven mysteries of Tobioka." Yuko: "You sure they're not just exaggerated stories of people who ran away from home? Well, you see..." Yuko: "Lately, even kids with good family lives and good grades have been disappearing. Girls who dress plainly but have cute looks just disappear all of a sudden." Yuko: "Actually... I figured it out!" Yuko: "Kinako? The Galactic Emperor on the other side of the Betelgeuse nebula is abducting aliens to create a harem of the galaxy's most beautiful women. In other words, it could be seen as an honor, in a way, for the girls being chosen. Because it means they've been chosen as the most beautiful girls on Earth! What the hell have you been reading?" Yuko: "This site called Mumumu!" Yuko: "But every year, there are rumors about at least one or two, right? Like Hachisuka." Yuko: "He's a guy, though. He probably just ran away. You guys probably don't know this, but the number of missing person cases in Tobioka City is huge. What if some of them were the girls involved in the disappearances?" Yuko: "And the reason people are talking about it now..." Yuko: "One of Tomoka's friends saw it. A girl who was supposed to have disappeared" Yuko: "was dancing in a park at night, wearing a pretty dress." Yuko: "She stopped to stare for a second... But when she took a closer look, the girl's clothes were torn, and her hands were covered in blood. And when she got scared and tried to run..." Yuko: "Oh, jeez... Aren't you scared, Yuu-chan? If made-up stories like that scared me, I wouldn't be able to work late nights." Yuko: "It's not made-up! She really did see it. Sure, sure." Yuko: "You should stay away from anyone suspicious." Yuko: "Okay, everyone, take your seats!" Yuko: "Before we start class, I need to warn you all. Lately, there have been many sightings of suspicious people. Be careful on your way home, and at night. Sensei, I'm leaving early." Yuko: "Arashi-kun, you're so mean!" Yuko: "I've been looking for you. Oh, my. Looks like you got me, Miki. So what do you want?" Yuko: "It's about the princess." Yuko: "So you've finally gotten that far, huh? You'll tell me everything. You understand me, right?" Yuko: "You always did have an itchy trigger finger. And unlike Yuko, you can't take a joke at all." Yuko: "Is that all? Well, I guess it's enough to get started." Yuko: "Then please let me go. No. We're putting you under surveillance." Yuko: "Getting desperate, huh?" Yuko: "Anyway, you've improved. I didn't notice you at all. This wouldn't happen with Yuko." Yuko: "Because she always wears heels. No, not that." Yuko: "You can hear her breasts shaking as she walks." Yuko: "Not the case with you. What are you—" Yuko: "It's just cologne. Did it surprise you? You're sensitive to smells, so it worked instantly on you." Yuko: "That's strange. How many years has it been?" Yuko: "I guess squeezing them really doesn't make them bigger." Yuko: "I can't win if you get serious." Yuko: "Later." Yuko: "Shinichiro!" Yuko: "Don't die, Miki." Yuko: "Ampule One's Mikami Arashi and Kiba Mikoto. I've summoned both. Good." Yuko: "All of the D99 should have been destroyed. But now it's come back to me..." Yuko: "And the other case is somewhere out there." Yuko: "This dangerous virus, capable of wiping out the human race... No matter what, we must destroy it. To succeed in our objective, we need people with strong bodies and strong wills." Yuko: "Young people, who have already triumphed once over death. We will entrust this task to them. Black Label exists to excise lesions afflicting the life form we call "society."" Yuko: "This task may very well be their destiny." Yuko: "For these children, who were brought back to life by D99..." Yuko: "Hey." Yuko: "What is it?" Yuko: "Um... Oh, just... um... What is it? About Hitsugi-neesan..." Yuko: "I'm glad she got better. Yeah." Yuko: "Is something making you uncertain?" Yuko: "The mission? No... I see. Then be uncertain." Yuko: "A human should be uncertain." Yuko: "I'll be uncertain with you." Yuko: "But select your mission with certainty. We must perform the Triage without hesitation." Yuko: "You don't need to tell me that." Yuko: "On call." Yuko: "He's swerving. This is dangerous." Yuko: "He deliberately chose to go through the middle of the city. And in a car that conspicuous!" Yuko: "Here's the data from our reference. His name is Umahara Kotaro. He's a drug dealer we've had our eye on for a while. So it was drugs. We need to avoid any harm to civilians. Lead him outside the city!" Yuko: "Shut up! If you really want to stop me, slam into me, you cowards." Yuko: "Don't waste taxpayer money trying to look like the face of justice. You've got guns and you're not even shooting me." Yuko: "Push me too hard and I might get spooked and cause an accident! Give it up!" Yuko: "Even if they get me, I'm a minor, so I'll get off easy. Japan is so awesome!" Yuko: "He's a lunatic! Tail him! But we can't get any closer!" Yuko: "I know! Sorry, but it's gonna get smoky." Yuko: "This is Unit 12 of Square One. Someone has interfered with our pursuit!" Yuko: "Those guys were lame ass! All the cops are gone already! Too easy!" Yuko: "What?" Yuko: "Okay, he got on the city expressway. All according to plan. If we don't hurry, we'll have company." Yuko: "There's a girl in the back seat we didn't know about. What's critical is figuring out how to stop that car safely, Arashi." Yuko: "Yeah." Yuko: "Hey... Hey, listen to me! Shut up! Or I'll throw you outta the car, bitch!" Yuko: "What do we do? Shoot the radiator? That would drop his speed eventually." Yuko: "The steam will block his vision and make him more confused. It's too dangerous. I've got an idea." Yuko: "I don't want to die!" Yuko: "Pretty fast, for such an old car. Its old design is what makes it an easy target. Huh? Well? Think you can catch him?" Yuko: "Who do you think I am? You're not exactly a whiz on the accelerator. Switch with me!" Yuko: "If we want to kill his speed..." Yuko: "I'm not letting them catch me yet!" Yuko: "I've still got gas! I'll lose that motorcycle..." Yuko: "I see. You used a slug to blow out his differential case. When the oil drained, it burned out. The more he steps on the gas, the more effective it is." Yuko: "Don't... Don't kill me!" Yuko: "Time for you to start talking." Yuko: "Roger. He's a red label." Yuko: "I found something good." Yuko: "The cops will be here soon. If you still want to escape, you'll be able to cut through your arm faster than those handcuffs." Yuko: "Mikoto... Jeez! You're spoiling the mood! Something's wrong with the girl." Yuko: "We can't leave her here. We should get her to a hospital, stat." Yuko: "Got it. I'll take her back to the hospital. Fiona says the cops and a news helicopter are closing in. We need to hurry." Yuko: "But what about you?" Yuko: "I'll walk. I'll be fine. I'll get it done." Yuko: "Did this resolve things? No. Nothing's been resolved."

Ryu: "How do you feel?" Ryu: "Because it was your mission?" Ryu: "Because it doesn't compare to the tragedy you suffered?" Ryu: "Because you don't have a conscience?" A: "Yeah!" B: "Oriori!" Sayo: "Hey." Sayo: "Don't make so much noise in a hospital." B: "Hitsugi-san!" A: "That was Oriha's new song! Don't be mean!" Tatara: "What's going on?!" Tatara: "Don't make me say the same thing every day! I want to talk to the material witness right now!" Konomi: "Tatara-san, you're in a hospital." Tatara: "He's barely hurt. Why is it necessary to ban visitors for two days?" urse: "Well, um, it's..." Sayo: "Please don't yell." Sayo: "We nurses don't know anything. It's just mean to wield state authority against us!" Sayo: "I'm so scared!" Tatara: "Damn. I don't like this." Tatara: "Everyone keeps getting in my way..." Tatara: "I won't let you!" Tatara: "Stupid iron mask..." Arashi: "It's not iron. It's super polycarbonate." Arashi: "Sometimes, I don't know how much of the real me is left in here." Arashi: "The other boy inside me compels me to test it..." Yuko: "Fujino-san." Yuko: "Fujino-san, are you okay?" ujino: "Huh? Why am I..." Yuko: "Your exam's over. You were spacing out a bit, huh? It's a side effect of your meds." ujino: "Yeah..." Yuko: "You're not badly injured. Mainly, you need to get lots of rest. I'll get you some antibiotic cream and painkillers." ujino: "Sure." ujino: "Thank you very much." Yuko: "That's too bad." Miki: "She really doesn't know anything. Not about Aranami Construction's hidden funds or the location of their account books." Yuko: "If only we knew that, it'd be easier to figure out what Masaki Jin will do next. Well, if your drugs couldn't get the answers out of her, there's no more we can do. Let's leave the rest to the police." Kimura: "Doctor Yuko!" Yuko: "Oh, Mrs. Kimura. Are you doing well?" Kimura: "Your surgery helped me get up and about again. I came to thank you." Yuko: "You don't have to worry about that. It only prolonged your life by a little bit." Masamune: "So you're all here, Black Label." Yuko: "Good work on your joint operations to excise Aranami Hideo and Aranami Taisei. There were some mistakes, but the final evaluation will be given by Doctor Mochizuki." Masamune: "We need to take care of Masaki Jin immediately." Masamune: "Mikoto, things don't always play out the way we want them to." Masamune: "Don't beat yourself up too much." Mikoto: "Y-Yes, sir." Masamune: "Good work, Arashi." Masamune: "Starting today, you will be a full-fledged member of Black Label." Masamune: "I want you to form a new team with Mikoto and Oriha. Your new team name, following from Sagiri, Tsurugi, and Hitsugi's team, Ampule Zero, will be Ampule One." Arashi: "Yes, Doctor." Masamune: "You all have died once. With the vitality that led you to overcome that fate," Masamune: "I believe you will help me make my ambitions come true." Masamune: "That is all." Kimura: "What are you people doing?" Yoroida: "Get out of the way, hag! I've got 431 horsepower in this thing! Oh, hey! There was a slight problem, but everything's fine. I'll need you to pay for repairs to the car, though." Yoroida: "C'mon, how long have we been buddies?" Yoroida: "Just sit tight, Masaki-san." Shokawa: "According to a witness, a man in a black sedan kidnapped a girl." Tatara: "Kidnapped? What about the Fujino girl?" Konomi: "I can't get a hold of her." Tatara: "It can't be..." Shokawa: "Is Kimura-san..." Mikoto: "If we hadn't let Masaki Jin get away..." Mikoto: "Triage..." Mikoto: "Label color: black." B: "Man, she still won't cough it up. Maybe she really doesn't know anything?" Yoroida: "This is getting annoying. Maybe I should just kill her." Yoroida: "Where are Aranami's hidden funds?" Masaki: "You still don't know how to treat a girl, I see." Yoroida: "But, Masaki-san, this girl..." Masaki: "I'm sorry. That must have been very painful." Masaki: "But don't worry." Masaki: "Your father, Manager Fujino, was good to me. Now that Aranami Construction isn't around, I'm on your side." Masaki: "This is just to help with the pain." Yoroida: "That's Platinum Lily..." Masaki: "Oh, I know. I'll tell you the truth to show that you can trust me." ujino: "Huh?" Masaki: "You'll see who's really the bad guy here." Yoroida: "Your methods are always so scary." Masaki: "Are they? Anyway, those guys are going to show up looking for her again." Yoroida: "You mean that guy on the bike who killed the Aranamis? Well, they'd just be moths to the flame." Yoroida: "We've got a hell of an army ready. An army of brave, reckless junkies!" B11: "This is awesome, Yoroida-san." B3: "I'm glad to help out if I can kill people with these!" B2: "Get more people here!" Bo: "This city will be ours!" Masaki: "How encouraging. It'll make an ideal circus." Yoroida: "You're just gonna get rid of them after you use them, right?" Masaki: "The story this time is that Moriyama from the Sawatabi group went crazy after Aranami lost its standing. I've taken the steps to ensure he turns himself in later." Yoroida: "So, as always, there's a run-in with the police, and when things get crazy, we slip out the back door." Masaki: "I've leaked our location. I'm sure they'll be here soon. And they won't know it's a trap." Konomi: "Tatara-san, are you going in alone again?" Tatara: "Listen. Contact HQ if anything happens." Konomi: "I'm not your receptionist! Wait!" Miki: "As expected, he's trying to infiltrate." Miki: "This is Miki. We've spotted target T at the north stairwell." Mikoto: "Got it. What a pain." Tatara: "All right." Tatara: "Miss, you okay?" ujino: "Detective..." Tatara: "Are you hurt? It's okay now." ujino: "You..." Tatara: "Wh-Why..." ujino: "My father... You..." Tatara: "Wh-What?" Mikoto: "Hey!" Mikoto: "Pull yourself together." Konomi: "Don't move!" Konomi: "I'm with the police. Put down your weapon and raise your hands. Put down your gun—" A: "It's noisy in here. What's going on?" B: "Oh, a girl!" Konomi: "Stop it! I'm a police officer!" C: "Oh, a lady cop? I've always wanted to bang one of those." B1: "Hey, now..." B2: "You alone, little girl?" B3: "It's dangerous around here, sweetie." B3: "Or maybe you want us to get dirty with you?" B4: "Who are you?" Yuko: "I'm a town doctor." B4: "You hear that? She's a doctor." Yuko: "But I'm powerless." B4: "Huh?" Yuko: "After an operation, one can only wait for the patient to recover. Be grateful in Hell that I was your surgeon." Yuko: "I won't give you any time to feel mortal pain." Yuko: "Begin operation." Yuko: "Open fire!" Yuko: "Hitsugi." Sayo: "Aye-aye." D6: "We were just having a little fun. Don't get so mad. You can't do this! My dad won't take this quietly!" Sayo: "Too bad for you. This is the only medicine I have for idiots." Sayo: "Target A down. We're clear here. Moving to operation code B." R: "Save me!" B7: "This is the hall team. Huh? I can't hear you. Answer me!" D8: "What was that?" D8: "Hey, don't sleep here..." Miki: "Don't worry. You'll be asleep soon, too." Miki: "This is Miki. The operation is proceeding as planned." Miki: "Something's going on with Mikoto." Miki: "Roger." Mikoto: "Damn it." Ba: "What's wrong? So scared, you can't move?" Bb: "Come on, say something." Bc: "Damn, they're pretty big." Bd: "Public servants must eat pretty well every day, huh?" Konomi: "Stop..." Bc: "Hey, she's got some pretty cute panties on, for such a tough job." Yoroida: "So you were the guy on that bike, huh? You're not as strong as I expected." Yoroida: "You understand the situation you're in, don't you? Better drop your gun, or you'll end up worse off than big-boobs over there." Da: "We'll all get a piece of you." Yoroida: "That's true." Yoroida: "What's that?" Bd: "Huh? What's that sound?" Db: "Just the bike?" De: "From behind?!" Df: "What is this? What's going on?" De: "He had us scared..." Df: "He came in here alone? What an idiot." De: "No way..." Arashi: "Mikoto." Arashi: "Are you okay?" Mikoto: "You jerk..." Mikoto: "I didn't ask for your help." Yoroida: "Damn it..." Yoroida: "There are bodies everywhere!" Yoroida: "I don't believe this." Yoroida: "I'll get out of here and make a clean start." Yuko: "That's a nice car. Is that yours?" Yoroida: "Damn it. How many of you are there?!" Yoroida: "Get out of my way!" Yoroida: "They just keep coming!" Yuko: "Hitsugi." Sayo: "Aye-aye." Yoroida: "This is the end!" Sayo: "For you, it is." Yuko: "Don't worry. You don't have to fear any longer." Masaki: "You're pretty young. You don't strike me as the assassin type." Aranami: "Masaki Jin, you will be excised as a malignant tumor." Masaki: "It's not like I didn't know people would be after my life, but..." Masaki: "I didn't expect this." Mikoto: "Arashi!" Mikoto: "You idiot! You can't just shoot her!" Arashi: "It's not a problem." Masaki: "What have you done?! She's a civilian! Do you not have a conscience at all?! Can you really kill people so indiscriminately?" Arashi: "That day, I gave Aranami a gun." Arashi: "I wanted to see if all humans had a conscience. When they realize that their evil deeds have brought them death, do they feel regret? When that gun was pointed towards me, I was wondering what I'd feel." Arashi: "I knew what I needed to do." Arashi: "The doctor knew what would happen." Arashi: "This mission is also my treatment." Mikoto: "Hey. Are you okay?" Mikoto: "Rubber bullets." Mikoto: "Arashi..." Mikoto: "I realized, on the verge of death... When I had to face my death, and when death approached someone dear to me... When I awoke from surgery nine years ago, I found my own will inside of me." Mikoto: "It was the resolve to survive. The resolve to accept the weight of human life." Mikoto: "The calm resolve needed to make decisions without being ruled by fear." Ryu: "Did you find the answer?" Arashi: "Yes, I did. I've always had a conscience within me, in the form of my unwavering resolve." Masaki: "Very well. I'll have to find my own resolve, and kill you as I originally planned!" Masaki: "I got a certain someone to help me. You need to have two or three plans in place, just in case." Masaki: "You'll die, regretting how you backed me into into a corner! I win!" Oriha: "Yoo-hoo, Miko-chin! Oriori and you guys are a team, aren't we?" Arashi: "You've been given a black label." Arashi: "You will be excised today as a malignant tumor." Arashi: "This triage will not change. Are you prepared?" Masaki: "So I lose... But I'm not like those Aranami idiots. I won't die by your hand. I've decided to continue down the path of evil. I won't—" Arashi: "It's over." Oriha: "Fiona, I'm gonna do the en bloc." Oriha: "Got it!" Miki: "God, what a pain. This is why I hate it when you use a katana." Yuko: "What's the problem?" Oriha: "Hang in there, Miki-chan!" Sayo: "You're in a good mood, Oriha." Oriha: "Oriori totally took over the high point of the show this time. Of course I'm happy about that!" Sayo: "That's fine, but aren't you on a nationwide tour? Weren't you supposed to have a show today?" Sayo: "Just how scatterbrained is she?" Miki: "I wonder what those two are doing." Sayo: "I invited Arashi-kun, but..." Yuko: "Oh, that's nice. Maybe I'll have him wash my back." Miki: "Hey, hang on! He's a teenager! What are you trying to..." Sayo: "What's the problem? I'm used to seeing him naked, anyway." Miki: "Oh, come on! We promised to raise him to be a good man!" Yuko: "Yeah." Yuko: "I'm sure they learned a lot this time, so for now..." Masamune: "One evil has been vanquished. But today's dawn has only just broken. When an even greater evil appears tomorrow, we must stand against it with hearts of steel." Masamune: "We must continue our judgment, our triage." Masamune: "Oh, man. Everyone involved with Aranami is dead. I guess it doesn't matter, though it is a little earlier than planned." Masamune: "You know, they really do like to burn things." Masamune: "But it looks like this wasn't their doing." Masamune: "Then who did it?" Masamune: "We'll probably see them soon, whether we want to or not..."

Arashi: "Roger." Mikoto: "What's that?" Mikoto: "Arashi, hurry." ever: "Magari Yusuke..." Magari: "Who are you?!" ever: "The more evil they are, the hotter they burn." Magari: "Damn you! Wh-What's going on? Turn to ash by the flame of man's resentment," Magari: "all the way down to your soul." Mikoto: "Who are you?!" Mikoto: "Not gonna tell me, are you?" Mikoto: "Then I'll have to make you!" Mikoto: "What was that?!" Arashi: "An incendiary round." Mikoto: "That girl..." Mochidzuki: "This is..." : "It's Ampule One's mission." Inunaki: "A parting gift from Misaki Jin." Mochidzuki: "I'll have to give you my thanks." Inunaki: "I'm honored to have your thanks, Doctor Masamune." Mochidzuki: "You came all the way out here because you want to make an exchange, right? Is it money you want?" Inunaki: "Now, wait. Do you think I came here to threaten you?" : "It certainly looks that way, Inunaki-kun." : "We took the liberty of deciding on the amount. You don't mind, do you?" Inunaki: "This is a little much for returning something you lost. So I'll share some information to make us even." Inunaki: "There's a freighter out in the Pacific now that's headed toward Tobioka City." Inunaki: "Its cargo contains a new narcotic developed in South America. On this memory card, there's information about a certain individual with an interest in this narcotic." Mochidzuki: "A new narcotic?" Inunaki: "When a large amount is taken," Inunaki: "it heightens violent tendencies and impairs one's memory. The issue is the drug's cost." Inunaki: "It's extremely cheap, so it could potentially spread in no time." Mochidzuki: "And what benefit is there to you, if I should issue black labels to the people on that list?" Inunaki: "Please be careful." Inunaki: "Hatred breeds hatred. And crime only brings about more crime." Mochidzuki: "That's your theory, isn't it? But we fight because there is a greater good surpassing even that." Inunaki: "A will of steel. You wouldn't be you otherwise." Inunaki: "I bid you farewell." Yuko: "He's always so hard to deal with." : "It's Ampule One." Yuko: "Time for some babysitting." Arashi: "On call." Mikoto: "Oriha, how are things over there?" Oriha: "Hey, Miko-chin. The intel was right." Oriha: "But there's a lot of them. It'd be safer to infiltrate using Plan B." Oriha: "I'm not eating anything." Omichi: "We don't need to worry about Magari Yusuke. We've got the customer list. Celebrities and sports players... That's a pretty big deal. Anyway, he was testing that sample, right?" Omichi: "Platinum Lily..." Oki: "What happened to those who tried it?" Omichi: "I found them and tortured them to death. They were maddened beyond belief! If a weak dose works that well, our customers will be pleased." Oki: "And it's making its way across the Pacific right now. Once it gets here, the entire city will be ours." Omichi: "This'll be great." Omichi: "What was that? Is it that crazy arsonist?" Omichi: "Damn you!" Omichi: "Who do you work for?!" Arashi: "Malignant tumor, Oki Masaaki, I will excise you from this city." Oki: "What? Yukio!" Omichi: "I'm having a blast over here!" Mikoto: "You are a lesion that will be excised right here." Omichi: "You're the one who's gonna die!" Mikoto: "Level zero." Mikoto: "Black." Arashi: "Mikoto." Mikoto: "Damn her..." ever: "You're not going to shoot?" Mikoto: "What was that?" ever: "I won't hesitate." ever: "A Taurus and an XM-25... Both use incendiary rounds? And your sidearm uses special rounds, too. Isn't that hard to use?" Mochidzuki: "A mysterious assassin." Mochidzuki: "Odds are high that someone is pulling strings behind the scenes." Mochidzuki: "It's possible that Ampule One won't be able to resolve this on its own. We will temporarily assign the code name Fever to the target." : "We don't have enough information yet to to label them. Figure out who they are." Sayo: "Aye-aye." A: "It really pisses me off. Who do you think you are?" B: "I know you just transferred here, so I wanted to be nice, but..." A: "The look in your eyes pisses me off." B: "How about saying something?" A: "Where are you looking?" B: "Up there." C: "Kiba-san." Mikoto: "Hello there. Is something the matter?" A: "No, nothing." B: "Let's go." Mikoto: "Are you okay?" Chikage: "Yeah..." Mikoto: "Don't worry about them." Chikage: "Nice to meet you. I'm Hizaki Chikage." Mikoto: "Oh, right." Mikoto: "I'm Kiba Mikoto. Should I have stayed out of it?" Chikage: "No, it's fine. Thank you." Chikage: "I was wondering why you kept looking at me." Mikoto: "W-Was I?" Chikage: "See you later." Saki: "What is this? This is amazing." A: "This is the greatest high I've ever had." Hachisuka: "Just like I said, right?" Saki: "Are you sure we can take all this for free?" Hachisuka: "They said it's a sample. It's fine." Saki: "Don't blame me if they ask you to give it back." Hachisuka: "And don't blame me for this!" Mikoto: "Hey! Watch where you're—" Mikoto: "I'm not sure what I should say..." Chikage: "I won't tell anyone about your bike. It's my fault for running into the street." Mikoto: "Th-Thanks." Mikoto: "Do you like cats?" Chikage: "Animals don't sin." Chikage: "Why do you ride a bike? I heard at school that you're from a prestigious family." Mikoto: "I need to fire up the engine once in a while." Mikoto: "My brother left it behind." Chikage: "Left it behind?" Mikoto: "It was a racing accident." Mikoto: "I died in that accident, too. But since I had a skilled doctor, my heart started beating again." Mikoto: "It's been about five years now." Chikage: "You're honest." Chikage: "Do you never lie?" Mikoto: "There's no need." Mikoto: "You don't lie to friends." Chikage: "How noble. You're not like the others." Chikage: "I can practically smell your wildness." Chikage: "It's wonderful." Chikage: "We've both lost someone important to us." Chikage: "That's why we're able to live with such nobility and strength." Mikoto: "You, too?" Chikage: "Do you want to know more about me?" Chikage: "I don't mind telling you, Kiba-san." Mikoto: "H-Hey, wait. W-Wait! W-We're outside... Y-You shouldn't..." Chikage: "Kiba-san." Chikage: "Look." Mikoto: "Are those burn scars?" Chikage: "Touch me." Mikoto: "You feel hot... Why?" Chikage: "For some reason, it still burns." Chikage: "It torments me." Mikoto: "Why..." Chikage: "It's a symbol of my vow." Mikoto: "Vow?" Chikage: "The international medical conference terrorist attack..." Mikoto: "Huh?" Chikage: "My parents died there. They were caught beneath rubble and burned to death." Chikage: "I had a younger sister. We were taken in by our relatives," Chikage: "but we didn't belong there." Chikage: "That's when I met the doctor." Mikoto: "Doctor?" Chikage: "The doctor taught me how to live." Chikage: "How to protect myself and my sister." Chikage: "Thanks to that, we were able to live on our own." Chikage: "It was tough, but we were happy. But then one day," Chikage: "the place where we lived caught fire. When I got back from seeing the doctor, it was like a sea of fire. I heard my sister was still inside, so I panicked and rushed in... Miyuki!" Chikage: "But I couldn't save her." Chikage: "That's when I got these burns. Every time I see them, I remember" Chikage: "that I need to be even stronger." Chikage: "Why?" Chikage: "Are you crying for me?" Mikoto: "It's hard losing someone close to you." Mikoto: "I guess we might be similar." Chikage: "Mikoto..." Mikoto: "Yeah?" Chikage: "Call me Chikage, if we're going to be friends." Chikage: "Mikoto, I want you to teach me..." Mikoto: "Ch-Chikage-san? Um, what..." Chikage: "Please..." Sayo: "This makes the third one." Sayo: "This isn't it, either." Sayo: "No luck, Doctor. No one knows anything about a deal for a XM-25." Yuko: "We'll just have to look at all the weapons dealers." Yuko: "Anyway, Hitsugi, you're not getting your information by force, are you?" Sayo: "Come on, of course I'm not." Sayo: "I found something interesting." Yuko: "Huh? H-Hey..." R: "Okay, Doctor, now your front." Yuko: "Sorry. I'm leaving." R: "What? But we're not done yet." Yuko: "I need to do a follow-up with one of my patients. But I'll pay for the whole session." R: "I was just about to get to those boobs... Now I don't get to! No fair!" Tatara: "That building, huh?" Konomi: "But they won't get any customers there, will they?" Ogawa: "Tatara-san." Tatara: "What's wrong, Ogawa?" Ogawa: "Someone's here." Ogawa: "He went in. It's a guy I've never seen before. Damn, it's too dark." Ogawa: "Someone else... In a coat this time." A: "A customer?" B: "Can't be. No one should know about this place." C: "Where'd you find out about it?" Sayo: "I'm so scared. I heard there was a hole-in-the-wall cake shop here. But I guess I was wrong! Too bad for me... Well, sorry to bother you!" Ooki: "Home run." Suzuhara: "Was she making fun of us with that crappy act?" Ooki: "Don't think you get to leave that easily." Sayo: "Damn sneaky old bastard." Sayo: "He got me." Sayo: "Well, at least he left me some presents. Black label, Oki Hiroshi, weapons smuggler. Killed one of his rivals and three of his clients. Black label, Suzuhara Tomoharu. Smuggler. Killed his hostess wife after she demanded a divorce." Ooki: "I see this girl wants another shot." Hitsugi: "I see you've dug your graves!" C: "You bitch!" Sayo: "You're around, aren't you?" Inunaki: "I see you're as stupidly strong as ever, but I think you should let someone like Miki teach you how to tail. See you later." Sayo: "You're not leaving!" Suzuhara: "Die!" Tatara: "Let's go, Suzue! Ogawa!" Suzue: "Right!" Ogawa: "R-Right!" Konomi: "Tatara-san!" Ogawa: "I'll get backup!" Tatara: "Wait, wait, Ogawa!" Tatara: "Get to the scene first! Ogawa!" Hitsugi: "You think you can kill me with a 9mm Parabellum?" Hitsugi: "You're a weapons dealer, too, aren't you? Know anything about an XM-25?" Ooki: "Y-Yeah, it was a good deal. It sold high." Hitsugi: "Bingo." Hitsugi: "Now, who did you sell it to?" Hitsugi: "I don't know who's over there... But I'm going to punch a new hole in you!" Hitsugi: "Damn. I missed." Saki: "I told you. There was no way we'd get all that for free!" A: "You were pretty happy about it." Saki: "If Hachisuka would've just gone to the police..." A: "He couldn't. You saw how high he was." Omichi: "Brother, look at this hair." Omichi: "It's turned white, now that you're gone." Omichi: "Why..." D: "How long are you going to do that? Now that Uncle Oki is gone, you're the only one who can lead the Kabuto Group. You need to get a hold of—" Kunio: "Everyone wants to keep me from mourning my brother." Kunio: "Hey, bring their cell phones." Yuu: "There we go." Yuu: "My shoulders are so stiff." Hachisuka: "Momokino..." Yuu: "Hachisuka?!" Yuu: "What happened?" Hachisuka: "Things went bad." Hachisuka: "The Kabuto group..." Yuu: "Kabuto? Anyway, let's go to the hospital— My body's so hot... So hot... Hot..." Yuu: "Momokino... Help me relax." Chikage: "Thank you. I understand now." Mikoto: "You pick things up fast, Chikage. It was easy to teach to you." Chikage: "I can see why you're one of the top students at our school." Mikoto: "If you wanted help studying, you should've just said so." Chikage: "Oh? What did you think I was talking about?" Momokino: "Stop it, Hachisuka!" Hachisuka: "That didn't hurt at all!" Hachisuka: "Actually, it felt good!" Hachisuka: "Wait!" Momokino: "Senpai..." Mikoto: "Are you okay?" Momokino: "He's an old friend... B-But he's never..." Mikoto: "His cell phone. "If you want your friend back with all her limbs attached, return the stolen goods to the fourth storage complex at the Tobishio Docks within thirty minutes."" Mikoto: "What's this?" Momokino: "That's Ogata Saki from Class D! He was saying something about the Kabuto group earlier. It couldn't be..." Mikoto: "Chikage, you go home. I'm going to take her to the hospital and deliver this to the police." Chikage: "All right." Chikage: "I just remembered that I have something to do, too." Mikoto: "See you."

Mikoto: ""If you want your friend back with all her limbs attached, return the stolen goods to the fourth storage complex at the Tobishio Docks within thirty minutes."" Konomi: "Isn't that kidnapping?!" Konomi: "So where's the cell phone that received the message?" Momokino: "Well... Kiba-senpai said she'd take it to the police." Kunio: ""I'm the one who killed Omichi Yuki." "I'm headed for you now." "Prepare to die."" Kunio: "What's this about?" M: "It's the response from the high school kid that ran off with our product sample. I'm not sure if it's some kind of joke, but..." Kunio: "There's no way some kid would know my brother's name." Kunio: "If this is the real thing..." Kunio: "Things could get interesting." Chikage: "Yes. Remnants of the Kabuto group." Chikage: "The fourth storage complex." Chikage: "Understood, Doctor." Tatara: "Got it. The fourth storage complex, right?" Tatara: "Get all off-duty personnel now, Hijiri!" Hijiri: "Right!" Tatara: "We're going to secure the scene. Where's Ogawa?" Konomi: "I can't get a hold of him." Tatara: "What? He's never here when it's important. Whatever. Let's get going." Konomi: "Right!" Kunio: "Woman, you say you killed my brother?" Mikoto: "Yes, because your brother was a malignant tumor that brought harm to this city." Kunio: "A malignant tumor?" Kunio: "That's a rather interesting way of putting it. So what am I? Am I a polyp? Maybe an ulcer?" Mikoto: "I have nothing to say to a dead man. I'll shoot you in the head, just like your brother, so you can go without pain." Kunio: "That's quite frightening, but why don't you take a look around?" Kunio: "These guys are garbage who didn't pay for their product." Kunio: "Each of them is wearing a detonator attached to gasoline tanks. They can't be removed without the password." Kunio: "There are similar devices all over the warehouse. If you fire without thinking, everyone in here goes up in flames." Mikoto: "How dare you?!" Kunio: "No sparks allowed. So how about we do this without guns? Use this. It's old school, but it's just the thing for taking revenge." Kunio: "Just like my brother, I'm a master of Mukuro Sword Fighting. The Garan Stance! This stance lets me defend against any—" Mikoto: "I'm not going to give you time to do anything." Mikoto: "This ends now." Kunio: "Woman, you must be stupid. I'm not sure why you hate us," Kunio: "but I'm going to have fun brutalizing you and killing you like the bitch you are. You'll live only in my memory." Kunio: "Let's play." Kunio: "If you can escape from this warehouse, you win." Kunio: "But the others will start chasing you two minutes after you start." Kunio: "They'll do anything to try to kill you. You see, their lives depend on it. You either escape," Kunio: "Remember, you're up against civilians." Mikoto: "Don't move." Mikoto: "Stop it! That guy's not going to keep his promises. Run from here." A: "We can't! These vests will explode if we leave the building!" B: "Plus, Omichi has a remote. He can kill us whenever he wants!" C: "There's no escape for us!" A: "You'll be saving us, so just..." Mikoto: "Don't! These guys are civilians! And they're wearing explosive vests!" Mikoto: "If you shoot, the entire warehouse is gonna blow!" A: "We did it! I'm sorry, Miss, but this will save our lives." A: "Forgive me. You understand, right? We have to do this." Mikoto: "Damn you..." ever: "You're disgusting." ever: "Trash is trash." ever: "They use self-preservation to justify hurting others. They cannot ever be saved. There is no reason to forgive the people who hurt you, Mikoto." Mikoto: "Y-You..." Mikoto: "Chikage." Mikoto: "Why are you..." Chikage: "I finally understand why I was so drawn to you." Chikage: "You're the same as me. A killer. The Doctor and I swore that we would become heartless killers to wipe from Earth the evil that set fire to my parents and sister." Chikage: "That is my justice." Chikage: "You kill people for justice, too." Mikoto: "You're wrong! That's revenge! It's not justice!" Kunio: "But because of you, everyone here is going to burn to death." Kunio: "Let's settle this." Kunio: "Come to the roof." Chikage: "He's one of the top leaders of the Kabuto group." Chikage: "Pretty melodramatic, isn't he?" Chikage: "I'll kill him, just as he wants." Chikage: "I love you, Mikoto." Chikage: "I envy your kindness and purity of heart." Chikage: "I don't want to kill you." Chikage: "The flames will decide the end of this." Chikage: "Goodbye." Mikoto: "Chikage!" Mikoto: "GS!" Mikoto: "Arashi! Why?!" Arashi: "We'll talk later. Go, Mikoto. We'll take care of this. You settle things on your own." Mikoto: "Arashi!" Kunio: "H-Hey, wait. What happened to that pushover?" Chikage: "The more evil they are, the hotter they burn." Chikage: "Turn to ash by the flame of man's resentment." Kunio: "Hold on a second..." Mikoto: "Sorry I'm late." Arashi: "Yes, Doctor." Miki: "It looks like Oriha needs more time. Could you draw them a little closer?" Oriha: "I've defused all the bombs. I rescued all of the hostages, too. I'm going to get them out of here." Arashi: "I'll head there after I've cleaned up here." Arashi: "It'll be fine. We don't need to worry about Mikoto now." Mikoto: "I'm alive. What happens in the game now?" Kunio: "It's game over. That happened as soon as you decided to just waltz up here." Kunio: "Don't move. There are snipers on standby all around this warehouse." Kunio: "They can kill you in an instant if I give the signal." Kunio: "A body in less than stellar condition and a beat-up bike. And you're unarmed to boot! What do you plan to do, exactly?" Mikoto: "Unarmed? You must be blind." Kunio: "Huh?" Mikoto: "You wanna give me a try? Let's find out if those wonderful snipers of yours can keep up with me. This thing goes from zero to a hundred in under three seconds." Mikoto: "Better give that signal!" Mikoto: "Your target is gone now. Stop this." Mikoto: "No, I still have targets. All over the world..." Chikage: "I will burn all who do evil. I'll make them feel the same pain my sister did." Chikage: "The Doctor gave me the power to do that." Mikoto: "Revenge begets nothing! If you want to create change, you have to start with yourself. That Doctor of yours is feeding your sense of revenge and manipulating you into doing what he wants!" Chikage: "Stop, Mikoto." Mikoto: "Chikage!" Chikage: "Stop it..." Chikage: "The Doctor is the only person I have left." Mikoto: "Chikage?" Chikage: "Yes, Doctor." Chikage: "I have new orders, Mikoto. You're my next target." Mikoto: "Wake up, Chikage! There are people who care about you!" Chikage: "It's too late! I can't go back!" Chikage: "Behind me?" Chikage: "She's not on it!" Mikoto: "Chikage..." Mikoto: "We can still..." Chikage: "It's too late." Chikage: "How many people do you think I've killed on the Doctor's orders?" Mikoto: "Who cares about your Doctor?" Mikoto: "Would your sister want you to be like this?" Mikoto: "It's not like your sins will disappear, but..." Mikoto: "There's still time!" Mikoto: "Stop it..." Mikoto: "Idiot. Did she really think that would kill me? This time... Now, blow their heads off!" Kunio: "Damn it! Why? Why won't they shoot?!" Kunio: "Hurry! Hurry up and shoot!" Mikoto: "You're... the Doctor?" Ogawa: "Did Chikage tell you that?" Ogawa: "It's not really that big a deal." Ogawa: "I was just Chikage's tutor. That's all." Mikoto: "Why are you making Chikage do this?" Ogawa: "For justice, of course. To get rid of those who pull the strings in the shadows, harming others and lusting for power." Chikage: "Doctor..." Ogawa: "Just kidding. I just made all of that up." Chikage: "Huh?" Chikage: "Doc— What?" Ogawa: "Good work. I'll take it from here." Mikoto: "Chikage..." Ogawa: "Those sisters were so much trouble." Mikoto: "What?!" Ogawa: "The kid sister figured out who I was. Chikage went crazy because of her sister's death." Ogawa: "I kept giving her hot beef injections, but it never helped." Ogawa: "I guess this was going to happen sooner or later." Ogawa: "I'm a perfectionist, you see." Ogawa: "I don't leave evidence behind. You should give up." Oriha: "Arachin! Over there!" Arashi: "Mikoto!" Ogawa: "I guess this is where I fall." Ogawa: "That's too bad." Ogawa: "But everything has an end." Ogawa: "The day will come when you realize that your ideals are pointless. Don't forget that, Black Label." Oriha: "Mikochin!" Mikoto: "Chikage!" Chikage: "Mikoto... If... If I get to be reborn," Chikage: "I wonder if I can be with you and my sister then." Mikoto: "Chikage..." Chikage: "I'm sorry, Mikoto." Chikage: "I didn't want to give you a hard time." Chikage: "This is goodbye for real." Mikoto: "Chikage..." Mikoto: "My brother!" Mikoto: "Arashi..." Arashi: "We're not alone." Tatara: "What?!" Konomi: "Tatara-san, keep it down." Tatara: "They found Ogawa's body at the scene? What's going on?" Konomi: "No, it was the body of the person we called Ogawa-san at our precinct." Tatara: "Huh? What do you mean?" Konomi: "I thought it was weird, so I begged a friend at HQ and got them to show me Ogawa-san's old papers." Konomi: "This is what I got." Tatara: "Huh? Who's this? It's not the same person." Konomi: "His recent papers were altered." Konomi: "Ogawa-san transferred to the Tobioka Police Department eight years ago. We think that someone replaced him at that time." Konomi: "I can't believe it went unnoticed for all this time. The forgeries were extremely well-done. We need to bring a complaint right away." Tatara: "No, I'll take care of this." Tatara: "This goes deeper than you could imagine." Konomi: "Huh?" Tatara: "Tell your friend to keep his head down, too." Konomi: "Tatara-san..." : "We've confirmed the deaths of Black Label's targets. Their bodies were recovered by the police." : "We've also suppressed all evidence that could be linked to us." Mochidzuki: "What do the police think?" : "They believe two rival gangs had a turf war." Mochidzuki: "I see." Mochidzuki: "What about the man who controlled Fever?" : "According to intel from Hijiri of the police, all we know is that he was a police officer named Ogawa Makoto." : "We don't know any further details. There's no evidence regarding how he spent his time, or who he really was." : "That's all. Even with our information network, we're unable to figure out his background." Mochidzuki: "What about Inunaki? He doesn't know anything right now." Mochidzuki: "The shadows..." Mochidzuki: "At times, they're deep. At other times, translucent. They flicker and change their form, and with the sunset, they silently devour everything. They're like a pathogen." : "I wonder if an enemy who knows of Black Label has appeared." Mochidzuki: "For the first time since my pledge on that day, I've finally caught hold of that shadow. That faint shadow that appears on the X-rays..." Mochidzuki: "That lethal tumor." Oriha: "Ow!" Hitsuji: "Stop struggling!" Oriha: "My eyes... My eyes are burning!" Hitsuji: "Mikoto's in the hospital, so you have to bear with me. Besides, I can't believe you can't wash your own hair." Oriha: "It's because you're too rough, Hitsuji-tan! Okay, then... Take this!" Hitsuji: "You're not a little kid." Oriha: "You're a mess! An amazon! A barbarian! Evil! Glutton! Wannabe punk!" Yuko: "They really get along well, don't they?" Miki: "Do they? Would you call that getting along?" Yuko: "Well, it makes sense for Mikoto to get yelled at after that rampage, but..." Miki: "With those injuries she got, I'm sure she understands quite well. More importantly..." Yuko: "That mysterious assassin, the Doctor, huh?" Yuko: "Hizaki Chikage's target list matches the list that Inunaki brought us." Yuko: "Whatever that indicates..." Miki: "The obvious interpretation is that someone wants complete control of that new narcotic. But if..." Yuko: "Stop. If what you think is correct, then for the first time since our organization was formed," Yuko: "exactly why we operate will have to be called into question." R: "What a loser. I can't believe Ogawa died." Kaoru: "What was that idiot doing? Why did he infiltrate the police force?" R: "Oh, well. I'll just have to use my other information sources. So how's your operation going?" Siren: "Everything's ready to go. We just need to wait until it goes into action." Kaoru: "We don't have any big plans here. We just need to cause a ruckus." R: "All we do now is wait for the cork to pop."

Oriha: "The person who committed the crime is in this room. But it's too early to jump to any conclusions, Superintendent General Nanami." mi: "Who are you?!" Sumire: "Looks like we made it here in time, Sensei." Oriha: "Make me some tea before I solve this mystery, Hitomi-kun." mi: "You're..." Oriha: "I'm gonna be the king of detectives!" Mikoto: "The king of detectives? What the hell? She must be so disappointed that this is her TV debut." Mikoto: "Right, Arashi?" Mikoto: "Well, I guess she's one of our own moving up in the world. I should be happy for her." Mikoto: "Oh, hey. Doctor Tsurugi wanted to have shabu-shabu at her place tonight. You should—" Arashi: "I have plans to eat at the Monte Carlo SS tonight." Arashi: "See you later." Mikoto: "Hmph. Whatever." Hitsugi: "Serves you right." Hitsugi: "He turned you down." Mikoto: "You were there, Hitsugi-neesan?!" Hitsugi: "It's so hot, I don't feel like moving." Hitsugi: "I'll have that shabu-shabu, though." Mikoto: "Are you a stray cat or something?" Hitsugi: "Meow." A: "This is the new NEO TV building. We're going to hold a special live program" M: "Welcome." Hinako: "Arashi-kun!" Oriha: "I just love this part. Here we go! Until the DVD wears out! This is the moment a legendary actress is born!" Kawanakajima: "Idiot!" Oriha: "Boss!" Kawanakajima: "Don't be satisfied with that pitiful excuse for acting! Acting is defined by an everlasting desire to improve." Oriha: "Yeah, but..." Kawanakajima: ""But" nothing!" Kawanakajima: "In this industry, those who get full of themselves disappear from the tube." Oriha: "The tube?" Oriha: "It's not even an LCD?" Haron: "I know, right?" Haron: "We're at our peak, Oriha. Make sure you don't end up regretting anything." Sumire: "You shouldn't barge in without asking, Onee-chan." Oriha: "That's right, Haron! Knock, at least!" Kawanakajima: "Hey, Oriha. Don't be rude!" Haron: "Today's our live concert to commemorate the completion of the new NEO TV building." Haron: "Don't hold us back, okay?" Oriha: "Look at you scream! How cute." Haron: "Shut up, stupid Ori!" Sumire: "Talk to you later, Oriha-chan." Oriha: "Bye-bye." Haron: "What's with that costume? It's creepy." Sumire: "There are a lot of costumed mascots around today." A: "It's Mikazuki Haron. She's so cute." Rr: "Hey." Rr: "You're on the job." A: "Sorry about that. We just get such a nice picture in here..." Rr: "Of course we do. I designed this system. I wouldn't use second-rate cameras." Rr: "Hey! What happened? What's going on?!" B: "That's 32-A on B1. I'll go take a look." B: "Let's see... 32-A is..." B: "32-A... 32-A..." B: "Did a truck hit it or something?" B: "Oh, sorry. Were you filming?" B: "Uh..." B: "Hey." Arisa: "Idol Colosseum Neo! These noble girls will borrow the name of this gorgeous venue, putting their all on the line to make sparks fly! Tonight, we bring you a special extended event to commemorate the new NEO TV building," Arisa: "live from our brand new set!" Arisa: "First up are the twin goddesses that have descended upon our new era." Arisa: "The two glass divas that combine strength with flexibility, Asymmetry. Of course, they'll be singing their new song, "Crystallize"—" Oriha: "Hold it! No matter how tough your glass is, it doesn't stand a chance against a space pirate's naval ram! Wanna take it head-on and see?" Arisa: "And now it looks like a collaboration is upon us! The one disrupting Asymmetry's harmony is their fated rival, the explosive idol," Oriha: "Here comes our new song collaboration!" Haron/Sumire: ""Trinity Infinity"!" Haron/Sumire: "Huh?" Oriha: "What?" Wildhunt: "So we've taken control of security. Good job." Wildhunt: "Now it's time to begin the hunting." Hinako: "Huh? I wonder what happened. What do you think, Arashi-kun?" Mikoto: "Oriha..." R: "Let's restart the broadcast. Next act!" R: "Hurry up!" R: "Nanjo, standby!" Arisa: "Right!" Wildhunt: "There will be no need for that." Wildhunt: "The birds will sing no more." Wildhunt: "Never again." R: "What? Get them out of here, A.D.!" Ad: "R-Right." Ad: "Where did you guys come from? Get out. You need to—" Wildhunt: "Don't move." Wildhunt: "This studio is under our control." Wildhunt: "Don't make us waste our ammunition." Sumire: "Jeez, Onee-chan, we were in the middle of a show. We're gonna get in trouble." Haron: "W-Well, I couldn't help it! It just suddenly went dark..." Sumire: "One of Japan's top idols, and she can't even go pee by herself." Sumire: "I can only imagine what the fans would think." Haron: "Shut up! You're mean, Sumire." Oriha: "I've got some juicy gossip now..." Haron: "Oriha!" Sumire: "Anyway, when is this blackout going to end?" Haron: "It'd be cool if some bad guys took over the place, like in a drama." Oriha: "If that happened, you could just take them out with that karate you're so good at. What were you, a pink belt?" Haron: "I-I am not!" Sumire: "Yeah, Oriha-chan. Onee-chan has a brown belt." Haron: "Hey, Sumire!" Sumire: "She just can't seem to make it to the black belt." Sumire: "What's wrong, Oriha-chan?" Oriha: "There's something funny about this blackout." Oriha: "Look. This building is the only one with no lights on." Haron: "You're right." Oriha: "This way." Both: "What?" Oriha: "Be quiet." Sumire: "Who is that?" Oriha: "Shh." Sumire: "He had a big pistol..." Haron: "I-I'm sure it's just a prop for something they're filming." Oriha: "It's possible this building's really been taken over by bad guys." Both: "What?" Sumire: "Why do you think that?" Oriha: "Look." Oriha: "It's weird that this building's the only one with the power out. Someone might be controlling the situation. Also, it's too quiet." Sumire: "The manager said that only the Idol Colosseum was being shot here today." Haron: "Yeah." Oriha: "Yeah, but it's weird that we didn't run into anyone on our way here. Where's the staff?" Wildhunt: "Is it finished?" A: "Yes, boss." A: "The audience is locked in the next studio." A: "We've also captured most of the employees." Wildhunt: "Move to the next phase." A: "Sir!" B: "Get ready to broadcast!" B: "Hurry up!" Oriha: "No signal." Sumire: "Why? We're in the middle of the city." Sumire: "Sorry. Let me borrow that." Haron: "Hey, look." Oriha: "Haron, that's..." Haron: "Ow..." Sumire: "Onee-chan!" Oriha: "Haron, your karate!" Sumire: "Onee-chan!" Oriha: "Haron!" Haron: "No..." Sumire: "You can do it, Onee-chan!" Sumire: "Please!" Haron: "I got him?" Oriha: "His hair is all white?" Mochidzuki: "Ogawa Makoto's compatriots, huh?" Wildhunt: "Witness what happens when you pick a fight with us." Wildhunt: "My name is Wild Hunt. I am the commander of a group of hunters" Wildhunt: "I shall spill blood upon the hunting grounds." Wildhunt: "I won't let any of my prey escape." Wildhunt: "Come now, Cross." M: "Hey, Hinako! Stay with us!" Mikoto: "A black label." Oriha: "I won't forgive them. They're insulting TV... and our pride. I'm not letting them get away with this." R: "No way! Did you see that? They killed Sugihara Aya?! From CELL? Aya-tan..." R: "It's just CG. Graphic content! Graphic content! Man, this sucks. The server's so slow, I can't see anything." R: "NEO TV's right next door. Let's go check it out." Police: "Don't come any closer. This area is off limits. No one may enter." S: "This is P-6." S: "Sniper in position." B: "This is P-5. We're at the designated point." L: "P-3, all ready. P-4, all ready." Tatara: "Suzue!" Tatara: "Stop goofing off and gather information!" Tatara: "You're good with computers, right?" Suzue: "This is pretty crazy." Suzue: "What are they after?" Tatara: "I don't know. It's out of our jurisdiction, but they might need our help. Stay on standby." Suzue: "Understood." Midou: "How's the tunnel coming along?" A: "We have two engineers and two other units headed there now." B: "Chief Midou, they're starting to move." Midou: "Where?" B: "Chief Midou," Midou: "I'm Midou from Special Investigations." Midou: "You're such a gentleman." Midou: "There's no need to worry about that. How about we speak frankly here?" Midou: "What are you after?" Midou: "I'm not the smartest guy. Could you explain that in simpler terms for me? I can't explain that to my bosses. Also, don't kill any more hostages. You'll just bring hundreds of thousands of angry fans down on yourself." Wildhunt: "I will have them take their places on a new stage." A: "Chief! They're on the eighteenth floor." Wildhunt: "Thirty minutes." Wildhunt: "I'll have one of them dive into the crowd every thirty minutes." Midou: "What?" Wildhunt: "First, procure one billion yen in cash for me." Wildhunt: "Once you have that, I'll make our next demand." Midou: "Get me HQ and the Ministry of Defense." A: "What will they do?" Wildhunt: "It doesn't matter what they do." Wildhunt: "We've already accomplished our goal." D: "Hey! What's going on?" R: "There's a fire in a break room on the fifth floor." D: "I can't see anything. Stop the sprinklers." D: "Hound Dog was covering the fifth floor. What's that idiot doing?" E: "Probably shot up too much and fell asleep." Haron: "It's freezing!" Haron: "We're soaked." Sumire: "But thanks to that, we made it to a stairwell without the security cameras spotting us." Oriha: "I was able to see what was going on outside through a window. There's a bunch of patrol cars. Looks like the police really have surrounded the place." Haron: "So what do we do next, Oriha?" Oriha: "Hmm..." Oriha: "I want you two to get to safety downstairs. Ori has a few things to do." Both: "What?" Oriha: "Hide if you think someone might catch you. Don't push your luck!" Haron: "Oriha!" Sumire: "Oriha-chan!" Mikoto: "Stand by?!" Mochidzuki: "Yes." Mikoto: "Why? Tell me. Tell me why, please." Arashi: "Stand by means stand by." Mikoto: "You idiot! She can't even wash her own hair! Let me go on my own, then." Arashi: "Believe in her."

B: "Chief Midou," Midou: "I'm Midou from Special Investigations." Midou: "You're such a gentleman." Midou: "There's no need to worry about that. How about we speak frankly here?" Midou: "What are you after?" Midou: "I'm not the smartest guy." Midou: "I can't explain that to my bosses. Also, don't kill any more hostages. You'll just bring hundreds of thousands of angry fans down on yourself." Wildhunt: "I will have them take their places on a new stage." A: "Chief! They're on the eighteenth floor." Wildhunt: "Thirty minutes." Wildhunt: "I'll have one of them dive into the crowd every thirty minutes." Midou: "What?" Wildhunt: "First, procure one billion yen in cash for me." Wildhunt: "Once you have that, I'll make our next demand." Wildhunt: "It's time." Wildhunt: "As I promised, I'm going to have one of you jump." Wildhunt: "You first." Arisa: "N-No!" Arisa: "Please, spare me. I can be of use. I'll do whatever you want. And..." Arisa: "And I can do things those little girls can't." Hana: "Get over yourself, Grandma!" A3: "Yeah! Everyone knows younger is better!" R: "Hey, you guys..." Ra: "Damn it." Ra: "The hostages are moving around. I can't get a shot." Arisa: "Please, don't kill me." Arisa: "Spare me!" Arisa: "Let me go!" Arisa: "Someone...!" D: "What's going on?" E: "Where was she hiding?" : "The fourth floor! Let's go!" Oriha: "Starlight explosion!" Midou: "What?!" Haron: "An explosion?!" A: "We've got radio from Badger." Wildhunt: "Who are you?" Oriha: "Let's just say I'm a passing king of detectives." Wildhunt: "A girl, as I thought. Why don't you lay off the cheap act, Black Label?" Wildhunt: "Maybe you're one of the three idols we haven't seen." Oriha: "You're quite talkative, doggy, but your mission has failed. Because I'm here. If they go off, the stairwells will collapse, and power will be cut off to the neighboring elevator shafts." Oriha: "All your escape routes will be blocked." Oriha: "I got three of your friends in that explosion just now." Oriha: "You want to go down fighting, don't you? Or..." Wildhunt: "Very well." Wildhunt: "I'll stop killing the women. Just as you say, we do have a plan." Wildhunt: "But..." Wildhunt: "You're in a giant cage. A trap." Wildhunt: "The basement." Midou: "What's the situation in the tunnel? As soon as you're able to shut down the power, have the SAT go in." B: "The communications line to the outside and entry route are physically cut off." B: "But it appears the power cables are run through somewhere else." E: "Something strange is going on here." B: "How so?" E: "The basement doesn't match the blueprint. Is this..." R: "Damn them." R: "You really saved me." R: "Can you believe they'd try to hit me?" R: "I know you took them by surprise, but that was still pretty impressive for an idol." R: "A computer? There's no point. The lines are—" Oriha: "I knew it. This facility isn't affected by the jamming or the lines being cut." R: "Wh-Wha— S-Still, if you just up and contact the police, the hostages will be..." Oriha: "I know that. Go stand guard outside." R: "R-Right." Midou: "Have the SAT go in. Cut the power!" B: "Roger. Cut the cables." G: "Don't blame me for whatever happens." B: "Subcommander!" R: "You're late. Now that they know who I am," R: "We're in the last phase. You guys head back up and resist to the bitter end." R: "We've won here, comrades." Midou: "An entire city block has lost power?" E: "It looks like the power was bypassed." E: "It'll take about half a day to fully restore." Sumire: "Onee-chan, we need to hurry up to the roof." Haron: "Oriha's stupid, isn't she?" Sumire: "Huh?" Haron: "I wonder why she tries so hard. I mean, even now..." Haron: "I wonder if it's okay for us to stay here." Sumire: "Onee-chan, you can't be serious..." Haron: "I'm really scared." Haron: "But..." Haron: "I'd hate myself even more for running away in fear." Haron: "Hey, what's so funny?" A: "Wh-What should we do?" Midou: "We prioritize the hostages." Midou: "Go in!" C: "Don't move! We're the police! Get down!" R: "Come out!" R: "We're going to circle around." Haron: "I've got my black belt." Sumire: "Wow." Oriha: "Haron, Sumire-san! Why are you..." Haron: "We've been in the business longer than you, and you're hogging the spotlight." Sumire: "Yeah, Oriha-chan. You don't have to push yourself so hard on your own." Oriha: "Why?! This isn't some drama. You'll die if you get shot!" Haron: "What are you going on about? The same goes for you, right?" Sumire: "In times like these, we have to work hard to protect everyone's dreams." Sumire: "Because we're..." Haron: "Idols." Oriha: "Thanks, you two! Let's go! We've gotta save the others!" Haron: "I'm just kidding." Haron: "I'm not going to help you, my rival. You're just in the way." Oriha: "Huh?" Sumire: "Onee-chan?" Sumire: "That's right. Know your place." Sumire: "You're just a third-rate idol." Oriha: "Sumire-san..." Sumire: "Surprised? I saw that heartwarming banter between you girls," Sumire: "and wanted to tease you a little." Sumire: "You're the bomber?" Wildhunt: "Why don't you lay off the cheap act, Black Label?" Oriha: "Are you the..." Wildhunt: "That's correct. I am Wild Hunt, my adorable Black Label." : "You called?" Mochidzuki: "I received a communique from Oriha." Mochidzuki: "Now we know what they're after." Mochidzuki: "This incident..." Mochidzuki: "Let us begin the operation." Oriha: "You pervert! Just one peek at my panties will cost you 100,000 yen!" Siren: "You've got spunk." Siren: "The beat of your adorable heart is about to get faster." Siren: "No matter how tough you try to act, the truth is, you're scared." Siren: "You're smart, so you can imagine what's going to happen, right?" Siren: "I have to admit, it's my first time torturing an idol." Siren: "Goodnight, Oriha-chan." R: "I have a bit more to ask of you." R: "It's a thin wall." R: "I had this passageway made with the distance slightly off." R: "The subway runs next to it." R: "A modern city's underground is full of holes." Siren: "The hunt is over. From this point on, we're gentlemen." R: "What's going on?" R: "The train?" R: "Why is a bike..." R: "What is it?" A: "A train?" R: "No." R: "Do it!" R: "Damn it." Arashi: "Level zero, black." Arashi: "Oriha!" Mikoto: "Arashi, go on ahead!" Mikoto: "Leave this to me. You bring that idiot Oriha back with you." Siren: "Hey, is someone there?" Arashi: "Oriha, it's me. Where are you?" Siren: "I don't know. It's too dark. I think they ran away." Arashi: "Can you move? Run this way." Siren: "I can't. I'm tied up and can't move. I've been shot, too. I'm bleeding." Arashi: "What?" Siren: "Help me..." Siren: "Help me..." Siren: "Help..." Siren: "What's wrong? Help me. The bleeding won't stop." Ryu: "Arashi." Arashi: "Ryu." Ryu: "Calm down, Arashi. You should know already what to do when you're attacked in the dark." Ryu: "He drilled that knowledge into you." Siren: "It's a trap! Run! You're in a trap! Run! Help me..." Inunaki: "Listen up, Arashi. You either do or die. That's all there is to it." Inunaki: "Within your reach... In other words..." Arashi: "At point-blank range, there is no darkness." Ryu: "That's right, Arashi. The distance is fifteen meters. Move your body accurately within the darkness. You and I together" Ryu: "can do this." Siren: "I never thought I'd die in a cage I created. Young man," Siren: "You're a monster like us, huh?" Siren: "But soon..." Siren: "The rules of the world will be turned on their head." Oriha: "Arachin, that was too reckless! What if you'd hit me?!" Arashi: "I was able to see for a second, so it was okay. Besides," Mikoto: "You're pretty amazing. I don't know about me. I can't tell her songs apart from the other idols." Oriha: "What was that, Miko-chin, you dummy?" Mikoto: "But I need a little sister type in my life." Sumire: "Oriha-chan isn't here!" Haron: "Here, either." Sumire: "What should we do, Onee-chan? If we hadn't left her..." Haron: "It's no use crying now." Haron: "She wouldn't die that easily." Haron: "She..." Sumire: "Onee-chan!" Sumire: "Did she trade herself to that terrorist group to save us?" Haron: "No way!" Oriha: "How terrible!" Haron: "They'll auction her off every night with the rest of the girls in a VIP room in some casino." Sumire: "Onee-chan, your imagination is running wild!" Haron: "But if that's not what she did, then how did we get out of this alive?" Sumire: "Stop it. I'm going to start crying again..." Oriha: "Cheer up, Sumire-san." Sumire: "Thank you, Oriha-cha—" Oriha: "Haron..." Haron: "Shut up. I can't believe you. I can't believe you..." Sumire: "Onee-chan." Haron: "Yes, Sumire." Sumire: "I'm so glad, Oriha-chan." Oriha: "I can't breathe." Oriha: "I feel like I'm forgetting something..." Kawanakajima: "Oriha, where are you?!" Kawanakajima: "Oriha!" Kawanakajima: "Oriha!" Mikoto: "What do you think?" Arashi: "About what?" Mikoto: "What Oriha was saying." Mikoto: "So who was this person? Someone else working with that "Doctor" guy?" Oriha: "Probably." Mikoto: "She couldn't get the money," Mikoto: "What was she trying to do?" Oriha: "She was bait." Mikoto: "What?" Oriha: "She risked her life to distract Black Label and the police from something." Mikoto: "What's going on..." Mikoto: "What's going on behind the scenes?" Oriha: "I don't know, but Doctor Mochizuki might." Arashi: "Look."

Hitsugi: "Hey, Mikami-kun. It's been three hours. You should get back to your room." Hitsugi: "You know you're in no shape to push yourself so hard, right? I can't have you hurting yourself." Arashi: "I want to walk as soon as I can. I'll do it myself if I have to." Hitsugi: "Sheesh. If something happens, I'll get in trouble because I'm in charge of you. That's how grown-up logic works. Sucks, huh?" Hitsugi: "There's no need to rush things." Hitsugi: "Take it a bit easier." Hitsugi: "I heard about the terrorist incident. Must have been rough. Something similar happened to me, supposedly, but I lost my memories of whatever it was, so I'm not really sure." Hitsugi: "Maybe you should forget, the way I have. You've been through a lot. You should be more carefree. I mean, you're still a kid." Arashi: "That day... I tried to save Ryu," Arashi: "but it didn't work out that way." Arashi: "Ryu and his father saved me instead." Arashi: "Ryu's arms, Ryu's legs, and Ryu's heart saved me." Arashi: "And now, Ryu's life continues on within me. If I quit... If I quit trying to walk," Arashi: "That's why I have to walk." Hitsugi: "This kid..." Hitsugi: "You're one hopeless little brat, you know that?" Hitsugi: "Hitsugi-san will help you, so hurry up and start walking. This is a pain in my ass, you know." Arashi: "Right." Hitsugi: "He has something I don't..." : "An electrical anomaly has been detected in the underground central control block. This is a Code A alert. This is a Code A alert." : "Take this." Mikoto: "A taser gun? Is there an intruder? Is an enemy here?" : "Unfortunately, it's one of our own. Hitsugi got out of her room, and she's in critical shape." Oriha: "Critical?" : "We weren't paying close enough attention. Her illness was merely in remission." Mikoto: "Remission..." Oriha: "So she wasn't really cured?" : "Stop her. We can't let her get out of this underground block." Oriha: "Isn't this overdoing it a little? We're up against Hitsugi-tan, right?" Mikoto: "That's exactly why. If Hitsugi-neesan goes on a rampage for real..." Mikoto: "Hitsugi-neesan, are you okay?" Mikoto: "Oriha, run!" Oriha: "Hitsugi-tan..." Oriha: "Come on, this can't be real, right? I don't want it to be like this..." Arashi: "Oriha, run." Oriha: "I don't want this!" Hitsugi: "Sagiri..." Yuko: "That mask certainly brings back memories." Oriha: "Doctor Yuko..." Miki: "Can you move, Mikoto?" Oriha: "Hitsugi-tan's gauntlets?" Hitsugi: "Sagiri Yuko..." Yuko: "You've gone so out of control that you've forgotten yourself? Remember. Remember just what you're fighting for, and who you're fighting for." Yuko: "Please, Sayo." Yuko: "Don't make me kill you a second time." Arashi: "Doctor Yuko!" Yuko: "I killed you, and I saved you." Yuko: "Only one..." Yuko: "From the beginning, there was only one option." Yuko: "I can't hold back any longer." Yuko: "I won't let you suffer." Mikoto: "You can't be..." Oriha: "You're not serious, right? Stop her, Miki-chan." Miki: "Leave the room, please." Oriha: "Huh?" Miki: "Yuko will not waver. She already made up her mind back then." Arashi: "Back then?" Miki: "Who can stop that tragic determination of hers?" Yuko: "Begin operation! Open Fire!" Yuko: "Mikami-kun, don't get in the way!" Arashi: "I haven't repaid my debt to Hitsugi-san." Arashi: "I don't want to make a choice I'll regret." Yuko: "Watch your back. She could rip out your heart at any moment." Arashi: "I still trust Hitsugi-san." Arashi: "This way!" Yuko: "What? Mikami-kun!" Mikoto: "Arashi!" Yuko: "Mikami-kun!" Arashi: "We can't let Hitsugi-san get out of here. Seal off this area." Mikoto: "Arashi!" : "I'm locking down all partitions." Oriha: "What?" Mikoto: "Fiona-san!" : "It was the right decision. We can't allow any harm to come to civilians." Mikoto: "Arashi..." Arashi: "Hitsugi-san, wake up! Hitsugi-san!" Yuko: "We can't just leave this to Mikami-kun. I'll take responsibility. Open the partitions, Fiona." Mochidzuki: "No." Yuko: "Director!" Yuko: "I can't stand by and watch Mikami-kun be killed." Mochidzuki: "I know painfully well how you feel." Mochidzuki: "But I also understand Hitsugi and Arashi. Right now, if there's anything that can get through to Hitsugi's heart," Mochidzuki: "genuine emotion might be it. What she needs is sympathy, not from a guardian, but from one who stands on her level." Yuko: "On her level..." Miki: "Damn it, I hate lightning! Makes the place so creepy." Yuko: "You're making a lot of noise, Miki. Just think of it as a haunted house, and it'll be fun." Miki: "I hate those, too. Don't assume I'm as impassive as you." Yuko: "A medical professional shouldn't believe in ghosts." Miki: "I'm a girl first, and a doctor second." Yuko: "Still, to hide in a sealed-off chemical plant... How very like the first leader of the D99 research team, Togo Itaru." Miki: "Along with Doctor Inunaki, he was a genius known as Doctor Mochizuki's right-hand man." Yuko: "We can ask him why later." Yuko: "We have to stop the distribution of D99 at all costs." Miki: "You're right." Miki: "Light? But the power should be out." Miki: "Yuko, be on alert." Yuko: "Miki?" Miki: "I found him. I found Togo Itaru." Miki: "Also, two people not on the list." Miki: "They're dead." Miki: "They've been killed. "Rapid improvement of life-threatening symptoms after injection." "Almost miraculous healing power." "Unexpected side effects..." "Psychological issues?" "Developmental abnormalities..." "Side effects that, depending on perspective, might be of use."" Miki: "A test subject...?" Miki: "This is..." Yuko: "She's the one who killed Togo Itaru, huh?" Yuko: "Can you hear me, Miki? I've engaged an unidentified ghost in combat. She's rather quick and vicious." Yuko: "One strike ends this." Miki: "Yuko, wait! She's—" Sayo: "D-Daddy..." Miki: "That's how we met Hitsugi." Yuko: "I killed her, and I saved her." Yuko: "That's why this is my mission." Ryu: "Arashi, don't let your guard down." Ryu: "This isn't like you. Your actions this time have been foolish. Did you think bringing Hitsugi to a place from her past would wake her up?" Arashi: "Ryu..." Ryu: "Sentimentality won't change a situation for the better. You should know that painfully well." Ryu: "All that lies down that path is a very real and inhuman death." Arashi: "Foolish, huh? That might be true. But you know, Ryu, somebody taught me..." Arashi: "that there are times when people shouldn't hide their awkwardness." Ryu: "But if you die, that belief won't mean anything." Ryu: "And neither will I." Arashi: "Hitsugi-san, do you remember?" Arashi: "That day. The last day of my rehab..." Arashi: "The promise we made here." Arashi: "I won't forget it." Arashi: "Ever." Ryu: "Arashi." Arashi: "Hitsugi-san..." Ryu: "Arashi, think about why she put on that mask after she left her hospital room." Arashi: "It's okay now," Arashi: "Hitsugi-san." Arashi: "You've been crying this whole time, huh?" Arashi: "I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise." Hitsugi: "You're an idiot." Arashi: "Huh?" Hitsugi: "Arashi..." Hitsugi: "How long ago was that promise?" Arashi: "But it was still a promise." Arashi: "I wouldn't do that to you again." Hitsugi: "So you can walk now." Hitsugi: "You're going to start training today?" Arashi: "Yes." Hitsugi: "Hang in there. Inunaki's a tough old bastard." Arashi: "I will." Arashi: "Your nurse's exam is coming up soon, too, right?" Hitsugi: "Yeah." Hitsugi: "You know, I've never told anyone this, but..." Hitsugi: "I keep having this dream." Arashi: "A dream?" Hitsugi: "A very bloody dream. I've destroyed something precious to me, and I keep crying, but no one will save me." Hitsugi: "After that, someone stabs me, and I die." Hitsugi: "I think it might be a fragment of the memories I've lost." Hitsugi: "If it is... it scares me." Hitsugi: "I'm afraid to learn the truth." Hitsugi: "I'm afraid I might stop being myself." Hitsugi: "Can I only be myself so long as I don't remember? Then who am I, really?" Hitsugi: "Can someone like me save anyone else?" Arashi: "Hitsugi-san, let me see your face." Hitsugi: "No." Hitsugi: "My face is just a facade." Hitsugi: "I don't really have feelings." Arashi: "That's not true. While I was in rehab with you here, I remembered how to smile again." Arashi: "That was because of you." Hitsugi: "Arashi..." Arashi: "I promise that I'll get stronger, and never let you cry again." Hitsugi: "You're a hundred years ahead of yourself." Mikoto: "Arashi!" Oriha/Miki: "Mikoto! Miko-chin!" Hitsugi: "Doctor, I've remembered. Because of the drugs, I only remember fragments of what happened with Togo," Hitsugi: "but back then, I was alone and scared. I hid my face with the mask that happened to be there," Hitsugi: "and I went on a rampage." Hitsugi: "I remember it now." Hitsugi: "Even the look on your face." Hitsugi: "I wonder what you felt bringing me back after that. Sagiri Yuko, you have a heart of steel, but you were awkward, too, weren't you?" Hitsugi: "I like that part of you, though. Thank you, Doctor." Yuko: "You just won't die, will you? I doubt anyone but me could handle an immortal nurse." Yuko: "Hitsugi, I'll be counting on you." Hitsugi: "Aye-aye." Yuko: "Mikami-kun, I owe you." Arashi: "No, I was just fulfilling my promise." Mikoto: "Arashi..." Mikoto: "Hey, stupid Arashi! What was that about? Why were you kissing Hitsugi-neesan?! N-Nee-san..." Ryu: "Looks like there's trouble in your future." Kaname: "This is really Siren's job, but she fell from grace rather quickly," Kaoru: "All Siren could do was change her voice. I bet her screaming sounded so weird when she died!" Kaori: "Shut up, Kaoru." D: "So?" Kaname: "Public Safety's secret server. We planted a virus in it during the raid at NEO TV. Looks like someone's noticed it. We're periodically being traced." D: "They found out?" Kaname: "It doesn't look like anyone in charge knows, though. There's someone who's not only logging all the data our program is sending, but they're also tracing it to us." D: "Who's doing it?" Kaname: "A detective. A detective on Ogawa Makoto's list." D: "A detective?" Kaname: "Pretty strange. He could just check the server, but he won't. Letting us find out who he is seems pretty careless. He could be an idiot, or it could be a trap." D: "That is pretty strange." Kaoru: "So we just have to kill that detective, right?" Kaname: "My, my. You catch on quick, Kaoru. But killing him right away would be a pain, so kidnap him first." D: "Kidnapping him seems like an even bigger pain." Kaname: "Make sure you give him time to talk, too. We still need more time before all the data is downloaded. Tread carefully." Kaoru: "Jobs from you are always a pain, Kaname. This sucks." Kaori: "It'll get fun pretty quick."

Mikoto: "What's going on?" Sayo: "Too bad for you, Mikoto." Sayo: "We're going on a date. With Arashi." Mikoto: "Huh? Wha... Arashi?" Hinako: "We're having a lot of fun, Senpai." Sayo: "If you beg us, we might be willing to bring you along." Mikoto: "Nee-san! A-Arashi!" Mikoto: "Arashi! Wait!" Mikoto: "I'm so pathetic." Mikoto: "Hi there. Do you have a minute?" Hinako: "Hi, Kiba-senpai!" Yuu: "Hi, Senpai! I haven't seen you in days. I was worried! I'm so happy to see you!" Mikoto: "Uh... I see." Hinako: "So what's the matter?" Mikoto: "Oh, it's just.... Um, I was wondering if you had seen Mikami-kun." Hinako: "Arashi-kun left early because his wound was hurting." Mikoto: "Huh?" Hinako: "Oh, I guess you didn't know. Arashi-kun was hurt really badly." Mikoto: "Oh, um... He was?" Hinako: "He fell and got hit by a bicycle." Mikoto: "Oh..." Yuu: "Just when I thought he came to school for once, he showed up with his arm in a sling." Hinako: "I was really surprised, too. I mean, he seems so fragile. He should take better care of himself." Hinako: "Oh, Senpai, did you need to see Mikami?" Mikoto: "Uh, no, nothing that important." Mikoto: "Never mind, actually. Have a good day." Hinako: "I wonder what's up with her. Doesn't she seem different to you?" Yuu: "The way she's acting... Mikami's one smooth operator. Maybe he's getting popular." Hinako: "What?! No way! You like Arashi-kun, too?!" Yuu: "Huh?" Hinako: "I know Arashi-kun's really hot, but we're best friends! You can't do that to me!" Yuu: "Wh-Why do you think I like him? That's obviously not true." Hinako: "You're right. Sorry." Kaoru: "I wonder if Senpai died." Kaori: "Most would have. But I doubt she did." Kaoru: "You think so, too? I hope we get to see her again. I need to finish her off. The ruling class has to be strongest, after all." Kaori: "Yeah." Kaori: "Oh..." Kaori: "Our information was right." Kaori: "Kaname's good. We found our target just by waiting." Konomi: "Sorry I couldn't make it over there, Hijiri-kun. No issues?" Konomi: "Okay, let me know as soon as anything happens." Konomi: "Thanks." Kaoru: "Here should be fine." Konomi: "Huh?" Kaoru: "You're a detective, right?" Konomi: "Who are you?" Kaoru: "I feel bad for you." Kaoru: "You have to die an early death because you didn't pick a better job. Poor girl." Konomi: "Huh? What?" Kaoru: "You're pretty stupid. There are things in this world that you shouldn't mess with." Kaoru: "Huh?" Konomi: "Hey, you!" A: "How'd that tranquilizer taste, monster?" D: "That biker freak owes us. You're going to tell us all about your friends when you wake up." Kaoru: "Biker freak? You mean Black Label, right?" C: "Hey, she's conscious!" Kaoru: "What a laugh. Don't lump me in with those weaklings." A: "That's weird. Should I give her another dose?" Kaoru: "You guys are with the yakuza goons that were on that ship, right? You seem like total wimps to me. Right, Kaori?" Kaori: "Get out of here, little worms." D: "Two of 'em?" Kaoru: "There we go." Kaori: "Hurry up and capture him." Kaoru: "I'm still numb." B: "Hurry! Hurry!" : "What's going on?" B: "Talk later!" Kaoru: "Three hundred... Three hundred fifty meters. Here we go. Laser beam!" E: "Wh-What was that?" B: "She's a monster! Move it!" Kaname: "She was kidnapped by the yakuza?" Kaname: "Say that one more time. Weren't you two supposed to be our strongest fighting unit, KaoKao-kun?" Kaname: "And who was taken? Hey, come on. Don't put on a front like that. Just say it one more time." Kaoru: "Grr! Kaname!" Kaori: "This is so irritating." Kaori: "Our transmitter's working. They're holed up in the mountains." Kaori: "Looks like we can have a real workout now. Let's go take our mind off of things." Kaori: "We're going after them." Tatara: "Suzue..." Tatara: "Hijiri! Wasn't she with you today? What's going on?" Hijiri: "I don't know. We split up early in the day." Tatara: "Forensics, examine those tire treads." R: "Right!" Tatara: "Unit A, look for witnesses and check the traffic surveillance cameras." R: "Right!" Goryu: "This is who the girls in the red coats were after?" B: "Yes, Goryu-sama." Goryu: "Good work. I'll reward you later. Personally." B: "Yes, ma'am!" Goryu: "Now, then. Let's have her talk." Goryu: "I never would have guessed she'd be a detective, though." Goryu: "I guess we can't let her leave now." Goryu: "Prepare some Platinum Lily." R: "Understood." : "What's wrong, Hijiri-kun?" Hijiri: "I put a transmitter on her clothes, but the signal cut off somewhere nearby. It's already been eight hours since we lost her signal. I am unable to verify her safety." : "I'll give orders to take the utmost care to ensure Detective Suzue's well-being." Hijiri: "The two girls in the red coats were spotted, as well. It seems to have something to do with the information that we and Detective Suzue were after." : "So it's that server..." : "What are they after?" Goryu: "You're tough. You can talk to me a little, can't you? Why were the girls in red coats after you?" Konomi: "There will be consequences for this." Goryu: "You sound like you're reading a script. I can't get enough of you, Detective Suzue." Goryu: "I never had any intention of letting this end without consequences." Konomi: "What are you after?" Goryu: "After? I only serve my master. I follow my master's orders, and execute his instructions. That's all I'm "after."" Konomi: "But how can you..." Goryu: "If you don't feel like talking, I'll just proceed to the next step. I don't really care either way." Goryu: "Take a look around you. Soon, you'll be just like them." Goryu: "These girls are my master's dolls." Goryu: "It's nice not being able to think about anything. There's no fear or pain. I'll free you from everything that binds you. Relax." Goryu: "I won't take your life. We're not evil. In fact, we're very kind." Goryu: "There are many forms of happiness. Don't you think?" R: "Inspector Tatara!" Tatara: "You found something?" R: "We found about twelve items believed to belong to Detective Suzue, scattered at eight different locations. Two were in paper bags and had been brought to a local police box as lost or suspicious items." Tatara: "This same pattern again?" R: "The mysterious disappearances of Tobioka..." Goryu: "The goal of torture isn't to harm the body. There's no point in killing someone. Granting death is the easiest and most boring thing you can do." Goryu: "Torture is about killing the heart. That's why I won't take your life or knock you out. You'll alternate between relief and anxiety, which will gradually kill your spirit." Goryu: "What I just injected you with is a simple muscle relaxant. Not a strong dose, either." Goryu: "Platinum Lily is a strong drug. Even a hardcore junkie will trip on just one dose. However, its effects vary from person to person." Goryu: "I can't just have you going crazy on me all of a sudden. First, I'll gradually take away your ability to control your body, and I'll give you a drug to keep you from sleeping. You'll be conscious, but you won't be able to do anything. I'll be able to completely have my way with you." Goryu: "You'll stop being able to tell the difference between pleasure and pain. You'll forget ethical concepts such as "good" and "evil," as well. Everything will be chaos. Finally, I'll send you to heaven, quite literally, with Platinum Lily." Goryu: "In the end, you'll tell me everything. You won't even feel remorse. Such emotions will be long lost to you by then." Goryu: "You see? I'm very kind, am I not?" : "According to our information, it has been eight hours since the signal from the transmitter attached to Detective Suzue's clothes cut off. We're unable to verify her safety. The signal stopped near a hideout used by Tobishiro Kyoji's men." Mochidzuki: "Anything else?" Mochidzuki: "Syringe..." : "Witnesses saw a fight between the girls and some gangsters under Tobishiro." : "It seems to have something to do with the information Detective Suzue was after." Mochidzuki: "Public Safety's server, huh? What are they after?" Mochidzuki: "Are we ready?" Mochidzuki: "Good. Then..." Mochidzuki: "Begin the operation." Goryu: "Hello, Detective Suzue." Konomi: "Where am I?" Goryu: "Kyoji-sama wants to play with you himself. You might get to maintain your sense of self for a bit longer." Konomi: "Kyo..." Goryu: "Eiki." Eiki: "Yes, ma'am?" Goryu: "I want her thoroughly cleaned up. Treat her cuts and apply makeup as needed. I'm going to pick up Kyoji-sama. Bring her back enough to reply to him." Eiki: "Very well." Goryu: "Be grateful for Kyoji-sama's fickle nature, Detective Suzue." Goryu: "Whether that's good or bad luck for you, I can't say." B: "I'm getting personally rewarded by Goryu-sama tomorrow." : "Lucky!" B: "I can't wait. I would die to get to tomorrow." Oriha: "Do you know where I can find a police officer?" B: "Hey, little girl. There ain't no police boxes around here. It takes two hours to walk to town... Huh?" Oriha: "Yoo-hoo!" Mikoto: "Oriha!" Mikoto: "Let's make our entrance with style. We get to be the fireworks!" Mikoto: "Let's go nuts!" Oriha: "That felt so good." Mikoto: "This is more intricate than I thought." Oriha: "It's like an anthill." Mikoto: "Where could that detective be?" Oriha: "I wonder if Arachin found her..." Yuko: "Looks like things are going well." Miki: "There are no other paths that lead here. It doesn't look there's any backup coming for them, either." Yuko: "Wait. We've got company." Kaori: "What's going on here?" Kaori: "It couldn't be..." Kaoru: "Black Label? They're kinda early, aren't they?" Kaori: "It doesn't matter. No matter who it is, if they get in our way, we'll kill them." Kaori: "We're bringing that detective woman back with us. That's all. Right? Let's hurry up and find her." Kaori: "What's this place?" Kaoru: "It looks fun." Sayo: "You're late, kiddos. You shouldn't make your senpai wait." Kaoru: "Senpai, you're alive! Now we get to have fun again! Huh? What happened to your mask?" Sayo: "I don't need it anymore. Come on. I'll show you what true strength is." Kaoru/Kaori: "Fine by us!" Kaori: "Damn you..." Sayo: "You know, I woke up and remembered all kinds of things. It seems you're something like my little sisters." Sayo: "So our sibling rivalry ends today. Let's settle this." Kaoru: "Settle this?" Kaori: "If you want to get in our way," Kaori: "we'll send you to hell." Kaoru/Kaori: "As many times as it takes!" Sayo: "Long ago, there was a doctor called Togo Itaru." Sayo: "He had a daughter suffering from an incurable disease. In order to save his daughter," Sayo: "Togo Itaru tried everything he could. Even if..." Kaori: "She has shields?" Sayo: "...the method was taboo. His daughter's life was saved, but at a steep price." Sayo: "His daughter lost her heart and became crazed. And as a side effect, his daughter's physical abilities increased explosively." Sayo: "The man's heart was captivated by this demon-like phenomenon." Sayo: "Using drugs, he could surpass the natural abilities of humans. He called them High Jetters, and used his daughter's body to continue his research." Sayo: "His heart died, just as hers had. Not a single person involved with the project should still be alive, because his daughter went crazy and killed them all." Sayo: "So who made you two?" Kaoru: "Well, the princess—" Kaori: "Keep your mouth shut, idiot." Kayo: "Princess..." Kaori: "It's none of your business." Sayo: "It is my business. That daughter was me." Kaori: "I've just about had enough." Sayo: "I've already decided. I need to take responsibility myself." Kaori: "Die!" Sayo: "It's my responsibility to take you guys out." Kaori: "Why? If you're like us," Kaori: "you should remember the pleasure of destruction." Kaori: "Breathing the chaos in the air! Tasting the blood! Why?!" Sayo: "There are better things in the world." Kaori: "Huh?" Sayo: "Some single-minded idiot who couldn't die if you tried to kill him beat it into me, and my eyes were opened." Sayo: "He reminded me that it'd be a waste to forget my reality." G: "Damn it. They're running wild all over the place." G: "Sound won't reach Goryu-sama's shelter. We need to take them out now—" Arashi: "Did you hear that?" Arashi: "It must connect the tunnel and the remains of the old Tobioka Mines. This facility goes deeper than I expected." Mikoto: "We'll keep making noise, then. Hurry up and save her. Hitsugi-neesan's having her revenge match." Arashi: "Roger." Kaoru: "This is bad, Kaori. Senpai's gotten really strong. What should we do?" Kaori: "Don't freak out, you idiot." Kaoru: "But... But..." Kaori: "Our only justice is power. That's the destiny of the chosen ones. I thought you, of all people, would understand that." Sayo: "Huh? Of course I wouldn't." Kaori: "That's too bad. I'll show you, anyway. I'll prove it by beating you! I'll stomp your corpse into powder, and write the oath in your blood!" Kaori: "Let's do this, Kaoru." Kaoru: "I know! I know..." Kaori: "By any means necessary!" Kaori: "Got her!" Sayo: "Sorry, but we don't fight to win or lose. Only to remove lesions." Kaoru: "Kaori!" Sayo: "It'll be a shame to lose two people I can really duke it out with," Sayo: "but this is my job." Miki: "People are gathering at the front passage, and the land exit at the opposite end." Miki: "I'm sure they're guards. Something's up." Miki: "An Osprey?" Sayo: "They say the only cure for stupidity is death. Prepare yourselves." Sayo: "The next time you're reborn, I'm sure you'll be cured, sisters." Sayo: "What?" Astro: "We're out of time. Fall back." Kaoru: "Right..." R: "Goryu-sama is so good at what she does. She neither kills them nor lets them live." R2: "This girl should be enough to please Kyoji-sama." R3: "She feels like a virgin..." Arashi: "This is Arashi. Target found. Three enemies neutralized." Arashi: "She's unconscious. Breath is shallow." Arashi: "She has several external wounds. Signs indicate she was tortured." Arashi: "I'll carry her." Arashi: "This strength..." Sayo: "This is Hitsugi. I made contact with Syringe, but lost them."

20: "Since the day mankind began to dig graves, offer flowers, and mourn the deaths of others," 20: "all 110 billion people who have lived on this planet..." 20: "...have perished. The 6.9 billion still bravely living today, who tread upon the ground in which the dead sleep," 20: "will one day die and rot away, as well. Not only humans," 20: "but all things that live in this world, are bound to die." 20: "Death is a gift bestowed upon all those who live. For death is rest," 20: "a mirror vividly reflecting one's life back to them." Punk: "Damn you!" Kensuke: "Oh, did that hurt?" Kensuke: "Well, that's just proof you're alive!" Yoshio: "D-Damn it!" Kensuke: "If anything else happens... Well, hopefully nothing else will." Kensuke: "But if it does, come see me." Girl: "Boy Detectives' Club?" Yoshio: "I want to die..." Guy: "Huh? Loud much?" Girl: "What the heck? That's hilarious!" Akechi: "Ba... Ba..." Akechi: "Ba..." Akechi: "Bazooka (bazuuka hou)!" Inoue: "Whitworth rifle (uittowaasu juu)." Akechi: "W... Walker Bulldog (uookaa burudoggu)." Inoue: "Glock pistol (gurokku juu)." Akechi: "You're keeping us in a "u" loop again." Akechi: "You're a real jerk, Inoue." Akechi: "W... W... War pick (uoopikku)!" Inoue: "Air rifle (kuuki juu)." Akechi: "Huh? U-Uh..." Inoue: "It's Detective Nakamura." Akechi: "Yes? Akechi Investigation Firm here." : "I've got a job for you, master detective." Akechi: "The robot in Shibuya, right?" : "Wow, you get wind of things fast." Akechi: "That's not the only thing I do fast." Inoue: "We're 500 meters from our destination." : "Wait! Where are—" Akechi: "I'll take your job, Nao-chan." Akechi: "There'll be a 30% surcharge. Either that, or you can pay with your modest, sag-free br—" Inoue: "Akechi-sensei, please set your cell phone to answer upon opening." Akechi: "Sure, sure." Akechi: "Hey, what about him?" Inoue: "Hanasaki has been given a different toy." : "Getting what they call a "runner's high?"" Kensuke: "Nope, no high." : "Well, wouldn't you say you're an adrenaline junkie? Both excesses and deficiencies of adrenaline can shorten your lifespan..." Kensuke: "Oh, shut up, Noro." : "In any case, if you don't find it today, you can kiss your fee goodbye." Kensuke: "I'm looking, okay?" : "Oh, turn right next." Kensure: "Got it!" : "Wait! Wait!" : "I said right! The hand you hold chopsticks with! The side political conservatives are on! Not the Ise Expressway!" Akechi: "Noro, you're up." : "Yes, sir!" : "20200724." Akechi: "Getting in on the Olympic fever, huh?" : "I won't hack the inside. They look like people I don't want to make enemies of." Akechi: "Nah, that's just fine." Guy: "No access from outside S002! Don't state the obvious! That's a stolen machine! The end of the excavator just reached the utility duct. It hit the underground cable! It's invaded the system! Put up a firewall! Protect the main system! But if we isolate the main system, we'll lose control of the security network— Just do it! Y-Yes, sir!" Guy: "Who are you?!" Akechi: "Pretty fancy trap you've set. Using the robot as a decoy while you breach the system personally?" Akechi: "What are you trying to put into the main computer?" Guy: "You're rather talkative today, Akechi-kun." Akechi: "And you did a poor job following through today, Fiend with Twenty Faces." Guy: "Tw-Twenty Faces?!" Akechi: "When did you break out of prison?" 20: "I don't recall being sent to prison." Akechi: "What, we're playing hide-and-seek this time?" : "Jeez, there's no point in navigating for you now." Kensuke: "What's the problem? I found this." Kensuke: "That means Melodina-chan must be hiding somewhere around here, right?" : "As if it'll go that we—" Kensuke: "There she is!" : "You're kidding!" Kensuke: "Come here, Melodina-chan." Kensuke: "Hey! Stupid dog!" Akechi: "I know. I blew it." Inoue: "If you didn't know that, we'd have a big problem." Akechi: "And?" Akechi: "Where'd he run to?" Inoue: "I'm recalling the structure of the facility now." Inoue: "There are three escape routes from that building. The shortest would be out the south exit and into the waterway, but I can't imagine him making a normal escape." Inoue: "It's likely he predicted that you'd show up, as well." Inoue: "In which case, he would have fled to..." Voice: "The robot that suddenly appeared in Shibuya is said to be the next generation of security robot, under development by Hinomoto Heavy Industries, but no further informa—" Guy: "You're late." Akechi: "I've always been pretty loose with time." Guy: "You still carry that dangerous thing around?" Guy: "What an evil man you are." Waiter: "I apologize for the wait." Guy: "It's your favorite, assam tea." Kensuke: "Gimme a break already..." : "Hey, it's almost time for my Pilates." Kensuke: "You can put that off until later. You're a shut-in, anyway." : "You're not allowed to say that! That's moral harassment!" Kensuke: "Here, stupid dog!" Kensuke: "Uh... Hi there." Yoshio: "Stay away!" Kensuke: "All right. As soon as I catch that dog, I'll leave. You stupid—" Yoshio: "Stay away!" Yoshio: "I told you..." Yoshio: "I told you..." Yoshio: "...to stay away..." Yoshio: "I..." Yoshio: "I did nothing wrong!" Kensuke: "Hey, wait!" Kensuke: "For real?" Voice: "What could this mean? Fireworks are being launched from the security robot!" Akechi: "Pretty fancy show you're putting on." Guy: "Explosives or poison gas..." Guy: "Which would you prefer for the finale?" Akechi: "You trying to threaten me?" Guy: "Let's call it a draw for today." Guy: "Your tea is ready." Yoshio: "Just let me die!" : "What? Isn't that incomprehensible?" Inoue: "If you can't understand it, you don't need to." : "I mean, just retracting the request like that..." Inoue: "In any case, tell Hanasaki he doesn't have to search for the dog anymore." : "But..." Inoue: "You were the one who said you'd look after Hanasaki, right?" : "Hey! Isn't that bullying?! That's super sadistic! I'm mad as hell!" Akechi: "Will you stop screaming? Everyone around me is all nag, nag, nag, nag..." : "There wasn't even anything explosive in it!" Miya: "It just means Twenty Faces got us hook, line, and sinker." : "We come this far only to be told it's out of our jurisdiction?" Miya: "Security robots are super top-secret technology, after all." : "Are they going to say they'll look into it themselves?" Kid: "Aww! How cute!" Kensuke: "You're sadder than anyone about it, aren't you?" Kensuke: "Wait!" Kensuke: "Wait, I said!" Yoshio: "Stay away!" Kensuke: "Ow..." Yoshio: "Stay away!" Kensuke: "Nice one!" Yoshio: "Stay away! Stay away! Stay away! Stay away! Stay away! Stay away! Stay away!" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "You love diving into stuff, huh?" Yoshio: "Stay away..." Yoshio: "If you get close to me, you'll die." Kensuke: "One sec!" Kensuke: "Do you want cider or tea?" Kensuke: "Tea it is, then." Kensuke: "You crack me up, man!" Yoshio: "Huh?!" Kensuke: "Go on. Take a big gulp." Kensuke: "Like it?" Yoshio: "I've never had it before, so..." Kensuke: "Hey, so what's going on with you?" Yoshio: "If I knew that, I wouldn't be suffering." Kensuke: "So it's something you can't control, huh?" Kensuke: "That's awesome, though! You're invincible!" Yoshio: "It's not awesome!" Yoshio: "I..." Yoshio: "I just... want to die." Kensuke: "Sorry! Next time!" Kensuke: "Let's hang out again!" Yoshio: "What's his deal?" Kensuke: "It wasn't over, okay?!" : "Relax! You're not explaining yourself!" Kensuke: "The robot case that Sensei was on!" Kensuke: "Twenty Faces is planning something for sure!" Kensuke: "I mean, a fire at Hinomoto Heavy Industries at a time like this?!" : "Planning? Planning what?" Inoue: "We're on our way! Don't act on your own!" Kensuke: "I don't think so!" Inoue: "That idiot!" Akechi: "Oh, boy, what a problem." : "He's totally holding a grudge." : "You didn't complete the job, did you?" : "He's definitely a junkie." Inoue: "Keep the trace on Hanasaki! Don't lose him!" : "He's in it for the thrill! He's gonna die young!" Yoshio: "Why am I doing this?" Kensuke: "Hang in there. We're almost out." : "Totally stopped..." Inoue: "I can see that." : "Not that. I mean Hanasaki." Yoshio: "Guess he wouldn't be here..." Guy: "Hey!" Guy: "Help me!" Guy: "Please, help!" Guy: "Hurry!" Guy: "Hey! Are you listening?! Hey!" Yoshio: "I can't help." Guy: "Screw you, brat! Die!" Kensuke: "You came to save me?" Yoshio: "You know I can't do that." Kensuke: "Still, you tried to, didn't you?" Kensuke: "On the count of three, okay?" Kensuke: "One, two, and... Three!" Kensuke: "I was getting worried..." Guy: "Stay away from me! Beat it! You damn brat! Die! Die! You monster! Die! Just die!" Yoshio: "If I could die, I would!" Guy: "Y-You think I care?! Die, then! Just drop dead!" Kensuke: "Hey!" Guy: "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut u—" Kensuke: "Keep acting up, and I'll leave you here." Kensuke: "Kidding!" Kensuke: "But save your fits for when we're out of here, okay?" Kensuke: "Now, then..." Kensuke: "Can you help us out just a little more?" Kensuke: "Awesome! You really are invincible!" Guy: "Damn brats!" Kensuke: "Hey! You're supposed to say "thank you!"" Kensuke: "Seriously, he didn't have to throw a fit once we got out of there." Kensuke: "Hey." Kensuke: "You wanna join the Boy Detectives' Club?" Kensuke: "Protect the town together and stuff?" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "If you join," Kensuke: "I'll grant your wish someday." Kensuke: "I promise to kill you." Kensuke: "What the heck was that shriek?" Kensuke: "Does that hurt?" Kensuke: "That's just proof you're alive." Kensuke: "Man, you seriously crack me up!" Kensuke: "Hey, what's your name?" Yoshio: "Kobayashi... Yoshio." Kensuke: "Kobayashi!" Kensuke: "Come on, you'll be my partner, right?" Inoue: "Hanasaki!" Inoue: "Get away from Hanasaki!" Kensuke: "No, no, it's not like that. Put the gun d—" Kensuke: "That idiot!" Yoshio: "S-Stop!" Akechi: "Um... Nao-chan?" : "You know I'm not giving you all of that." : "You didn't do a thing that I could take credit for!" Akechi: "Man, police commissioners of the future are scary." : "So, what is Twenty Faces after?" Akechi: "There'll be a separate fee for that investigation." : "Yeah, I'm gonna pay you even less of that." Akechi: "Whoa! Kidding, kidding, kidding!" Akechi: "Nao-chan, smile! Okay? Okay?" 20: "Hinomoto Heavy Industries ceases operations indefinitely..." 20: "Things are starting to get fun now, aren't they, Akechi-kun?"

20Faces: "Now, that's not good, Hanasaki-kun." 20Faces: "Haven't seen you since we played in the water a while back." 20Faces: "Did you have a fight with Akechi-kun?" Kensuke: "You're..." Kensuke: "Twenty Faces?" 20Faces: "It's easy to make you do as I say, but it wouldn't be very fun." 20Faces: "Play with me, Hanasaki-kun." Ohtomo: "It's unusual for you to come here." Inoue: "You're the one who told me to come." Ohtomo: "I sure did." Ohtomo: "Because Hanasaki ignored me." Ohtomo: "He usually replies immediately. Did something happen to him?" Inoue: "What do you want?" Ohtomo: "There you go, being like that again." Ohtomo: "Yamane! Hey, Yamane!" Yamane: "I'm coming, all right?" Yamane: "This is everything you asked for. Wire, spare underwater oxygen cylinders," Yamane: "a lifesaver set, and the improved adaptive camouflage umbrella." Yamane: "Senpai, please take care of things." Ohtomo: "Ta-da. The ribs are carbon fiber, making it 47% lighter than the previous model." Inoue: "I see." Ohtomo: "Your reactions are weak! Hanasaki would be all happy and squealing, "Whoa! It's so light!"" Inoue: "I see." Yamane: "Senpai's not that type of guy." Inoue: "Is this everything?" Ohtomo: "Hmm... There's also this." Ohtomo: "Sleeping gas. You can adjust the amount with water." Inoue: "I see." Ohtomo: "Again, that's weak!" Yoshio: "Hey." Yoshio: "Are you done yet?" 20Faces: "You were sound asleep." 20Faces: "Here." Kensuke: "What?" Kensuke: "Where are we?" 20Faces: "How do you like the taste?" Kensuke: "Answer me!" 20Faces: "I don't dislike that look in your eyes." 20Faces: "But it's not enough." 20Faces: "You can make a better expression, can't you?" 20Faces: "Police Detective Nakamura is quite remarkable." 20Faces: "She managed to miss his vitals." Kensuke: "Haru-nii..." 20Faces: "Are you actually... relieved?" 20Faces: "Even though he asked to be killed at once?" 20Faces: "Even though he will never regain his former shine?" Kensuke: "It's your fault! You made Haru-nii—" 20Faces: "I extended my hand to him when he needed help." 20Faces: "Is that a bad thing?" Kensuke: "Damn right it is!" 20Faces: "Worse than Akechi-kun?" Kensuke: "That's enough! Shut up!" 20Faces: "And what about you?" 20Faces: "Surely you're not going to call yourself a hero of justice, are you?" 20Faces: "Her favorite color is yellow." 20Faces: "She loves soccer and beads. A young girl with adorable double teeth." 20Faces: "She was only ten years old." 20Faces: "She was supposed to receive a kidney transplant." Kensuke: "Huh?" 20Faces: "From that facility." 20Faces: "You have taken an estimated twenty-two lives." 20Faces: "That number will continue to grow." Kensuke: "But... I saved the people in that place..." 20Faces: "Was that the right thing to do?" 20Faces: "Better than the children you didn't save?" Kensuke: "Stop it!" 20Faces: "So..." 20Faces: "Are you a good person or a bad person?" Kensuke: "Stop it!" Kensuke: "I don't wanna hear it!" 20Faces: "I understand." 20Faces: "You only want to look at the things you want to see." Kensuke: "Stop it!" kamura: "Sorry," kamura: "but I won't have much work for you for a while." Akechi: "What? I'll be so lonely if I can't see you." kamura: "Well, if a certain someone hadn't been standing in a daze, I wouldn't have had to shoot the suspect." Akechi: "Yeah, sorry for that." kamura: "Well, I'm sure the famous master detective still has plenty to do, even without any jobs from me." Akechi: "Hey, no need to pout. If it's what you want, I'm always happy to fondle those modest brea— Huh?" Inoue: "Sensei." Akechi: "Yeah, yeah." Akechi: "A deserted love hotel, eh?" Client: "Um..." Client: "Please take care of it." Akechi: "Well, shall we get this over with?" 20Faces: "You poor boy." Kensuke: "Huh?" 20Faces: "I know how much it hurts to not be loved." Host: "Thank you for waiting, everyone." Host: "Please look at this. The new facility opening tomorrow, Le Waqua, is the Hanasaki Group's tenth large-scale commercial complex." 20Faces: "seeing your father smile?" Kensuke: "Shut up." Pressa: "Could you tell us what this complex has that your others do not?" Dad: "A sense of security, perhaps." Pressb: "We've heard that it will be guarded by the latest security robots." Dad: "No doubt about that." Pressb: "After the Hinomoto Heavy Industries incident some time ago, even the police have refrained from using security robots. What are your thoughts on that?" Dad: "These robots will differ in both manufacturer and capabilities. There will be no comparison." 20Faces: "Well, wouldn't you like to hear?" Kensuke: "What?" 20Faces: "What your current father is going to say about you?" Inoue: "Even though it closed thirty years ago, all the people who came to tear it down met with unfortunate accidents, one after another. Recently, it's become known as a haunted building, so the client—" Akechi: "Wants us to catch the ghost, right?" Inoue: "She wants us to find the cause of the accidents, and make it possible to work on the building." Akechi: "So if we catch the ghost, the case is solved, right?" Inoue: "That's so unscientific." Akechi: "What are you talking about? There's a very unscientific person right next to us." Inoue: "Well, yes, that's true..." Akechi: "Ooh, scary! So scary!" Host: "Now, we'll take one more question before wrapping up." Host: "The gentleman wearing the red necktie?" Pressc: "Do you have plans of your own to visit the complex with your family?" Host: "I'm sorry, but questions of that nature are not..." Dad: "Of course, I plan to. But my son is very busy with his school club, so he doesn't have much time for me lately." 20Faces: "All adults are liars." 20Faces: "It's not as if he even cares about you, and yet..." Kensuke: "Well, I don't..." 20Faces: "You truly are so much like the boy I used to be." Kensuke: "Stop it..." 20Faces: "You want both your father and Akechi-kun to look at you more, to approve of you," 20Faces: "to praise you so badly that it's unbearable, don't you? Let me show you" 20Faces: "what I received from Akechi-kun." : "Seriously... Aren't you being kinda overprotective? If the surface of meat is heated to more than 150 degrees Celsius, something called the Maillard reaction occurs, causing the amino acids and sugars to bond and bring out more savory flavor." : "In other words, cooking is a chain of chemical reactions." Katsuta: "Any jobs?" : "I'm taking the day off today. I want to give Pippo-chan a break, too." Katsuta: "I see." : "Don't worry. I'm the healthiest one in the club! I take enzymes, after all!" : "Also, put in an application before you come here!" Katsuta: "Sorry." : "Well, I like your food, so it's fine." Katsuta: "I see." : "Leaving already?" Katsuta: "Let me know if anything comes up." Katsuta: "I'm a former member, after all." : "His intuition's sharp in the weirdest ways. It always was." Akechi: "Hey!" Akechi: "What's up?" Akechi: "Did you find the ghost?" Yoshio: "No." Akechi: "I see. I'll be counting on you, then." Yoshio: "Counting on me?" Akechi: "It's easier for you to handle it alone, right?" Yoshio: "You're skipping out?" Inoue: "Hear that?" Akechi: "I told you..." Akechi: "If you go in alone, you can go as nuts as you want." 20Faces: "This is the gift Akechi-kun gave me." 20Faces: "I was killed once, with this very gun." 20Faces: "Of course, killing just one person is a simple matter for Akechi-kun." 20Faces: "After all, he has killed so many already." 20Faces: "You don't know anything about him, do you?" 20Faces: "Keep this up, and Akechi-kun will abandon you, too." 20Faces: "He is constantly seeking the pleasure of a new thrill..." 20Faces: "A toy that he can hold in his hand and play with for his own amusement." 20Faces: "Now that Kobayashi-kun has shown up, what would he want from you?" 20Faces: "He gives no thought to toys he's grown bored of." 20Faces: "The whole reason Akechi Kogorou lives is for thrills." 20Faces: "If one lives according to one's desires, sacrifices are inevitable." 20Faces: "Pleasure can only exist on top of sacrifice. If it will fill Akechi-kun's head only with me," 20Faces: "there is nothing I won't sacrifice." 20Faces: "I'm not asking what you want anyone to do for you." 20Faces: "What is it you want to do?" Yoshio: "Hey!" Yoshio: "Stop running!" Akechi: "We got us a ghost." Inoue: "Please stop joking around." Akechi: "Yeah, yeah." Akechi: "Hey..." Akechi: "You okay?" Akechi: "You've had it rough too, haven't you, Ms. Client?" Boy: "Mommy!" Akechi: "Sheesh... Going so far as to play a ghost..." Inoue: "The light bulbs in the chandelier were LED bulbs manufactured after 2010. And the building in this photo" Inoue: "opened in 2020, the same year as the Olympics." Inoue: "Neither existed when this hotel was in business." Inoue: "Did you intend to use Sensei's name to make your own headlines?" Akechi: "Well, it would cost money to tear the place down." Inoue: "Shame it wasn't a ghost, huh?" Akechi: "Yep. Of course, if you crash into it headlong, nothing is really that big a deal. That's how the truth works." Client: "I'm desperate here." Client: "You get it, don't you? I'm desperate to survive!" Akechi: "Life counseling isn't part of a detective's job." Client: "How can this be?" Akechi: "All right, I'd say this case is solved." 20Faces: "Why are you hesitating?" 20Faces: "Are you afraid to speak your own desires out loud?" Kensuke: "N-No... I..." Inoue: "What do we do about Kobayashi?" Akechi: "He'll come out of there eventually." Kensuke: "Stop..." Akechi: "He might be cut out to be a detective." Akechi: "I mean Kobayashi." Akechi: "More so than the rest of you." Inoue: "Even more than me?" Akechi: "Sure." Inoue: "And Hanasaki?" Akechi: "He's not a detective." Inoue: "Sensei..." Akechi: "I'm fed up with his stupidity." Inoue: "Fed up..." Akechi: "Just forget about him." Kensuke: "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" 20Faces: "Even now that he's tired of you," 20Faces: "is it still your wish to remain his toy?" 20Faces: "Unfortunately, though... The more you cling like that," 20Faces: "the more bored he will grow. Akechi-kun is only looking for a new thrill." Kensuke: "I'm not a..." 20Faces: "That's right." 20Faces: "You're not even a toy anymore." 20Faces: "As far as Akechi-kun is concerned, you don't exist. If he's going to tire of you and throw you away," 20Faces: "then you just need to make him into a toy." 20Faces: "Don't you want to surprise him? Don't you want to make him regret the way he treated you," 20Faces: "and crush him yourself?" 20Faces: "I'll ask you once more..." 20Faces: "What is it you want right now?" 20Faces: "Is it to be..." 20Faces: "a pretend Akechi-kun?" Kensuke: "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I... I... I...!" Kensuke: "I'm..." Kensuke: "I'm not a toy!" Kensuke: "I'm..." Kensuke: "...not like you." Kensuke: "I'm not!" Akechi: "Well, let's go." Inoue: "You didn't mean that, did you, Sensei?" Akechi: "Huh?" Inoue: "About Hanasaki." Akechi: "I meant it." Akechi: "For right now. Whether he wants to come back to us or not is where it has to start. Right?" Inoue: "Do you still want to die?" Yoshio: "Of course I do." Inoue: "You don't like being a detective?" Akechi: "Inoue." Yoshio: "It's not that." Yoshio: "But this isn't going to last long, anyway." Yoshio: "So..." Akechi: "You want to die before it ends, huh?" Inoue: "This was here when I came in." 20Faces: "Hello, Akechi-kun." 20Faces: "Lovely morning, isn't it?" 20Faces: "I've come up with a game you'll love. Hanasaki Kensuke-kun" 20Faces: "is currently in my care." 20Faces: "He is truly an interesting boy." 20Faces: "Are you going to come for him?" 20Faces: "Or..." 20Faces: "Do you mind if I do as I please with your toy?" Inoue: "Sensei..." 20Faces: "Just try to come find me and capture me." 20Faces: "This is starting to get interesting, isn't it, Akechi-kun?" 20Faces: "I bet you're making a great expression right now." 20Faces: "You're quite the actor." 20Faces: "Well done."

Gackt: "I am only yours That may sound like just a line, but I've been running blindly down this dark road I want to hold you badly, it's breaking me But for some reason, my tears spill forth I still don't understand anything" 20Faces: "Are you coming?" Inoue: "You're going alone?" Akechi: "If you know the answer, don't ask." Inoue: "It's too dangerous!" Akechi: "Having a little trouble listening?" Inoue: "Please calm down. We still don't know where Twenty Faces is." Akechi: "I've got an idea." Inoue: "Sensei!" Yoshio: "I'm going to bed." Inoue: "Don't leave!" Inoue: "Please stay there." Kensuke: "Well?" Kensuke: "What do we do now?" 20Faces: "What do you want to do?" 20Faces: "This intense thrill that carries the smell of death..." 20Faces: "What do you want to do with it?" 20Faces: "You truly are just like Akechi-kun." 20Faces: "Isn't it fun when everything goes your way?" Kensuke: "Shut up." Katsuta: "What do you want me to do?" Inoue: "I don't know." Inoue: "But we need help." : "I zipped the detailed data and sent it to you, so give it a look." : "Looks like trouble, just like Katsuta predicted." Inoue: "I'll call you back." Inoue: "What?" Yoshio: "I guess even you don't do as you're told all the time." Inoue: "Sensei only said "you guys don't have to." That doesn't count as specific instructions. Besides..." Inoue: "Whether we live or die is our choice." Inoue: "Ohtomo, it's me." Inoue: "You know, me! You idiot! It's not a scam! Don't sleep! Wake up!" : "Noro-chin, you're a genius." 20Faces: "Perfect place to play, isn't it?" 20Faces: "You don't like it?" Kensuke: "It's not that..." 20Faces: "Then let's begin." 20Faces: "Very good. You answered after just one ring." 20Faces: "For starters, would you open the security office? Yes. You have my guarantee, so long as you do exactly as I say." 20Faces: "Right answer." 20Faces: "The person on the other end..." 20Faces: "Yes, that's right. I'm speaking with your son." 20Faces: "Next, the security code." Kensuke: "Why?" 20Faces: "I'm glad you catch on so quickly. See? It's easy" 20Faces: "to make people do what you want." Kensuke: "Why is he doing this for me?" 20Faces: "Is it for you, or for himself?" 20Faces: "Which do you think it is? You know your father better than I do, don't you?" 20Faces: "Now..." 20Faces: "With the touch of one finger, this whole place is yours." 20Faces: "What will you do? Do you want to stop?" 20Faces: "It's nothing to be ashamed of. A child caring for his father—" Kensuke: "It's not that!" Voice: "Security has been deactivated. The complex will be locked down until confirmed safe." 20Faces: "Now..." 20Faces: "What will you do next?" : "Hey! Hey!" : "You can praise me a little more, you know. I'm the one who put the tracker on Ake-chin!" Katsuta: "Good job." : "That just pissed me off!" Inoue: "No word from Sensei?" : "You know there's not." Inoue: "And from Hanasaki?" Yoshio: "Will you shut up?" Inoue: "It's my fault." Yoshio: "Huh?" Inoue: "If I'd been more responsible... If I'd stayed closer to him..." Inoue: "Hanasaki wouldn't have been captured." Inoue: "If anything happens to him, I..." Yoshio: "He's the idiot for getting caught." Yoshio: "He's the one who threw a hissy fit and ran out." Inoue: "Kobayashi!" Yoshio: "Didn't you say it yourself? Whether you live or die is your—" Katsuta: "That's enough." Yoshio: "It's not like he even asked for help—" : "Koba-chin, shut up!" Katsuta: "He stopped." Inoue: "Noro, where is he?" : "Uh, he should be within five meters of here..." Yoshio: "There." : "A cat?!" Katsuta: "That's Akechi-san's." Inoue: "I guess this means he knew what we were going to do." : "Huh?! I'm putting out a ton of cortisol right now!" Ohtomo: "Don't be so touchy." Ohtomo: "Been a while." : "Wh-Wh-Wha?!" Ohtomo: "Working open that lock was a piece of cake." : "You look all smug, but that's a crime, you know! That's totally unlawful entry!" Ohtomo: "Aw, don't be such a stiff." Inoue: "Ohtomo, what are you doing there?" Ohtomo: "Oh, just observing." : "Huh?!" Ohtomo: "You know, I like each of you guys on your own," Ohtomo: "but I don't care much for the Boy Detectives' Club." : "I'm so busy trying to find Ake-chin here! You're totally in my way! Also, you're too close!" Katsuta: "Should we split up and search?" Inoue: "Searching blindly will just be a waste of time." Yoshio: "Hey. Can I go home?" Inoue: "Be quiet!" Yoshio: "Huh?" : "No fighting! I'm detecting Ake-chin from his smartphone, so just hang on!" Ohtomo: "You guys are so dense." Ohtomo: "The flashy masked bastard kidnapped the young master Hanasaki, right?" Ohtomo: "Look." Ohtomo: "Where else would he be?" Akechi: "Oh, come on. No mercy at all!" Akechi: "Better run before this thing's buddies get here." Akechi: "Oh, and when you get out, call here. Tell her, "Your detective is calling you."" Lady: "Th-Thank you..." Akechi: "Go on! Get going!" Lady: "O-Okay!" Akechi: "All right, I'm here!" Akechi: "I know you can hear me!" Akechi: "Don't hide from me! Get out here!" Akechi: "Hey! This is between you and me." Akechi: "Don't drag the kid into this..." Akechi: "Not in the mood to talk, eh?" Miyanishi: "It's not healthy to eat so many of those." kamura: "Shut up!" Miyanashi: "Senpai..." kamura: "What?!" Miyanishi: "Your phone's ringing." kamura: "Hello?" kamura: "Oh, what now?" Inoue: "Hello?" Inoue: "Hello, Nakamura-san?" Katsuta: "What's going on?" : "Looks like the signal's being jammed near the facili—" Inoue: "Noro?" Ohtomo: "Now this one's dead, too." : "Damn it!" Ohtomo: "My, how scary." : "This stuff just keeps happening lately. I feel so useless." Ohtomo: "It's because you stay cooped up in here, Mako-chan." : "Shut up!" 20Faces: "Not yet." 20Faces: "That expression isn't enough." Akechi: "Damn it!" 20Faces: "It'll be just the same if this goes on." 20Faces: "You'll still be the one who gets played with." Kensuke: "Shut up!" Akechi: "Getting old sucks... As you can see, I've gotten a bit out of shape lately." Akechi: "How long are you going to make me fight these hunks of scrap metal?" Akechi: "Like I said... These hunks of scrap metal—" Akechi: "That's totally different from the ones before!" 20Faces: "Very nice." 20Faces: "I like that expression." Akechi: "Okay, you beat me." Akechi: "I surrender." Akechi: "Look, isn't this enough already? Hanasaki?" Akechi: "I knew from the way that last hunk of metal moved." Akechi: "Who do you think trained you? I knew it didn't seem right" Akechi: "that you would let him capture you so easily." Akechi: "You were on the right track just now, too." Hanasaki: "What are you saying?" Akechi: "Did you want to beat me into silence?" Hanasaki: "Stop it..." Akechi: "If so, you succeeded. You win." Akechi: "So just..." Hanasaki: "Stop it!" Akechi: "You were so preoccupied with chasing me that you weren't grasping the situation, were you? You flip your lid so quickly, then just rush in without thinking, and end up regretting it." Akechi: "That's why you're no good." Akechi: "Come on, let's go back." Akechi: "Though if that's where you want to be, I won't stop you." Kensuke: "How?!" Kensuke: "How is it you can do that?" Kensuke: "I mean..." Kensuke: "I mean, I..." Akechi: "Lectures can wait." 20Faces: "No, Akechi-kun." 20Faces: "That's not the expression I want to see." 20Faces: "Not that one, either." 20Faces: "Yes. That's the one!" 20Faces: "Thank you for bringing Akechi-kun here." 20Faces: "Now, your work as a toy is finished." Akechi: "Stop!" 20Faces: "Drop your weapon." 20Faces: "I won't miss next time." Akechi: "Doesn't killing go against your policy?" 20Faces: "Yes..." 20Faces: "But a policy can change at any time." 20Faces: "Put your hands on your head. Now." Kensuke: "Just leave him alone..." Kensuke: "Why?" 20Faces: "You know why. You also know why Akechi-kun, and your father, would do all this for you." 20Faces: "You were loved, and yet..." 20Faces: "You took advantage of that love and trampled it. All of it was your own choice." 20Faces: "You destroyed everything." 20Faces: "Nice... Very nice, Akechi-kun!" Akechi: "Let's end this already." 20Faces: "End?"

Inoue: "Kobayashi! Hey! Kobayashi!" Inoue: "I've told you over and over, don't act on your own!" Inoue: "Kobayashi!" Inoue: "Hanasaki is probably up there. The way things are looking, the security system is completely under Twenty Faces' contr—" Katsuta: "Ryou!" 20Faces: "Bad boy, trying to move without permission." 20Faces: "All the actors are finally in place." : "Damn it!" Ohtomo: "Like I told you... It's been jammed." Ohtomo: "Grumble all you want, but impossible is impossible. You can't break into the robots' system, and that's that." : ""That's that?"" Ohtomo: "Are you actually a lot dumber than I thought, Mako-chan?" : "Wha—" Ohtomo: "What did I tell you? I've got things to do." : "D-D-Du..." : "You jerk! Jerk! Jerk! Ohtomo, you jerk!" Staff: "Someone!" Staff: "Help us!" Inoue: "That's..." Inoue: "How many hostages?" Katsuta: "Around twenty." Inoue: "And three security robots..." Katsuta: "Think we can do it?" Inoue: "We have no choice." kamura: "I told you..." kamura: "There's no problem! Le Waqua's security system is operating normally!" : "And I'm telling you! It's a total mess inside!" kamura: "Well, that's not enough to justify us taking action! If there was an explosion or something, it'd be a different story!" Miyanishi: "Senpai... I know you miss your boyfriend, but don't take it out on others." kamura: "Zip it, Miyanishi!" Yoshio: "Where are you?" Yoshio: "Hey!" Yoshio: "Pain in the ass..." Yoshio: "Don't ignore me!" Yoshio: "Hey!" Yoshio: "Hanasaki!" Inoue: "Idiot." Katsuta: "Now's your chance! Get out of here!" 20Faces: "I expected no less from your right-hand man." 20Faces: "Impressive." Akechi: "Isn't it me?" Akechi: "The one you're really after." Akechi: "Let's just get on with it." 20Faces: "Sorry." 20Faces: "We have a visitor." Kensuke: "Kobayashi..." Kensuke: "Even you..." 20Faces: "Hi there. It's been a long time." 20Faces: "Your friend came all this way to save you." 20Faces: "Have you nothing to say to him?" Yoshio: "Stop changing!" Yoshio: "Stop changing your mood!" Yoshio: "You laugh, you get mad, you cry..." Yoshio: "Are you stupid?!" Yoshio: "And you..." Yoshio: "You're so damn weak." Akechi: "Shut up." Yoshio: "If you're okay with looking like such a lame-ass, then just—" 20Faces: ""Die already."" 20Faces: "Right?" 20Faces: "Or do you not want Hanasaki-kun to die?" 20Faces: "Then..." 20Faces: "How about Akechi-kun?" 20Faces: "And what about them?" Kensuke: "Stop it!" 20Faces: "You can't do anything?" 20Faces: "You won't do anything? You're" 20Faces: "actually quite weak, too." Yoshio: "Huh?" 20Faces: "That's the price for being part of a group. Understand?" Yoshio: "No, I don't." 20Faces: "Then what are you going to do?" 20Faces: "Well, Hanasaki-kun?" 20Faces: "What do you want to do?" 20Faces: "Is that silence your answer?" Yoshio: "Hey!" Robot: "Boing. Boing. Boing." Robots: "Boing. Boing. Pippo-chan. Boing. Boing. Boing. Pippo-chan. Boing." Akechi: "Well done, Noro." : "But today's MVP isn't Noro-chin. The MVP is Ohtomo's drones!" Ohtomo: "Canceling a signal jam is a piece of cake." Robots: "Boing. Boing. Boing." : "And now, if there's an explosion... Boom!" Akechi: "It's over." 20Faces: "Certainly not." 20Faces: "This is only the beginning, Akechi-kun." Yamane: "Senpai is late..." Yumeko: "Isn't that...?" : "What?" : "What's happening?" Ohtomo: "That's weird." Ohtomo: "I put the canceler in all of them..." Ohtomo: "This is why I hate getting involved with that masked bastard." Akechi: "Did you do it?" Akechi: "Did you brainwash them with some weird power again?" 20Faces: ""Some weird power?"" 20Faces: "It's a gift I gave to them." Akechi: "What order did you give them?" 20Faces: ""You are the ones who will protect this place." "If the security robots shut down, you are to fight off any intruders, whoever they may be." If the police try to stroll in here, and if they should bump into them..." Yoshio: "Let's take Hanasaki and go." 20Faces: "I wonder what would happen?" Yoshio: "Don't ignore me!" Akechi: "Kobayashi!" Akechi: "Be quiet for a minute." Yoshio: "Huh?" 20Faces: "Do you want me to stop them?" 20Faces: "Of course. In that case..." 20Faces: "Kill him." 20Faces: "Do that, and I'll stop them." Yoshio: "Huh?" 20Faces: "Sacrificing just one life will solve all of this." 20Faces: "Not a bad deal, is it?" Akechi: "Don't get cocky." 20Faces: "He is no longer" 20Faces: "the Hanasaki-kun that you know." Akechi: "Did you... get to him, too?" 20Faces: "Which would be more thrilling?" 20Faces: "If I did get to him, or if I didn't?" 20Faces: "Can you continue to love him as you did before?" Akechi: "Shut up." 20Faces: "Now..." 20Faces: "Tell me." Akechi: "Shut up!" Kensuke: "Kill me." Kensuke: "Everything is my fault." Kensuke: "So just... hurry up and kill me." Kensuke: "Please, Sensei!" Kensuke: "Kill me!" Kensuke: "Just for me, they're all going to..." Kensuke: "Come on, please!" 20Faces: "I know." 20Faces: "I'll tell you this." 20Faces: "You remember Ms. Isuzu, the woman Haruhiko-kun adored so much, yes?" Akechi: "Hanasaki! Don't listen to him!" 20Faces: "Whether because he was threatened or because he loved his son," 20Faces: "he sent her huge amounts of money to support him after he left home." Kensuke: "You're lying!" 20Faces: "Perhaps he did it to protect his company." 20Faces: "Perhaps he did it to protect Haruhiko-kun." 20Faces: "You don't even know how your father feels." Akechi: "Don't listen!" 20Faces: "Yet you..." Akechi: "Hanasaki!" Kensuke: "No more." Kensuke: "I've had enough." Kensuke: "All of it... All of it is my fault..." Akechi: "Hanasaki!" Kensuke: "Kill me, Sensei." Kensuke: "I just want to die." Yoshio: "That's mine." Yoshio: "That's my line." Yoshio: "Don't copy me." Yoshio: "Don't you..." Yoshio: "Don't you say you want to die!" 20Faces: "Very nice, Akechi-kun." 20Faces: "I've been waiting to see that look on your face." 20Faces: "I waited all this time for you two to become close." 20Faces: "Things are about to get interesting." Yoshio: "Just shut up, old man." Yoshio: "What do I do? Tell me!" Yoshio: "Come on! What am I supposed to do?" Kensuke: "Don't do anything." Akechi: "Hanasaki! Don't!" Kensuke: "Don't do anything, Kobayashi. I'll..." Kensuke: "I'll... end this myself." Kensuke: "You guys..." Kensuke: "I'm sorry." Yoshio: "Hanasaki!" 20Faces: "Wow." Katsuta: "Is that Kobayashi?" Inoue: "Yeah." Kensuke: "Kobayashi..." 20Faces: "Too bad." Akechi: "That's... enough..." Akechi: "Let's just... end..." 20Faces: "It won't end." 20Faces: "Because I love you, you know." 20Faces: "That's why I won't ever forgive you." 20Faces: "Thrilling, isn't it?" 20Faces: "Your gift is far greater than mine." Yoshio: "Gift?" 20Faces: "I'm a bit jealous." 20Faces: "Let's play again sometime." kamura: "You awake now?" Akechi: "Nao-chan, can you give me a light?" kamura: "You did good work." kamura: "With Twenty Faces." Miyanishi: "Keep three guards on him! Don't take your eyes off him!" kamura: "It's a good thing." kamura: "This wraps up all of those messy incidents." kamura: "Of course, I'll still expect your assistance in..." Cop: "You guys, continue to stand by." Kensuke: "Kobayashi!" Kensuke: "Kobayashi..." Yoshio: "You'd better keep your promise." Yoshio: "Hurry up..." Yoshio: "and kill me." Kensuke: "I'm sorry."

Yoshio: "Target apprehended." : "Painting ghosts on temple walls and calling it "terror art?" That's so dumb!" : "Is it even necessary to freak people out like that?" Inoue: "It was the client's idea." : "And moxibustion to make sure the vandal doesn't mess around here again?" Inoue: "That head priest is scary!" Inoue: "Kobayashi." Inoue: "Good work." Yoshio: "Yeah." Counselor: "How have things been lately?" Counselor: "Have you been sleeping all right?" Kensuke: "I can sleep anywhere, anytime." Counselor: "Don't push yourself too hard. The stress of having been a hostage can lead to cancer, even in adults." Kensuke: "Yeah?" Counselor: "It's only been a month since the incident—" Kensuke: "How many more, then?" Kensuke: "How many months before I'm in the clear?" Counselor: "Hanasaki-kun..." Kensuke: "Oh, it's my dad." Kensuke: "He gets worried when I turn my phone off." Kensuke: "Anyway, are we done?" Counselor: "Yes..." Kensuke: "You know..." Kensuke: "The chocolate ones are better." Kensuke: "Yeah. I've got classes now. I can get home on my own." Kensuke: "I'll be fine. Yeah." Kensuke: "I don't mind eating alone." end: "Find him?" Yumeko: "No. Inoue-senpai hasn't been at school much lately..." Inoue: "We'll contact you after the investigation with the results." Client: "Thank you so much." Inoue: "I'm sorry, our office hours for today are..." Miyanishi: "Hi there." Miyanishi: "Yeah, the Akechi Investigation Firm is getting a ton of publicity! Of course, it's you and the other boys who are getting things done." Inoue: "What is it you need?" Miyanishi: "Oh, right. Have you heard of the "Lynch Shot Site?"" : "Who hasn't? Right?" : "What? You haven't seen it? It's a hot topic on the internet all the time!" Katsuta: "I don't look at the internet." Inoue: "That stuff isn't exactly my forte." : "That's actually unhealthy for teens these days!" Miyanishi: "It's a really nasty site." Miyanishi: "Actors, politicians, athletes..." Miyanishi: "Spy photos of all types of famous people keep being uploaded there." Miyanishi: "Worse, they're all photos taken extremely close to the target without their noticing." Katsuta: "How do they not get caught?" : "The one everyone was talking about recently was..." Miyanishi: "The idol famous for her innocent appeal, Nekooka Sumire-chan, with... Well..." : "Her finger up her nose?" Inoue: "This is ridiculous." Miyanishi: "Come on, don't say that. Help me out." Inoue: "Is Police Detective Nakamura heading this case?" Inoue: "I've heard she's busy dealing with the aftermath of the Le Waqua case." Miyanishi: "No, it's not really about her..." Inoue: "It's not?" Miyanishi: "One of my otaku buddies begged me to avenge Sumire-chan..." : "And you couldn't say no." Miyanishi: "Help me out! Please, please, please, please!" Miyanishi: "If there's any info you need, just let me know." Inoue: "We'll be in touch." Miyanishi: "Oh..." Miyanishi: "Have you heard from Akechi-san since then?" Inoue: "No." Inoue: "Not once." Inoue: "We're investigating two affairs today." Inoue: "We'll pursue the Lynch Shot contributor as we gather evidence." : "It looks like all submissions to Lynch Shot are made via disposable cell phones. As soon as there's an update, I'll track down the location, so you head there right away. If you find the culprit before they throw away the phone, it's case closed." : "If you don't, it's back to square one." Inoue: "It's not very effective, but it's our only option." Inoue: "Kobayashi." Inoue: "You don't have to sleep on the roof, you know." Yoshio: "Huh?" Inoue: "There's a sofa in the office." Yoshio: "Huh?" Yoshio: "I don't want to sleep in the same place as you." Yoshio: "It'd be awkward." : "Koba-chin!" Inoue: "I see. Take care of things here." Yoshio: "Sure." : "You're way too soft on Kobayashi lately." Katsuta: "Is this okay?" Inoue: "Is what okay?" Katsuta: "Not contacting Hanasaki." Ohtomo: "It's fun watching other people screw up, huh?" Ohtomo: "That's part of why I hang out with Yamane." Yamane: "What's that supposed to mean?" Ohtomo: "What were you looking at?" Kensuke: "Huh?" Kensuke: "Oh, nothing, really..." Ohtomo: "Come visit us, like you used to." Yamane: "We've got some more new inventions." Kensuke: "Thanks." Ohtomo: "He's totally not coming." Yamane: "My opinion of you just changed a bit." Yamane: "Because you invited Hanasaki-senpai here and forgave him." Ohtomo: "I haven't forgiven him." Yamane: "Huh?" Ohtomo: "Like, distance between two hearts is far greater than between two people?" Yamane: "But..." Ohtomo: "I just don't let it show on the surface..." Ohtomo: "Unlike someone else I know." Yoshio: "Come with me." Kensuke: "Investigating an affair?" Yoshio: "That one, with the yellow necktie." Kensuke: "You don't need me for this." Yoshio: "You're not getting out of this alone." Kensuke: "Did Inoue ask you to do this?" : "As if." : "Inoue is 500 googolplex percent never gonna show that much concern for you." Kensuke: "Good point." : "Oh, come on..." Kensuke: "Sorry." Kensuke: "Hello?" Kensuke: "Huh? Oh, sorry. I'll be right home. Listen, I—" : "Bye-bye!" Kensuke: "Sorry." Kensuke: "Hey." Kensuke: "Just got a little dizzy..." Kensuke: "I'm fine. Sorry." Yoshio: "The heck is with him?" : "Vasovagal response." Yoshio: "Huh?" : "It's not that unusual. In reaction to extreme stress, your mind goes blank and you feel like you'll faint." Yoshio: "Stress? But why?" : "I have to explain from there?!" Dad: "You were with your friends?" Kensuke: "Uh..." Kensuke: "Yeah." Dad: "I'm sorry about that. I had a bit of free time, so I thought it was a good chance to have dinner with you." Kensuke: "Yeah." Dad: "It's all right now." Dad: "You don't have to worry." Dad: "Twenty Faces has been caught." Kensuke: "Yeah." : "Lynch Shot's been updated!" Yoshio: "Huh?" Inoue: "What is it?" Kensuke: "This is..." Inoue: ""The one who caught the Terror Artist was a zombie."" : ""Seeking information about the Zombie Boy," it says." Inoue: "Kobayashi, lay low for a while." Yoshio: "Huh?" Inoue: "You don't want everyone finding out about your power, do you?" : "You don't like a lot of hassle, right?" Yoshio: "You mean you guys don't like a lot of hassle." : "Koba-chin..." Inoue: "Leave the investigations to us." Yoshio: ""Us," huh?" Miyanishi: "What should we do?" kamura: "About what?" Miyanishi: "About Kobayashi-kun ending up on Lynch Shot!" kamura: "It's Akechi's job to clean up after those kids." Miyanishi: "Yeah, but..." ukamura: "You just focus on this!" Woman: "I don't know..." Woman: "Why I had a gun, or what was going through my mind..." kamura: "All the hostages are saying the same thing." Miyanishi: "So they were all manipulated by Twenty Faces?" kamura: "We've found nothing but dead ends." kamura: "I'm going for lunch." Miyanishi: "Oh, I'll join—" kamura: "No." kamura: "I'm meeting my boyfriend!" Miyanashi: "Oh, is that right?" Yoshio: "Hey." Kensuke: "When did you get here?" Yoshio: "Keep your promise." Kensuke: "Huh?" Yoshio: "You're going to kill me, right?" Kensuke: "So, what's this place?" Yoshio: "You said I could die if I solved cases, right?" Kensuke: "I did, but..." Yoshio: "Then take this seriously." Kensuke: "That's where you popped out from, right?" Kensuke: "Which means the photo was taken from... About here." Yoshio: "That's close." Kensuke: "Yeah, anyone should notice if someone was that close." Yoshio: "You know who it was?" Kensuke: "Most likely..." Kensuke: "It was the Invisible Man." Yoshio: "Is the case solved?" Kensuke: "No, I was joking. Don't take me seriously." Yoshio: "The guy I caught here was using that." Kensuke: "Hmm..." Kensuke: "Huh?" Katsuta: "I have to help out at home tonight." Inoue: "I see." Katsuta: "Sorry." Inoue: "No, I should apologize." Inoue: "All I've done is rely on you. I'm hopeless." Katsuta: "Listen..." Katsuta: "If Akechi-san doesn't come back..." Inoue: "I don't want to discuss "what ifs."" Inoue: "Thanks, Kacchan." Yoshio: "Well? You know who did it yet?" Kensuke: "Nope." Yoshio: "Just catch this Invisible Man already." Kensuke: "I told you, that was a joke." Yoshio: "I don't care what it was. Just catch him." Kensuke: "You don't know what you're asking." Yoshio: "You're so useless." Kensuke: "Hey..." Yoshio: "Only one bite." Kensuke: "I don't want your food!" Kensuke: "No, I meant..." Yoshio: "What? Can't hear you." Kensuke: "Do you think... you could forgive me?" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "You know, after" Kensuke: "the thing with Twenty Faces." Yoshio: "I don't care." Yoshio: "If you've got time to talk about crap like that, then kill me already." Kensuke: "You really are incredible." Vending: "Hot and easy in sixty seconds! Healthy, delicious, fresh lunch!" Yoshio: "Think you'll be able to catch him?" Vending: "Hot and easy in sixty seconds!" Kensuke: "If he's an Invisible Man, I can." Vending: "Healthy, delicious, fresh lunch!" : "You look so cool, Pippo-san! You're such a hottie!" : "Wh-Wha... What the hell is this?!" Ohtomo: "Shutter chance!" Inoue: "Provoking Lynch Shot?" : "Yeah, he's mocking it by attaching a video. It's getting a huge response online." Inoue: "Did you contact Kobayashi?" : "I can't reach him." Inoue: "That idiot!" : "I'll pin down the location right away." Ohtomo: "Beware of fire. One little joke, and watch the flames rise." : "You shut up, Ohtomo!" Inoue: "Is this really Kobayashi's doing?" : "You should know" : "who Koba-chin is with." Yoshio: "Will they really come?" Kensuke: "Sure. I sent our location using the email form. Someone of this guy's type will take the bait for sure." Yoshio: "His type?" Kensuke: "The type whose world revolves around the reaction they get online." Guya: "So the Zombie Boy's in there?" Guyb: "Do we really have to walk in to their trap?" Guya: "This happened because you freaked out and ran!" Guya: "If you'd gotten a good shot of the Zombie Boy's face, we could've exposed him." Guyb: "But still..." Guya: "It'll be fine. The Zombie Boy won't even notice I'm here." Guyb: "Yeah, but..." Guya: "I'll just walk right in there and face him head-on." Guya: "Lynch..." Guyb: "...Shot." Guya: "No holes in the tights, right?" Guyb: "Nope." Guya: "Optical camouflage is seriously boss!" Guyb: "Get us some good material." Guya: "Of course!" Guyb: "Hey." Guya: "Huh?" Guya: "Oh, my bad, my bad." Guya: "Sorry, nothing's showing up in that video." Guya: "That's the Zombie Boy?" Guya: "Holy shit!" Guya: "What's going on with this kid?!" Guya: "He's a monster..." Guya: "Shit, man! I got some awesome material!" Guyb: "I heard you! Just get back here!" Guya: "Huh?" Guyb: "What's wrong?" Guya: "Oh, uh, nothing..." Kensuke: "And stop. We found our spy photographer." Guyb: "They spotted you?!" Guya: "Th-There's no way! Wha—" Kensuke: "I see you plain as day." Guya: "H-Huh?" Guya: "Huh?!" Kensuke: "How'd you like the fluorescent paint shower?" Yoshio: "It glows in the dark. You saw that at the graveyard." Kensuke: "Okay, smile! I'm not taking your picture, moron." Kensuke: "You'd better delete the photos on your site." Guya: "You tried to ditch me and save yourself, you bastard!" Guyb: "Shut up!" Miyanishi: "Hey! Did you hear me?!" Guya: "Sorry..." Miyanishi: "You know old Mr. Sun is always watching you." Yoshio: "I'm impressed you figured it out." Kensuke: "Huh?" Yoshio: "The Invisible Man's identity." Kensuke: "Well, one of Ohtomo's inventions was an invisible umbrella." Yoshio: "Was it?" Kensuke: "It was mostly a hunch, though." Kensuke: "Keep that up." Kensuke: "Huh?" Yoshio: "Keep doing what you did today," Yoshio: "then hurry up and kill me." Kensuke: "Kobayashi..." Ohtomo: "Good work!" : "You shouldn't act on your own!" Yoshio: "Shut up..." Inoue: "Get in..." Inoue: "Kobayashi." Yoshio: "Huh? What are you doing?" Kensuke: "Of course..." Kensuke: "I know..." Kensuke: "This isn't enough to erase everything I did." Kensuke: "But still..." Yoshio: "Hey!" Kensuke: "Don't follow me!" Kensuke: "I can't be around you right now." Yoshio: "Huh?" Ohtomo: "You're so mean."

Yamane: "My name is Yamane Tasuku." Mom: "Got your lunch?" Yamane: "Yeah." Yamane: "See you later!" Yamane: "There are three things troubling me." Yamane: "The first is..." Ohtomo: "I call it the Yamane Motel." Yamane: "Ohtomo-senpai picks on me too much." Yamane: "H-Huh? What was...? How...? Huh?!" Yoshio: "What?" Ohtomo: "Remember, Kobayashi-kun is..." Yamane: "The second is..." Yamane: "Huh?! I get left behind in all kinds of things." Yamane: "And the third is..." Yumeko: "Um..." Yumeko: "Um... You're with the Boy Detectives' Club, right?" Yamane: "Do I look that way?" Yumeko: "Huh?" Yamane: "I don't know how I can become a member of the Boy Detectives' Club," Yamane: "as an official detective." Yamane: "D-D-Do..." Yamane: "Do you need a job done?" Yamane: "It's black soybean tea." Both: "Uh—" Yamane: "Oh, I'm sorry. A-After you." Yumeko: "Um... Have you heard of this?" Yamane: "Rurigaku Boys?" Yumeko: "It's a databank of all the hot guys in our school." Yamane: "Huh?" Yumeko: "You have to pay to see the website. It has data on hot guys' looks, intelligence, estimated life expectancy, height, and if they'll get fat or go bald in the future, all expressed in numbers." Yamane: "Hey, Ohtomo-senpai, you're on this!" Ohtomo: "I don't see your name, Yamane." Yamane: "Well, I'm not a good-looking guy." Ohtomo: "And? What's the issue with this site?" Yumeko: "The fact that it even exists is sad enough, but... Well... There have been thefts recently." Yamane: "Was something stolen from you?" Yumeko: "N-Not from me." Yumeko: "I mean things belonging to the guys on the site. Like the Rurigaku Boys' tracksuits and towels, d-drink bottles that they've drunk from, their sports shoes..." Ohtomo: "Oh, come to think of it, Katsuta mentioned that his tracksuit was stolen." Yumeko: "I-I'd like you to catch the thief." Ohtomo: "Oh? Why?" Yumeko: "The school's teachers and guards won't do anything about it." Ohtomo: "That's not what I meant." Ohtomo: "I mean, this causes no harm to you, does it?" Yumeko: "Th-That's..." Ohtomo: "C'mon, out with it. As detectives, we'll keep it confidential." Ohtomo: "Come on, now." Yamane: "Hey, Senpai!" Yumeko: "It's for prevention!" Yumeko: "I don't want the thief to steal anything from Inoue-senpai!" Yamane: "Huh?" Ohtomo: "You mean you don't want them nomming on Inoue-senpai's tracksuit or half-eaten peas, right?" Ohtomo: "Oh, to be young." Yumeko: "S-So..." Yumeko: "I-If you can keep it a secret from Inoue-senpai... Please, s-solve this case!" Yamane: "So..." Yamane: "What should we do, then?" Ohtomo: "I'm not touching this." Yamane: "Huh?" Ohtomo: "You accepted the job yourself, so you get to deal with it yourself." Yamane: "What?" Ohtomo: "Crying won't help." Ohtomo: "Oh, all right. But you'll owe me." Ohtomo: "Heya, Mako-chan!" : "I told you... Apply in advance before you come here." Ohtomo: "I think you should be praising me for not just letting myself in." : "Huh?" Yamane: "N-Nice to meet you! Oh, but we've spoken through Pippo-chan before, so technically, I guess it's just the first time we've met in person..." : "You're a lot" : "smaller than I thought." Yamane: "Oh... Here." Yamane: "It's a rich strawberry éclair from Rare Ec." : "The exclusive ones from Shibuya Station?" Yamane: "They only sell thirty per day." Ohtomo: "Taking a break from detective work today?" : "Fefab!" Ohtomo: "Say what?" : "Inoue's doing rehab." Ohtomo: "What about Kobayashi and Hanasaki?" : "I'm not their mother." Yamane: "So, about what we discussed..." : "Inoue's gonna be pissed when he hears you accepted a job on your own." Yamane: "I-I'm sorry." : "I don't mind helping, though." Yamane: "Really?" Ohtomo: "Oh? Why the change of heart?" : "No special reason. It just ticks me off how the only one Inoue has any nice words for lately is Koba-chin." Ohtomo: "Wow, jealousy?" : "I just want him to realize how valuable I am again. Breaking into the school's security cameras makes finding the thief a piece of... cake?!" Ohtomo: "Oh, our security cameras are old, so they might not have internet connections." : "What?! Are they from the early '90s or something?!" Yamane: "Then what can we do?" : "We'll just have to check the data directly at the school." Yamane: "Oh, then Senpai and I will go back to school and..." Yamane: "Huh? Senpai?" : "That bastard ran away!" Yamane: "Senpai?" : "It's up to you, then." Yamane: "Me? By myself?" : "No." : "Pippo-chan will be with you." Yamane: "I still can't get through." : "Just hurry up and do it!" Yamane: "Oh, right!" Yamane: "Found it!" : "Here we go!" Yamane: "The guards aren't going to come back, are they?" : "What the hell?!" Yamane: "Do you see the thief?" : "The image quality is horrible!" : "They should just send that machine to a museum!" urse: "Hold it. That patient isn't accepting visitors, so you can't—" urse: "Wait!" Kensuke: "Whoa." : "I'm analyzing the footage, but it might take a while. The data's all broken up." Yamane: "Okay, I'll be in the science lab until you're done." : "It'd be cool if you caught the thief red-handed before the analysis is done, too." Yamane: "Nah, I can't do something like that..." : "That was a joke! A Noro-chin joke!" Yamane: "Um..." : "What?" Yamane: "How did you become a detective?" : "Akechi scouted me, and I just happened to have nothing else to do." Yamane: "Um, do you go to school?" : "I graduated." Yamane: "From grade school?" : "From college! I graduated at the top of my class!" Yamane: "C-College?!" : "Two years ago... No, before that." : "It was just before I joined the Boy Detectives' Club. I skipped grades to graduate from college." : "I'm well past my period of moratorium!" Yamane: "So when you joined the club, you were already... well... a shut-in?" : "Look, it's not like I have a dark past or a traumatic history." : "Why do regular people think all shut-ins are sad sacks?" Yamane: "But if you stay in your house all the time..." : "What, is that a problem? I exercise three hours a day, and I can buy anything I want online." Yamane: "Yeah, but..." : "All the things that appeal to me are in my own home." : "That's all there is to it." : "I pay my taxes, and I'm not mooching off of anyone. If anything, I'm giving of my own resources. Got a problem with that?" Yamane: "Uh, no, I wasn't... er..." Yamane: "Was that Senpai's?" : "They got us." : "They stole Ohtomo's lab coat!" Kensuke: "What do you want?" Yoshio: "What do you think?" Yoshio: "Hurry up and kill me." Yoshio: "Hey!" Kensuke: "Don't follow me!" Yamane: "W-Wait!" : "Make Pippo-chan do the chasing!" Yamane: "How?" : "Just whistle and point, then lock on to the target!" Yamane: "Uh..." : "Hurry it up!" : "Fine, I'll whistle! You just point!" : "Yamane!" Yamane: "Ow..." Yoshio: "Stop running! Stop running!" Kensuke: "Get off my back!" Kensuke: "What the hell are you doing?!" Yoshio: "You promised you'd kill me if I solved cases!" Kensuke: "I know, but..." Yoshio: "You're the one who dragged me into all this! And now you're running away?!" Kensuke: "I can't do it anymore." Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "I can't go back!" Kensuke: "I can't be who I was before!" Yamane: "I'm sorry. It was my fault." : "Well, no sense crying over spilled milk." Yamane: "I looked up to them..." Yamane: "To Inoue-senpai and the rest." : "Why all the hero worship for those guys? You sure your ability to judge people isn't a bit lacking?" Yamane: "I guess it might look that way to you." Yamane: "I thought I could do it." Yamane: "I thought, with their help, I could solve cases, too." Yamane: "But all I can do is hold them back." : "What? You want to be a detective?" Yamane: "I thought, if I worked hard here, they'd acknowledge my talents..." Yamane: "But I'm not good enough." : "If that's what you think, then maybe it's true." : "You're the only one who can make decisions for you." Yamane: "Yeah, but that would cause problems for—" : "I'm telling you, that doesn't matter!" : "I do this because I'm happy doing it." : "I'm happy with my shut-in life and with the club." Yamane: "But..." : "I'll take care of the rest." Yamane: "But..." : "I'm saying I can't count on you when you're like this." Yamane: "You're right." : "Pippo-chan! Go home!" : "Good work, Pippo-chan! When you get back, I'll give you a special dinner!" : "Pippo-chan, wait!" : "What is this?" : "Why does this footage keep blacking out unnaturally? Also, this practically narrows down who the thief is!" Voice: "The number you have dialed is out of the service area or—" : "That damn shrimp!" Guard: "I... I..." Guard: "Now, that was careless of you." Yamane: "S-So you were the thief!" Yamane: "A guard could open any locker in here with the master key!" Guard: "What are you talking about?" Guard: "I was just on my patrol." Guard: "What are you doing? These are the high school lockers." Yamane: "Please don't play dumb! I know you're behind all the thefts!" Guard: "Got any proof?" Yamane: "Well, that's..." Guard: "Maybe you're the thief." Yamane: "Huh?!" Guard: "Why don't we have a little talk?" Guard: "Huh? What're you doing?" Yamane: "This is the thief!" : "Pippo-chan, attack!" Guard: "S-Stop!" Guard: "Damn it!" : "You turned your phone off." Yamane: "Sorry." Yamane: "But..." Yamane: "I thought it might get me caught waiting for the thief." : "Also, what gave you the idea that he'd go for Inoue's locker?" Yamane: "Nothing." : "Huh?" Yamane: "I was planning to wait for days if I had to." Guard: "Hey, do something with this thing!" : "Turn your smartphone on right now!" Yamane: "Oh, right!" Guard: "Don't think you'll get away with this!" : "Can you say the same thing after seeing this?" : "I can handle this level of video restoration with my eyes closed." : "And that's case closed." Yamane: "Yeah!" : "It seems that guy was using the same tricks to make money at other schools, too. Getting DNA info from good-looking guys' belongings in response to demand," : "and charging money to publicize it." Ohtomo: "Who would actually pay money to see a good-looking guy's DNA data?" : "Some would, right? Like girls who want to marry into money, or their guardians..." Yamane: "I guess the darkness runs pretty deep." : "Yeah, sort of. But pursuing it further would go beyond the scope of this job, so..." Ohtomo: "Aw, you don't want to know who actually wanted to see what's in my DNA?" : "Nope. I'd look into it if you paid me, though." Ohtomo: "Aww, you know you're curious." : "Hey! This says the odds that you'll go bald in the future are over 78%!" Ohtomo: "No problem! I'm confident I'll still be hot even without hair." Ohtomo: "Hey, you're late, darling!" Inoue: "So, what couldn't you tell me over the phone?" Ohtomo: "Oh, it wasn't me. It was him." Inoue: "Yamane-kun?" Ohtomo: "Isn't there something you want to tell him?" Inoue: "What is it?" Yamane: "Um..." Yamane: "U-Um..." : "You're so irritating." Yamane: "Um..." Yamane: "W-Will you let me join the Boy Detectives' Club?!" Inoue: "This is problematic." : "Hey, Inoue!" Yamane: "Y-Yeah, I guess it is." Inoue: "I thought you already were one of us." Yamane: "Huh?" Inoue: "It's true that I never asked how you felt about it. I apologize." Yamane: "Then..." Ohtomo: "Well, that went about as I expected." Ohtomo: "Go on, praise me. Tell me I came well prepared." Inoue: "Yamane-kun, would you like to join" Inoue: "the Boy Detectives' Club?" Yamane: "Yes!" Ohtomo: "So anyway, you're really not gonna tell Inoue about yesterday's case?" : "Huh?" Ohtomo: "Weren't you going to make him realize how valuable you are again?" : "Oh... Nah, I'm over that." : "It's not like I'm working as a detective to win his approval." Yoshio: "Who is it?" Akechi: "Hey."

Akechi: "What are you doing?" Yoshio: "Eating." Akechi: "Inoue didn't tell you anything?" Yoshio: "Huh?" Akechi: "I see. Nothing's changed there." Yoshio: "Wrong." Yoshio: "He's being weird." Akechi: "Oh, you mean Hanasaki?" Yoshio: "He's really weird." Yoshio: "What should I do?" Akechi: "What do you want to do about him?" Yoshio: "I... want..." Yoshio: "...to do something for him." Akechi: "Then just do to him what he did to you." Yoshio: "What he did to me?" Akechi: "Sorry. My time's up." Yoshio: "Wai—" Guarda: "Here are the letters. Please ensure it's all there." Guardb: "Good work." Inoue: "A route from the prison to the district court?" kamura: "Correct. We were going to escort this guy through the locations in these photos, but now..." : "Isn't Fukiya Seiji serving a life term?" Miyanishi: "He is, but..." Miyanishi: "You know about this, right? The case of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member's suicide by driving into the ocean." Miyanishi: "The one that's now being tried as a possible murder connected to the Kusakabe Society." : "Isn't that the one where the cops are stuck because they can't find any concrete evidence?" kamura: "Yes, and the fact that the guy had been diagnosed with depression throws another wrench in the works." : "So what does that have to do with Fukiya Seiji?" Inoue: "Did you forget? Fukiya is a psychiatrist." : "What? So it was a lie?" kamura: "The prosecution wants to get him to testify that the crime syndicate Kusakabe Society paid him a fortune to write a false medical report." Miyanishi: "And this is an obvious declaration of the intent to murder him on the escort route." Inoue: "And what would you like us to do?" kamura: "I want you all to guard this man." : "Huh? Why?" kamura: "It was his own request. He says if the Akechi Investigation Firm won't protect him, he won't testify." : "What kind of selfish demand is that?!" kamura: "No idea. Maybe he wants an emotional reunion with the guy who caught him?" : "But Ake-chin isn't even here." Inoue: "Could we have a bit of time?" kamura: "Why?" Inoue: "This matter is too serious for us to handle in Sensei's absence." Miyanishi: "Y-You were in here?" kamura: "You know, you call him "Sensei," but he doesn't even do anything. You kids are the ones who solve all the cases." Yoshio: "Is that case big?" Miyanishi: "Uh... Well, yeah, all the media's got their eyes on it." Yoshio: "Then we'll do it." Both: "Huh?" : "But we can't make that decision without Ake-chin here." Yoshio: "You act in Akechi's place." Yoshio: "And I'll act in your place." : "What's with Koba-chin?" Voice: "The customer you've called is currently unable to answer. Please leave a message after the tone." Yoshio: "We're protecting some guy named Fukiya." Yoshio: "Sounds like the kind of job you'd like." Yoshio: "Bye." Yoshio: "Bye." Press: "In just a moment, prisoner Fukiya Seiji, a material witness in the murder of a Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly member, will be escorted from this prison to the Tokyo District Court. Oh, we can now see the vehicle carrying the prisoner! Just look at all the security surrounding it!" : "Almost looks like a Hollywood film." : "And now..." : "Looking smooth so far." ukiya: "The reason he's not answering" ukiya: "is because he doesn't want to." kamura: "Be quiet." ukiya: "By the way, did the people who tried to kill me get caught?" ukiya: "So scary..." ukiya: "Is just three unmarked police vehicles gonna be enough?" kamura: "Who told you?" ukiya: "Well, I'm a psychiatrist." ukiya: "I can tell most things just by looking into someone's eyes." Inoue: "Don't push your luck." Guyb: "Nice one!" Guyb: "Okay, now this one, too!" Guya: "There, all cleaned up!" Girl: "Hey, should we take these back with us?" Guya: "Nah, it's fine. Just leave 'em there." Girl: "Okay!" Guya: "Huh? Who're you?" Guyb: "You think you're some hero of justice or somethin'?" Guyb: "Pathetic." Guya: "You got that right." Guya: "H-Hey..." Guyb: "What the hell is this?! It stinks!" Girl: "I left my bag in there! It reeks!" Hide: "An eye for an eye, and trash for trash." Hide: "Pretty nice work, right?" Kensuke: "You did that?" Hide: "Yep. Gathered it all up from the trash collection sites around here and crammed it all in." Hide: "Wait, actually... I stink, too!" Hide: "What's your name?" Kensuke: "Huh? Oh... Hanasaki." Hide: "Hanayan, huh? Everyone calls me... "A Little Less than a City Boy, Hide-chan!"" Kensuke: "Right..." Voice: "The number you have dialed is out of the service area, or the phone is turned off—" ukiya: "You really aren't normal, are you? How interesting." ukiya: "I've been wanting to see the real thing." ukiya: "But this exceeds my expectations. This is my favorite kind of reward." ukiya: "I'd love to know more about you..." makura: "Shut up." ukiya: "Oh, yes... That's right." ukiya: "I should introduce myself first. Of course." ukiya: "Ever since I was young, I've been deeply interested in fluctuations of the mind." ukiya: "That's why I became a psychiatrist." ukiya: "But that wasn't enough for me." ukiya: "In fact, my desire only escalated..." ukiya: "I wanted to see something much more... stimulating. So I thought, if death was imminent," ukiya: "what would one do?" ukiya: "I was 14 years old..." ukiya: "The age when one's mind is at its most sensitive and responsive." ukiya: "I was able to enjoy that girl's fluctuations for two whole weeks." ukiya: "Especially..." ukiya: "That utter chaos right before she died was just..." kamura: "Shut your mouth right now!" ukiya: "that's about it for my introduction." ukiya: "Now it's your turn to tell me about yourself." ukiya: "Well, then, how about a game?" Yoshio: "Huh?" ukiya: "I'll give you a word, and you tell me the first thing that comes to your mind as quickly as you can." ukiya: "Well? Easy enough, right?" : "What was that called again?" Inoue: "A word association test. It's Jung's." ukiya: "Yes, he used this experiment to try to solve problems lurking in the mind, but not me." ukiya: "I only want to know more about you." ukiya: "Okay, let's start." ukiya: "Fish." ukiya: "Green." ukiya: "Window." Hide: "I've got some buddies living near here." Hide: "What's wrong?" Kensuke: "I think I'll pass after all..." Hide: "Aw, why? Don't like strangers?" Kensuke: "I'd just be a bother." Hide: "Y'know... It's for other people to decide whether you're a bother or not. It's not up to you." Kensuke: "But..." Hide: "Listen good, Hanayan." Hide: "Life is... This thing called life is..." Hide: "There ya have it. Let's go." Hide: "Yo!" urukawa: "You brought another one?" Hide: "Hey, Hanayan. This is Furukawa. He's sort of the hooligan in "Hide-chan and the Hooligans."" urukawa: "Wait, wait, wait! How many times do I have to tell you? My name is Red Beetle!" Hide: "Ya hear that? Red Beetle! Talk about goofy!" urukawa: "I'd say "Hide-chan and the Hooligans" sounds a lot goofier." Hide: "Huh? What're you talkin' about?" Hide: "Hanayan, you think "Hide-chan and the Hooligans" sounds way cooler, right?" Kensuke: "Huh?" urukawa: "Wait, wait, wait. "Red Beetle" is cooler, right?" Hide: "Ya see that? Hanayan's so nice, he doesn't want to hurt your feelings." Kensuke: "Uh, Red Beetle, then." Hide: "Yep, Red Beetle. Wait, what the hell?!" Kensuke: "Yours just sounds dorky." urukawa: "I like how you didn't sugarcoat that!" Hide: "I'll never give it to you, Hanayan!" Hide: "I'll never give you a Hide-chan and the Hooligans original tanktop!" Kensuke: "Hide-cha—" urukawa: "So? Did you get into some kinda trouble, too?" urukawa: "Guess so. I mean, all of the guys here, including me, have screwed up somehow and dropped out of normal society." urukawa: "Those are the only kinds of people he picks up." Kensuke: "Him, too?" urukawa: "Yeah, of course. He's a scumbag who caused so many incidents resulting in injury, he's been in and out of juvie." Kensuke: "Scumbag..." Hide: "Hanayan! Let's have some Bavarois!" Kensuke: "Bavarois?" urukawa: "Hey! I was about to get him to tell me what trouble he caused!" Hide: "Who cares about that? The past is the past!" Hide: "Everyone screws up sometimes in life. But forget about that! Let's have Bavarois! I made it myself!" Hide: "Here!" Kensuke: "Th-Thanks." Hide: "Well? Delicious, right? I came up with it especially for our party! It can't be bad—" Hide: "Wh-What?" Kensuke: "Is this really Bavarois?" Hide: "S-Say what?!" urukawa: "Come on, man, again?" Hide: "I know my skills can't be wro—" Hide: "It's so bland!" urukawa: "How cliché is that?!" Kensuke: "It tastes like tofu!" Hide: "Tofu.... Tofu, huh? So it's tofu Bavarois!" ukiya: "Head." ukiya: "Murder." ukiya: "You still won't give up, huh?" ukiya: "I hope I get to see the real you." : "Hey, you went off the route at that last intersection." Inoue: "What? Okay, I'll check into it." Inoue: "Hey! Hey!" Inoue: "Hey! Can't you hear me?!" Inoue: "Hey! Answer me! Hey!" kamura: "What? What's happening?!" Miyanishi: "Why'd they suddenly speed up?" ukiya: "See? It's begun..." Inoue: "Bullet-proof glass?" Miyanishi: "Hey, Senpai! What's this about?" kamura: "Miyanishi, can you stop this van somehow?" Miyanishi: "All right! I'll try— Hey, wha—" Miyanishi: "Senpai..." kamura: "Miyanishi? What happened? Miyanishi! Miyanishi!" Inoue: "Don't take another step!" ukiya: "You're pleased with what's happening, aren't you?" Yoshio: "Huh?" ukiya: "I knew it! You are, aren't you?" Yoshio: "Not really. It's just..." Yoshio: "I like the really flashy cases best." : "Huh? Did Koba-chin just hit his head?" Yoshio: "Out of the way." Inoue: "Wait, you're not—" kamura: "Hey, what are you..." kamura: "What the hell is going on?" Inoue: "Warn us before you do that! It's dangerous!" kamura: "Ow..." ukiya: "What a disaster." kamura: "Get over here!" Guya: "Detective Nakamura! You're not hurt?" kamura: "We're all fine. What happened to Miyanishi?" Guya: "He was impeded by someone and rendered immobile. He will be fine, though." kamura: "I see." Guya: "We'll take Fukiya in our car. Please..." kamura: "No." kamura: "I'm going with him." Guya: "No, actually... We don't have a seat for you." kamura: "What is this about?" Inoue: "Detective Nakamura!" kamura: "Run!" Guya: "Bastard!" Guya: "Damn it! What is that kid?!" Hide: "Man, it all looks so good!" Kensuke: "Wow! What is this party for?" Hide: "Oh, I didn't tell you?" urukawa: "Hide-chan." urukawa: "We're switching to plan B." Hide: "Oh..." Kensuke: "What's wrong?" Hide: "Hanayan, we're gonna relocate. The party venue's been changed." kamura: "Come on! What do we do?!" Inoue: "There!" kamura: "All right!" kamura: "What are you doing? Come on, move!" ukiya: "I won't move until Kobayashi-kun plays my game with me." Yoshio: "Huh?" kamura: "Give it a res—" ukiya: "I'd love to run away right now, too. But..." ukiya: "Since Kobayashi-kun won't play my game..." Yoshio: "You just want me to play?" ukiya: "That's right." : "Hey! Koba-chin!"

Hide: "Momo-hm-hm-hmm, Momo-hm-hm-hmm... On your waist, hm-hm-hmm... Give one to me, hm-hm-hmm... I'll give you one, I'll hm-hm-hmm... I'm going to find the demon and hm-hm-hmm..." Tv: "Now for our next story. In response to reports that gunshots were heard near where a truck overturned in Shibuya," Hide: "If you'll come with me, hm-hm-hmm..." Tv: "police are now investigating, but no leads have been found." ukiya: "Bird." Yoshio: "Sky." ukiya: "Female." Yoshio: "Not male." ukiya: "Tomorrow." Yoshio: "Don't care." ukiya: "Life." Yoshio: "Don't need it." ukiya: "Embrace." Yoshio: "Em...?" ukiya: "Embrace. You know, like a hug." Yoshio: "Like I know anything about..." kamura: "More men." Inoue: "Yeah." : "Yes?" kamura: "Send a helicopter to the rooftop." : "Don't want to accept your own colleagues' help after all this, huh?" kamura: "Relying on my bosses would just waste time shoving responsibility back and forth." : "I see, I see." kamura: "So how long is it gonna take?" : "I'd say just about fifteen minutes." kamura: "I expected as much." : "I picked the one that should make it easiest to get to the courthouse." : "You should probably let your bosses know." : "If their firewall's not working, they're done for." Inoue: "Kobayashi, go ahead of us." Yoshio: "Huh?" Inoue: "Go up to the roof with Detective Nakamura and block the entrance." Yoshio: "Huh?" ukiya: "Hey! He and I are in the middle of a game right now!" kamura: "Huh? What kind of nonsense—" ukiya: "If you won't play my game..." ukiya: "I won't walk any further." ukiya: "That last word..." ukiya: "What came to your mind?" Yoshio: "I forget." ukiya: "Hey... Don't you want to know about your past?" Yoshio: "No." ukiya: "Your pupils are contracting." ukiya: "That's a sign of a surge in adrenaline." Yoshio: "Huh?" ukiya: "An increased vocal pitch occurs as a result of elevated airway pressure past the Adam's apple." Yoshio: "What are you talking about?" ukiya: "Why don't you tell him?" Inoue: "Motor perception is basically a barometer of lies." Yoshio: "What? I-I'm not lying!" Enemya: "They're not on this floor!" Enemyb: "Split up and find them!" kamura: "We don't have time to stand around and chat." ukiya: "My goodness." Yoshio: "I might remember it again." ukiya: "Huh?" Yoshio: "If you continue your game." ukiya: "That's true. I'll just take a closer look, then, into the depths of your mind." Yoshio: "The way you talk sounds so slimy." ukiya: "Gun." Yoshio: "Noisy." ukiya: "Detective." Yoshio: "A way to die." ukiya: "Akechi Kogorou." Yoshio: "Reeks of booze." ukiya: "Red." Yoshio: "W—" Yoshio: "Wall." ukiya: "Wall." Yoshio: "Crashed into." ukiya: "Tears." Yoshio: "Crashed into..." ukiya: "Tears." Yoshio: "Disgusting." ukiya: "Hanasaki Kensuke." Yoshio: "A big freaking idiot." Tv: "The vehicle carrying Fukiya Seiji, the killer of a Yoyogi Girls' Middle School student, is coming into view." Tv: "Security around it is heavy." Hide: "Here. Wear this." Kensuke: "Wha?!" Hide: "Oh, nice reaction! But the real surprise is yet to come." Kensuke: "Surprise?" Hide: "Yeah, and after we worked so hard to decorate the place real nice..." Hide: "We were supposed to bring him here, but..." Hide: "Basically, we launch an all-out attack to take down Onigashima!" Kensuke: "What are you...?" Hide: "Did ya know? Nursery rhymes are actually really scary. That snail song is just mean as hell." Kensuke: "Listen to what I'm—" Hide: "We'll finish this inside, Hanayan." Hide: "The parents of Arisu-chan, the girl Fukiya killed, asked us to do this." Kensuke: "To kill him?" Hide: "No, no! Just to help catch him! After that, he's in their hands." urukawa: "We'll be there in seven or eight minutes." Hide: "Got it. It was supposed to be an easy job, but someone got in the way." Hide: "It's no good. I have a bad habit of not following through when it counts..." Kensuke: "That's..." Hide: "Huh?" Kensuke: "Some friends of mine are escorting him." Hide: "Oh, wow! It's gotta be fate! Talk about scary!" Hide: "Huh... So your friends are helping that murderer, eh?" Kensuke: "Don't say it like that!" Hide: "Don't get all mad. I know what you meant. Both sides are right, and both sides are wrong." Kensuke: "Why does it always end up like this?" Hide: "Well, I'm not that surprised, really." Hide: "You have the same scent about you as we do, Hanayan." Kensuke: "Scent?" Hide: "You know what I mean." Kensuke: "Stop it." Hide: "Y'know, like birds of a feather? Creatures that smell the same attract each other." Hide: "That rings a bell for you, too, doesn't it?" Hide: "Think about what you're gonna do after this." Hide: "You gonna side with us or your friends?" Hide: "Hey, relax." Hide: "No matter what you choose, we're not gonna hate ya. Right?" urukawa: "Yeah." ukiya: "Pain." Yoshio: "Throbs." ukiya: "Flowers." Yoshio: "Have it easy." ukiya: "They have it easy? That's very poetic." Yoshio: "Poetic?" kamura: "We're almost to the roof. Let's hurry." Inoue: "Yes." Yoshio: "Wait." Yoshio: "Look." Yoshio: "We can't go up. I destroyed it." : "The nearest alternate route is the west stairwell. Head over there." kamura: "West?" Inoue: "This way." Inoue: "It's locked..." Inoue: "Look out!" ukiya: "Let's continue, Kobayashi-kun." ukiya: "Freedom." Yoshio: "To die." ukiya: "Nice one! To die is freedom, eh?" kamura: "Shut up for a second!" ukiya: "Don't bother." ukiya: "There's no need to hurt them any more." kamura: "Huh?" ukiya: "Oh, when I thought about it, I realized she might like that..." ukiya: "Arisu-kun in Heaven, that is!" kamura: "You can't mean..." ukiya: "Bingo." ukiya: "That's right. They're among them... Arisu-kun's parents." Inoue: "Impossible!" ukiya: "Oh? You think I'm lying? Her daddy's favorite dessert came out with a new flavor, so she was happily carrying a convenience store bag, if I recall! That day, I told her my dog ran away, and she genuinely felt bad for me!" ukiya: "Stop it! You'll be killed! When I told her I'd let her go home if she did as I said, she took a knife to her own ears!" Dad: "I'll kill him!" Guy: "Hey! Wait!" Dad: "I'm gonna kill him!" ukiya: "You heard him." kamura: "Where's the helicopter?" : "It'll show up in five minutes!" Inoue: "Detective Nakamura!" kamura: "Hurry!" Yoshio: "Not bad." Dad: "Fukiya!" Dad: "Damn it!" ukiya: "Sorry. My legs are worn out." Inoue: "You..." ukiya: "We shook them off. Shall we move faster?" ukiya: "Family." Yoshio: "A bunch of lies." ukiya: "Prison." Yoshio: "A pig sty." ukiya: "Adults." Yoshio: "All garbage." ukiya: "Embrace." Yoshio: "Strings... No, tubes." ukiya: "Mother." Yoshio: "Stinks..." ukiya: "Father." Yoshio: "What... is this?" ukiya: "Boy, he really is amazing. It's not unusual for a psychologically unstable child to develop special abilities, but yours are a cut above." kamura: "Don't stop!" ukiya: "How I would love to unravel the mystery behind your powers..." Yoshio: "There's no mystery! If I solve cases, I can die!" ukiya: "Can you?" ukiya: "I think there's a more primitive desire at work." Yoshio: "Huh?" ukiya: "They say people develop immense strength in a crisis, right? Arisu-kun displayed astounding vitality in the end, as well..." Inoue: "Shut up!" ukiya: "Ouch... Well, rats. I was just getting to the good part." Inoue: "Enough of your drivel!" ukiya: "Is it painful to know you're helping a murderer?" ukiya: "I figured you were more the businesslike type." Inoue: "Shut your mouth." ukiya: "And you call yourself Akechi Kogorou's right-hand man... How pathetic." kamura: "Where's the west stairwell?" : "Turn right at the next corner, and it's past the cafeteria." kamura: "Hear that? Save the chatter for after we reach the roof." kamura: "The stairway that leads to the roof from here... Well, come on!" : "It's a slightly longer way around, but go out the door on the left." Inoue: "Kobayashi?" Inoue: "Kobayashi!" kamura: "Hey, are you...?" Inoue: "Keep it together, Kobayashi! You accepted this job! Don't give up halfway!" Yoshio: "Shut up." Enemya: "There they are!" kamura: "Get back!" ukiya: "Right, right." Enemya: "Give us Fukiya!" kamura: "Stop this already!" Mom: "Anyone who takes that killer's side is as guilty as he is!" Enemya: "Wait! Don't be hasty!" kamura: "If we're just as guilty, you're welcome to kill us." Mom: "Shut up!" Yoshio: "Shoot me." Yoshio: "Hurry up and kill me!" Mom: "Shut up!" Enemya: "What was that?" Enemyb: "The bullet bounced off him!" Enemya: "Hey!" Enemyb: "Fire! Fire!" Voice: "Fire! Don't let them escape!" Hide: "Man, your friend's tough!" Guy: "Fire! Don't back down!" Kensuke: "I like you, Hide-chan." Hide: "Oh, thanks, man!" Kensuke: "But... I have to..." Hide: "What?!" urukawa: "He shot you down." Hide: "That was a bigger shock than I expected... I'm heartbroken." Hide: "Hey, don't get so down. You gotta do what you think is right." Hide: "Oh, fine. I'll give you a handicap." Kensuke: "A handicap?" Hide: "There're a lot of us, right?" Hide: "So... Let's see... 100 seconds. We'll give you 100 seconds. After that, you can't hold anything against us." Hide: "Here goes! One..." Kensuke: "Hide-chan..." Hide: "Two..." Kensuke: "Sorry!" Hide: "Three..." Hide: "Four... That enough?" urukawa: "Wait, wait, wait!" urukawa: "What if we lose Fukiya because of this?" Hide: "I wouldn't want that." Hide: "But do we have any right to stop Hanayan?" Hide: "Eleven... Twelve... Thirteen..." Hide: "Fourteen..." Enemyc: "Damn it! What the hell is he?!" Mom: "Quick! You have to use that!" Enemya: "We can't!" Mom: "Why do you think we brought it?!" Enemya: "That's our ace in the hole for an emergency!" Mom: "If they get away, this will all be for nothing! Just hurry up and detonate it!" Inoue: "Detonate?" ukiya: "It's in that man's bag." ukiya: "Is it Semtex? Or maybe C4?" ukiya: "From how full that bag looks..." ukiya: "I'd say it'll annihilate this floor, and of course... You'd die as well, right?" ukiya: "This is enough." Yoshio: "Huh?" ukiya: "Give me to them and your friend will be saved." kamura: "What are you saying?" ukiya: "I never valued my life in the first place." Yoshio: "You want to die?" ukiya: "I have no attachments to this world." Yoshio: "Oh?" Inoue: "Hey, Kobayashi..." Yoshio: "I won't let you, though." Yoshio: "A detective doesn't give up on a job halfway. Right?" ukiya: "You really are an interesting boy." kamura: "Wow..." Enemya: "What are you—?!" Mom: "Enough!" Mom: "Give us Fukiya right now! If you don't, everyone here will be blown to bits!" Mom: "Finally... Finally, I'll get to avenge my daughter! So hurry up!" Yoshio: "No." Yoshio: "It's my job to protect him." Yoshio: "I can't let you kill him." Mom: "In that case... You can die with that demon!" kamura: "Hey..." Inoua: "Wait!" Enemya: "Everyone retreat!" Mom: "Die!" Yoshio: "Hanasa—" Akechi: "Having a tough time, huh?" Inoue: "Sensei!" ukiya: "So you've finally shown up." kamura: "Making your appearance now? What a big shot." Akechi: "Don't do that. Go home before you get hurt." Mom: "Stay out of my way!" Enemya: "Damn you!" Enemye: "Damn it!" Akechi: "Dangerous object retrieved." Akechi: "Hey, your ride's waiting for you, Nao-chan." Inoue: "Detective Nakamura..." Inoue: "Get Fukiya to the helicopter, quickly!" kamura: "Right... Let's go." ukiya: "That's my Akechi-kun." Akechi: "Thanks." ukiya: "I'm so glad I could keep my promise to him." Akechi: "Him?" ukiya: "I have a message for you, Akechi-kun. "Welcome back. I've been waiting for you, and you alone."" Akechi: "So you're nothing but a lowly messenger boy now, huh?" ukiya: "Bye-bye." Cop: "We'll arrive at the courthouse in about seven minutes. And it appears that Fukiya has sustained an injury to his abdomen." ukiya: "I figured this would happen... Who would have thought that" ukiya: "Kusakabe had even found its way into the police?" ukiya: "I would rather have been killed... by that boy..." kamura: "What?!" kamura: "You let them get away?!" Inoue: "I'm sorry." Kensuke: "Kobayashi!" kamura: "You're late." Inoue: "The case is over." Kensuke: "Kobayashi... I'm sorry I ignored all your calls..." Yoshio: "You came, didn't you?" Yoshio: "So you didn't ignore them." Mom: "You will pay..."

Yoshio: "Ow!" Kensuke: "Kobayashi!" kamura: "Hold it!" Kensuke: "Why?" Kensuke: "Why did you do that?!" Inoue: "He's bleeding too much. If that keeps up..." Akechi: "I guess this means Kobayashi's wish came true." Kensuke: "I promise to kill you." Kensuke: "No! It didn't!" Akechi: "Looks like his power is weakening." Akechi: "He always wanted to die." Akechi: "But this power of his wouldn't let him." Inoue: "You don't mean..." Akechi: "Yeah, it's a possibility." Kensuke: "What do you mean, a possibility?!" Inoue: "If his ability to prevent death is a reaction to his desire to die," Inoue: "that would mean Kobayashi doesn't want to die right now." Akechi: "In simple terms," Akechi: "he wants to live." Kensuke: "What the hell?" Kensuke: "You're always telling me to hurry up and kill you..." Akechi: "Well, he must have discovered it was fun to be around you." Kensuke: "Remember the times you got hurt? Both at the factory and in the hall, it happened after you helped someone. So if we solve a bunch of cases, you can get hurt a bunch of times and die! So it wasn't about solving cases, but because he..." Kensuke: "That's not fair, damn it!" Akechi: "If we can't touch him, we can't treat him, let alone carry him out of here." Kensuke: "Then what do we do?" Akechi: "If there's a way to save him," Akechi: "it would be to make him want to die." Akechi: "If we can do that, his reaction to death might keep him alive." Kensuke: "But... But that's..." Akechi: "You were the one who made Kobayashi want to live." Akechi: "So you have to do something about it yourself." Akechi: "Don't follow me around any more." Inoue: "Sensei!" Akechi: "The Boy Detectives' Club is breaking up." : "Breaking up?" kamura: "It's over." Hide: "Where the heck have you been? We looked everywhere." Hide: "And you're shootin' it out here? Didn't you say you'd only pull that trigger to avenge your daughter?" kamura: "Who are you? What do you want?" Hide: "Sorry! My buddies are waiting, so I can't stick around and chat." : "Inoue!" : "Did Ake-chin tell you he was going to break up the club?" Inoue: "We'll talk about that later." : "Why didn't you say anything? You could've reported it to me!" Inoue: "I said later." : "If you've got an excuse, say it now! How can you just leave me out?" : "Inoue!" : "Huh? What are you doing?" Inoue: "It'll work." Kensuke: "Inoue?" Inoue: "Grab the other end!" Inoue: "We'll pick him up with this and put him in my wheelchair." Kensuke: "Got it!" Inoue: "Be careful." Inoue: "If we drop him, we're out of options." kamura: "Relay the physical description I just gave you to all departments." Miyanishi: "Senpai!" kamura: "You're late." Miyanishi: "I got here as soon as I could, even after the doctor told me to rest. You could give me a little praise..." kamura: "Huh? The case is already... No, I guess it's not over." Miyanishi: "Huh?" Boss: "Nakamura!" kamura: "I knew it..." Boss: "You've made a real mess for us again! When are you going to stop making trouble for us?! Ever since I gave you this assignment..." kamura: "Miyanishi, come here." Boss: "Nakamura! Come with me right now!" : "Should I send the car to the back of the building?" Inoue: "Sure." : "I'm on it." Inoue: "Go." Inoue: "When the car gets here, take Kobayashi to the office." Inoue: "You don't want the police to find him, right?" Kensuke: "Right. Then..." Inoue: "Don't worry about me. Just hurry up." Kensuke: "Huh? What are you talking about? Come on!" Inoue: "Go!" Miyanishi: "Uh..." Miyanishi: "Did I come at a bad time?" Inoue: "I'm sorry to make you do this when you're hurt, too." Miyanishi: "Nah, this is just a scratch." Miyanishi: "Besides, this is hardly the time to worry about that, right?" Inoue: "Thank you." Inoue: "But why are you here?" Miyanishi: "Oh, Nakamura-san sent me to check on you guys." Inoue: "Nakamura-san did?" Miyanishi: "Yeah. She's a little... occupied right now." Boss: "This is a huge disgrace! A huge disgrace! This is why I was against this from the start..." Boss: "That detective agency, and a bunch of kids, no less!" Boss: "And yet, Nakamura, you... You..." kamura: "I know, sir. I'm responsible for everything that happened here." Boss: "That's right, you are. All of this is your responsibility." Boss: "But don't think that you're the only one shouldered with that responsibility." Boss: "Our entire police force's reputation has been ruined!" Miyanishi: "You're heading to your office, right?" Miyanishi: "I'll drive you there." Inoue: "No, we couldn't ask that much of you." Inoue: "Besides..." Inoue: "This is our own problem." Hide: "We'll stop by the hideout and drop off the mom first." urukawa: "First?" Hide: "You know what comes after that, don't ya?" Kensuke: "Kobayashi!" Kensuke: "Do you understand me?" Kensuke: "This is medicine!" Kensuke: "Hold out your hand!" Kensuke: "Come on! It's medicine, Kobayashi! You're hurt! Come on, hold out your hand! Take it yourself!" Kensuke: "Please take it!" Kensuke: "Please... Please!" Kensuke: "Kobayashi, I'm begging you! Please take it!" Kensuke: "Damn it!" : "Hey, isn't there anything you can do?" Inoue: "If there was, I'd be doing it." Kensuke: "Damn it... Damn it!" Akechi: "...it would be to make him want to die." Kensuke: "How am I supposed to do that?" Kensuke: "Tell me what I'm supposed to do!" Hide: "Hanayan!" Kensuke: "Why are you here?" Hide: "Why else? I came to get you." Kensuke: "Huh?" Hide: "Let's party! Yeah, not really. We're gettin' together to review our failed mission." : "Huh? Who is this guy?" Inoue: "You know him?" Kensuke: "Sort of..." Hide: "That's the guy, isn't it, Hanayan? That friend of... yours... Whoa! He's bleedin' like crazy!" Hide: "But how? Isn't he supposed to be able to repel bullets?" Inoue: "You said "failed mission" earlier, didn't you? You don't mean..." Hide: "Yep. Our "an eye for an eye" mission to get revenge for the victim's family failed." Inoue: "You organized all this?" Hide: "I won't say "organized..." More like I volunteered to help out?" Inoue: "Be serious!" Inoue: "Why didn't you say anything?!" Kensuke: "Because..." Hide: "Huh? Hanayan didn't tell you?" Inoue: "No, he didn't." Inoue: "Why did you hide this?" Kensuke: "I wasn't hiding it! Besides, I—" Inoue: "If you want to make excuses," Inoue: "you should be giving them to him, not me." Inoue: "To Kobayashi, the one who's about to die because of you." Hide: "Just so ya know, Hanayan had pretty much nothing to do with this whole thing." Inoue: "Be quiet! This is our own problem!" Hide: "'Fraid I can't go along with that." Hide: "No matter what else, Hanayan's one of us." Inoue: "So that's how it is." Inoue: "Well, isn't that nice for you? You found new friends." Kensuke: "Wh-Why do you have to put it that way?!" Kensuke: "I just... wanted it to be like before..." Kensuke: "But... I wasn't the same person anymore..." Kensuke: "And besides, you guys..." Kensuke: "You guys changed, too!" Hide: "Hanayan, let's go. Come have a blast with me and my buddies! Well, not really, but..." Hide: "Hey, don't go ahead of me!" Akechi: "The Boy Detectives' Club is breaking up." Inoue: "You didn't need to come out and say that," Inoue: "Sensei." Inoue: "After all, we're already..." 20Faces: "Akechi-kun..."

Guy: "Where's our room? And damn, this place is huge!" Girl: "We've gotta have a party here!" Akechi: "Where was it? Where did I" Akechi: "let it go? Where did I" Akechi: "accept it?" Akechi: "Him..." Akechi: "And his policy..." Boy: "Nice..." Boy: "You really are..." 20Faces: "...the very best kind of evil." Boy: "Akechi-kun!" Boy: "They said we're leaving." Boy: "We've traveled pretty far, huh? We keep going deeper and deeper in, looking for an incredibly dangerous place." Boy: "See? Look, Akechi-kun." Akechi: "Yeah." Boy: "Hey... Isn't this enough?" Akechi: "Huh?" Boy: "You still don't feel satisfied here?" Akechi: "Huh? Even the most miserable, heartless, extraordinary days" Akechi: "look pretty ordinary when you keep repeating them." Boy: "Akechi-kun?" Akechi: "Fumiyo introduced herself as a reporter. She was shocked by every aspect of my daily life, making my heart ache." Akechi: "Her reactions seemed so new to me..." Akechi: "I was attracted to how normal she was." Boy: "Fumiyo-san!" Boy: "Here's what you asked for." umiyo: "Thanks!" Akechi: "So you were interested, just like anyone would be." Akechi: "Huh?" Akechi: "That's for Fumiyo, isn't it?" Akechi: "Nice of you." Akechi: "What?" Boy: "I have no intentions of becoming anyone's romantic rival." Akechi: "Huh? What are you talking about?" Boy: "You're a genius, Akechi-kun." Boy: "Finding thrills... That's" Boy: "your gift." Katsuta: "For five whole days?" : "Yeah. He's been out cold the whole time." Katsuta: "What are you going to do now?" Inoue: "Well..." Ohtomo: "What exactly do you think you can do? The Boy Detectives' Club is bye-bye, so long, farewell, isn't it?" Yamane: "What? Really?" : "That really came out of the blue, huh? Even I was shocked." Inoue: "Noro..." : "I'm not talking to someone who keeps secrets from everyone!" Ohtomo: "Aw, you made Mako-chan mad." Inoue: "What have you been doing, anyway?" Ohtomo: "Collecting my pay for the seven tools I gave you." : "Is this really the time to be a cheapskate?" Ohtomo: "Why don't you just stop adhering to that guy already?" Inoue: "What?" Ohtomo: "What have I been telling you? I like all of you, but that's the kind of guy he is." Katsuta: "Ohtomo." Ohtomo: "I mean, how shady could he be? Gathering a bunch of young hunks and an owl in a place like this?" Inoue: "Don't insult Sensei." Ohtomo: "You're just scared of losing your place, aren't you?" Katsuta: "Stop it, you two." : "Katsuta! Get back!" Yamane: "Huh?!" Ohtomo: "Wow..." : "It looks like Koba-chin's power is absorbing nutrients in desperation to live." : "Which means Koba-chin really..." Akechi: "Goodbyes always come as if they're just meant to." Boy: "Fumiyo-san is going back already?" Akechi: "She's got plenty of material by now." Boy: "Akechi-kun..." Akechi: "I don't want her to become" Akechi: "the kind of person we are." Boy: "Huh?" Akechi: "You and I should keep living for thrills." Akechi: "Just like always." Driver: "Fumiyo, we're ready to go." Akechi: "Here." Boy: "Goodbye." Akechi: "Hey!" Boy: "This is goodbye, Akechi-kun." Akechi: "Huh?" Boy: "I can't satisfy you anymore." Boy: "Fumiyo-san, keep giving Akechi-kun lots of thrills." Akechi: "The scent of those flowers" Akechi: "still clings to me." Woman: "Excuse me..." Akechi: "Oh, table for one? Sit wherever you like." Woman: "Is this the right place?" Akechi: "That's here, too." Akechi: "Sorry it was so hard to find." Akechi: "So, what job do you need done? It'll be on the house." Woman: "What?" Akechi: "You're our very first customer, after all." Akechi: "It was Fumiyo who suggested it to me. No job I'd ever held lasted even a month, but I took to investigation work in no time." Akechi: "What? Right now?" Akechi: "Of course, you'll come in a police car to pick me up, right? I used this new thrill to black out my past, my two fathers," Akechi: "and him. Thanks." Akechi: "The Fiend... with Twenty Faces?" Drunk: "Damn..." mikoshi: "That's the eighth one." Akechi: "What is Twenty Faces after?" mikoshi: "Who knows? Fortunately, there haven't been any victims yet. We've gotta nab this guy fast." Akechi: "You sure about this, Namikoshi-san? Is it wise to let civilians see internal documents?" mikoshi: "I'm retiring in half a month. I don't care." Akechi: "No wonder you're so stressed." mikoshi: "I'll pay in advance." Akechi: "I understand now. Whether he changes his name or anything else," Akechi: "I'm still me, and he's still him." Akechi: "A ninth hit?" mikoshi: "No, not yet." Akechi: "Not yet?" mikoshi: "He's screwing with us." 20Faces: "Tonight, along with the ninth signal, I come to partake of the finest reward. Twenty Faces." Akechi: "Call Fumiyo!" mikoshi: "Huh?" Akechi: "Now!" mikoshi: "Fine." mikoshi: "Uh, hello?" Akechi: "Did she answer?" mikoshi: "Yeah." Akechi: "She's at the shop, right?" mikoshi: "Give it a rest." Akechi: "You go protect Fumiyo!" mikoshi: "What's with you? Hey!" mikoshi: "What's his problem? Oh, no, just talking to myself." Akechi: "Unbelievable." Akechi: "Are you coming with us?" Boy: "I can't do that." Akechi: "At that moment," Akechi: "I looked at him and..." 20Faces: "Shouldn't you answer that? It's been a long time," 20Faces: "Akechi-kun." Akechi: "Fumiyo?" Akechi: "Fumiyo!" 20Faces: "That expression is wonderful." Akechi: "You were behind all of it?" 20Faces: "It reminds me of" 20Faces: "that last day we spent together." Akechi: "Fumiyo!" Akechi: "Fumiyo!" Boy: "Akechi-kun!" Akechi: "Why are you here?" Boy: "I heard over the wireless that your vehicle was found." Boy: "Where's Fumiyo-san?" Akechi: "I don't know." Boy: "Don't make that pathetic face." Boy: "Let's look for her. There should be a few mountain shacks around here." Boy: "Akechi-kun?" Akechi: "You smell like those flowers." Akechi: "It was you!" 20Faces: "He's probably arrived at your house by now..." 20Faces: "Detective Namikoshi, that is." Akechi: "You bastard!" Akechi: "What did you do to Fumiyo?!" Boy: "What are you talking about," Boy: "Akechi-kun?" Akechi: "Don't look at me like that!" Akechi: "What are you really thinking?" Akechi: "Which face is the real you?!" Boy: "Akechi-kun..." Boy: "Which face do you like?" Akechi: "Don't joke around!" Boy: "Did you enjoy..." 20Faces: "...this thrill?" Akechi: "Fumiyo?" Akechi: "What the hell did you do to Fumiyo?!" 20Faces: "I gave it to her, as well. My gift." Akechi: "What did you...?!" 20Faces: "These lips charm people, and control them." 20Faces: "Do you think what she's holding..." 20Faces: "...is really just a bouquet of flowers? You should ask her who was behind" 20Faces: "the explosions." umiyo: "It has to..." umiyo: "It has to be thrilling for you." Akechi: "Put those things down! Put them down!" Akechi: "I said put them down!" umiyo: "So..." Akechi: "Stop!" Akechi: "Stop!" umiyo: "So..." umiyo: "Are you having fun?" kamura: "Is this Akechi Kogorou's investigation firm?" Akechi: "What do you want?" kamura: "I'm the retired Detective Namikoshi's successor. My name is Nakamura." Akechi: "What do you want?" kamura: "We've received a new warning note from Twenty Faces." kamura: "I'd like you to assist us in apprehending him." Akechi: "Is this a joke?" kamura: "These incidents keep occurring because you failed to capture him. Isn't that right?" kamura: "I'll wait outside for just five minutes." Akechi: "Where did I let it go?" Akechi: "Where did I accept it?" Akechi: "Him..." Akechi: "And his policy..." Akechi: "There's just one thing I do know." Akechi: "I used them. I saved them, gave them a place to belong," Akechi: "and gave them friends. Or pretended to." Guy: "It's a real thrill, eh, boy?" Akechi: "I wanted a place for myself, where I could be a decent human being. I wanted the thrill-seeker that I was to have a just cause." Guy: "What the hell are you doing?!" Akechi: "It's you, right?!" Akechi: "It was you, right?! You can't fool me! To do that, I let it go... and accepted it." Akechi: "Why me?! Why only me?!" Akechi: "Damn it!" Akechi: "I am..." Akechi: "...irredeemably evil."

Dad: "Are you all right?" Mom: "Yes... I'm fine now." Yoshio: "Ow..." Yoshio: "What is this?" Dad: "Take care of the rest." Akashi: "Yes, sir." Hide: "Are you about to have grandbaby?" Akashi: "Pardon?" Hide: "I mean, since you're adding onto the house..." Akashi: "Oh, no, that isn't why. But in the sense that he's decided to take in new family," Akashi: "it may mean the same thing." Sumire: "So the preparations, including the stratospheric plane, are coming along with the New Tokyo World Fair. I just can't wait!" Caster: "Yes, but some have expressed concerns over having police act as guards." Sumire: "What? Really?" Caster: "The attack a few days ago on the convict Fukiya Seiji is one of several mistakes on the police's record in recent months. People are seeking safe security, so that everyone around the world can enjoy the event." Sumire: "I see..." urukawa: "Sorry to interrupt while you're resting." Sumire: "Good luck, police force!" urukawa: "I'm one of the renovators." urukawa: "We'd like to check this room as part of our examination of the house." Kensuke: "I heard you were just adding onto the house..." Hide: "Well, actually, since this house is so old, we were asked to see if any repairs were needed, too. So we're checking out every last corner..." Kensuke: "You're Hide-chan, right?" Hide: "Damn, Hanayan, you really are a rich kid." urukawa: "Otherwise, who would give their son... I mean, former son who might never come back, a new add-on?" Kensuke: "What's going on? Why are you doing this?" Hide: "Well, you wouldn't answer my calls." Hide: "Yesterday was a lot of fun, too." Hide: "I mean, there was this guy standing there smoking, right? And then he tossed the cigarette butt. So we did the same thing at his house." Hide: "And... toss!" Hide: "Whoa, crap!" Hide: "So we're here today to invite you on our next mission." Kensuke: "Next?" Hide: "Well, like, we found a pretty popular shop, and then we immediately found someone making up problems with it and posting them online." urukawa: "Like this." urukawa: "This stuff is more convincing than you'd think." Hide: "And using an alias to do it..." Hide: "We can't let that slide! It's an eye for an eye!" Hide: "So, Hanayan, we want you to come with us to let this guy have it!" Kensuke: "I just can't be one of you, Hide-chan." Kensuke: "Sorry." Hide: "Are you still upset about that last case?" Kensuke: "Nothing good comes of me taking action." Kensuke: "I don't know what to do." Hide: "Didn't I tell ya before? Everyone messes up at some point. It's fine." Hide: "Well, can't help it, I guess." Hide: "Anyway, if ya get any interesting missions, give me a call. I'll be waiting." Hide: "Did you think I was bein' cold just now?" Kensuke: "No, not really." Hide: "But you know..." Hide: "I've got too many things I want to do! There's not enough time in the world!" Hide: "So I'll be going." Hide: "See ya." urukawa: "Wait, wait, wait!" Akashi: "Excuse me, Kensuke-san." Akashi: "Did some people from the renovation company come in here?" Kensuke: "They said there's something they want to do." Akashi: "Something they want to do?" Katsuta: "Hello? Sunflowers?" Katsuta: "Sunflowers, sunflowers... Sunflowers?" Katsuta: "Oh, seeds. All right." Ohtomo: "Heya. What's up? Helping with the shop?" Yamane: "It must be hard on you, though... Helping at the flower shop while studying for exams." Ohtomo: "And you've got a tennis tournament soon too, right?" Katsuta: "I like doing this." Ohtomo: "So? Did Inoue come by today?" Katsuta: "No." Yamane: "I guess he still needs to take care of Kobayashi-kun." Ohtomo: "Well, he must be super bored now that the Boy Detectives' Club broke up. What's the problem?" Yamane: "Um, isn't there anything we can do?" Ohtomo: "Come on, Yamane." Yamane: "Hey!" Ohtomo: "Worrying about other people..." Ohtomo: "...should be saved for after you take care of what you need to do." Inoue: "I'm sorry about this. Kobayashi is asleep in the office." kamura: "I'm being transferred." Inoue: "Transferred?" kamura: "Yes, to the special security division." Inoue: "Were you forced to take responsibility for what happened with Fukiya?" kamura: "What are you talking about? It's an honor to act as security for the world fair that's such a hot topic now." Inoue: "I'm sorry. Because of us..." kamura: "I just told you..." kamura: "It seems Fukiya was connected to Twenty Faces. A few other convicts testified that they saw the two of them making contact within the prison." Inoue: "Then the one behind that incident..." kamura: "At any rate, it was never something that we could handle with normal means. Besides, if I keep working at the pace I was in general affairs, I'd never see my boyfriend." kamura: "I'm just here today to tell you that I won't be able to clean up after you guys anymore." kamura: "Got that? So go back to being normal kids." Miyanishi: "I swear I'll bring you back, Senpai!" : "Hey, what's wrong?" Yoshio: "Ow..." Dad: "This is why I never wanted a child." Mom: "That child... is the proof that I was alive." : "Hey, Koba-chin! Are you okay?" : "Hey!" Kensuke: "Kobayashi!" : "So, what are you doing here?" Kensuke: "Uh, I was just thinking about what I want to do, and..." : "And?" Kensuke: "What came to me was..." Kensuke: "...to visit him." : "I see." Kensuke: "I mean, if I hadn't dragged him into it..." Kensuke: "Hey." Kensuke: "Where's Sensei?" Inoue: "What about Sensei?" Kensuke: "I was wondering if you'd gotten in touch with him..." Inoue: "Why ask that?" Kensuke: "Why? I..." Kensuke: "Okay, I'll be going." Inoue: "Kobayashi!" Inoue: "Are you okay?" Yoshio: "My head feels all mixed up..." Inoue: "Your head?" Inoue: "A Ferris wheel..." Inoue: "An amusement park surrounded by a housing complex... A park with an octopus slide..." Inoue: "A train with green lines... It's probably" Inoue: "Akebono Amusement Park." Kensuke: "Hey, Kobayashi..." Kensuke: "What do you want to do?" Inoue: "Hey! Where are you going?" Yoshio: "That amusement park." Inoue: "You can't go in the condition you're in!" Yoshio: "I'll get rid of this messed-up feeling." Inoue: "Wait! Even if you go there..." : "Hey. Open it." : "I'm telling you to open the window!" Inoue: "What is it?" : "Just open the window already! Otherwise... Pippo-chan! A hundred consecutive hits!" Inoue: "Noro!" : "Pippo-chan..." : "Attack!" : "Stop!" : "Pippo-chan..." : "Tornado!" : "Stop!" : "Pippo-chan..." : "Um... Thunder Snake!" : "Stop!" : "Pippo-chan..." Kensuke: "Hey!" : "Um, um... Some kind of awesome..." Kensuke: "Cut it out! What the hell is this about?!" : "Yeah." : "Reacting like a paramecium brain suits you much better." Kensuke: "Huh?" : "Okay, Pippo-chan, good work. You can come on home." Kensuke: "Hey, hang on!" Kensuke: "Weren't you going with Kobayashi?" : "That's what you want to do, isn't it?" : "I want to get cozy with my Pippo-chan right now, and nothing else." Kensuke: "But..." : "Why don't you start acting more simple? Being so complex doesn't suit you." : "Pippo-chan, go home!" Guy: "Uh, nothing..." Hide: "What's up, Hanayan?" Hide: "Hey! Hanayan!" Kensuke: "Yep!" urukawa: "Wait, wait!" Hide: "So, where're we headed?" Kensuke: "Akebono Amusement Park!" 20Faces: "It's still not enough, Akechi-kun." Copa: "Make sure you find him!" Copa: "Don't let him get outside!" Copb: "Stop!" Copb: "Come quietly!" Copb: "Don't think you can get out of here!" Akechi: "You're in the way." Cop: "You're..."

Kensuke: "Safe! Safe!" Kensuke: "Wait, Kobayashi!" Kensuke: "I said he's safe! Right?" Kensuke: "We're lucky it was your right leg, huh?" Kensuke: "You see? So be glad!" Kensuke: "What are you doing, you idiot?" Inoue: "You're the idiot!" Inoue: "It varies depending on the job, but the average fee is 100,000 yen per three hours of investigation." Inoue: "The startup fee will be 55% of the estimated total fee." Inoue: "If the job is completed, you will be billed for the remainder. If the job is not completed, your startup fee, minus expenses, will be..." Meiko: "U-Um..." Inoue: "Is something wrong?" Meiko: "Is Akechi-san...?" Inoue: "Akechi is investigating another matter." Akechi: "My path to love is a mad dash!" Akechi: "Mad dash!" Akechi: "Mad dash!" Akechi: "Safety always comes first!" Kensuke: "It's fine, it's fine. If you get the Boy Detectives' Club to do it, you only pay half the cost!" Meiko: "Don't you all have school?" Kensuke: "I'm home-schooled, and the kid inside that thing is a shut-in." : "Hey! That was kinda vague!" Inoue: "My high school is credits-based, so I don't start until third period today." Inoue: "Thank you for your concern." Meiko: "R-Right..." Kensuke: "What do you think? If she really insists, we can ask Sensei," Kensuke: "but we'll be the ones actually doing the investigating." Inoue: "Hanasaki!" Meiko: "Please!" Kensuke: "Whoa! These look good!" : "Huh? What is it? Save some for me!" Inoue: "And what is it you want us to do?" Kensuke: "Did you lose something? Husband cheating on you? Or do you need your place cleaned?" Kensuke: "Threat letters!" Inoue: "Look..." Kensuke: "Leave it all to us! We'll find whoever made these in no—" Meiko: "Um... I know who made them." Kensuke: "Huh? Well, then, we'll catch them and—" Meiko: "Not that." Meiko: "My boyfriend, who lives with me, made them." Meiko: "He does something in secret every evening, and I wondered what. Then I found a bunch of these in his desk. But it doesn't look like he's sent them to anyone. If he just likes making them, that's fine, but..." : "If that's not why, he could be major trouble." Inoue: "Then what you want us to do is find out who these letters are intended for, and determine if any have been sent." Inoue: "Is that correct?" Kensuke: "Aw, that's boring." Inoue: "Hanasaki!" ki: "I'm working until we close today." Meiko: "Okay. Good luck." Voice: "Thank you! Naoki, we need more potato salad. Step on it! Ah, right. Can I order?" Inoue: "Report." Kensuke: "The big seller is the daily special. I personally recommend the Hamburg Chicken. It's got Hamburg steak and fried chicken." Inoue: "Hurry it up. My lunch break's almost over." Inoue: "How is he with the others there?" Kensuke: "The senior cook seems kinda mean, but he gets along well with the regulars. Seems all right." Inoue: "Anything suspicious about the target?" Kensuke: "Uh... Dunno." Inoue: "Listen..." Kensuke: "I can't tell, so I'll talk to him in person." Kensuke: "His eyes will tell me whether he's bad news or not, right? Do you understand what it means to tail someone? It'll be fine!" Kensuke: "With all the customers he gets, he'll forget me in a heartbeat." ki: "Welcome." Kensuke: "Gimme the Hamburg Chicken Bento. Seaweed on the rice, please. And spicy cod roe on top." ki: "Extra rice?" Kensuke: "Double extra!" ki: "Sure thing." Inoue: "So? Did his eyes tell you anything?" Kensuke: "Doesn't look like the face of a guy who'd send threat letters..." Inoue: "What kind of face does he have, then?" Kensuke: "I guess it's sort of..." Kensuke: "Pure?" Inoue: "I'm never asking for your opinion again." ki: "Here's your order." ki: "That'll be 640 yen." Kensuke: "Sure. Wait, huh? Huh?" Guy: "What's wrong?" Kensuke: "Seriously?" ki: "It looks like he lost his wallet." Lady: "What?" Lady: "That's terrible! Do you have any money?" Kensuke: "Oh, I'm okay..." : "He's making himself so conspicuous." Vending: "Hot and easy in sixty seconds! Healthy, delicious, fresh lunch!" Vending: "Hot and easy in sixty seconds!" : "If you can't even tail a guy right, Pippo-chan must be five-googolplex times as smart as you." Kensuke: "Oh, shut up. I'm starving here." : "Can't you play it off with the adrenaline you love so much?" Kensuke: "Can it!" : "Looks like you're not the only one whose brain's feeding center is being stimulated." : "That's your electronic money usage history." : "Your thief must be starving, too." : "Why don't you go get it back?" : "You're useless right now, anyway." Kensuke: "Roger!" Vending: "Please choose a menu item." Vending: "You've chosen Tempura Udon." Vending: "Please choose the kind of tempura you would like." Vending: "Please choose the kind of tempura you would like." Akechi: "Heard your wallet was stolen. What a loser." Kensuke: "Well, I don't know if I'd say "stolen."" Akechi: "That immortal kid from before?" Kensuke: "I think so." Akechi: "And you're meddling again because you want to help him out, right?" Kensuke: "Every time he opens his mouth, it's to say he wants to die." Kensuke: "But he has such an awesome power! It'd be wasted if he died!" Akechi: "I don't know if the kid actually wants your help or not. Don't get full of yourself." Kensuke: "Huh?" Akechi: "Sound reasoning alone isn't enough to save anyone." Kensuke: "Right!" Akechi: "Something smells..." Kensuke: "That was so dumb! Who tries to pick up udon with their hands? You're a riot!" Kensuke: "Ten! Ten! Ten!" Kensuke: "Whoa, whoa, that's filthy. Ow!" Yoshio: "You're the dumb one." Kensuke: "All right, time for your first job." Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "The Boy Detectives' Club got a commission." Yoshio: "Go away." Kensuke: "Huh? Why?!" Yoshio: "You're annoying." Kensuke: "What's the problem? I promise I'll kill you one day, okay?" Kensuke: "C'mon, be in it with me! The Boy Detectives' Club!" Yoshio: "Go away." : "He's moving!" : "Looks like the target's going on a catering run. And it looked like he talked his senpai into letting him do it." Kensuke: "I'm on my way. When you find out where he's going, tell me." Kensuke: "Okay, come help me tail this guy." Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "I almost lost him because you snatched my wallet, you know. Better work for that udon!" Yoshio: "I-I didn't..." Kensuke: "I'll get you something to eat later. And if I can, I'll kill you, too." Yoshio: "I wasn't trying to steal it..." Kensuke: "Yeah, I get it. You tried to bring it back to me before, right?" Kensuke: "Come on, let's go!" ki: "Today's the day." ki: "Hello! I'm from Fuufuutei! I'd like to prepare the soup here." Guy: "Oh, sure." Guy: "There's an area set aside for you inside." ki: "Thank you." Kensuke: "So, how long have you been living back there?" Yoshio: "I don't remember." Kensuke: "When did you get that power?" Yoshio: "I don't remember." Kensuke: "Where's your family?" Yoshio: "I don't remember." Kensuke: "What the heck do you remember, then?" Yoshio: "I don't remember." Kensuke: "Come on, you're worn out already?" Akechi: "Hey, you guys. All of these threat letters smell funny." : "Huh? What about them smells?" Akechi: "What about them?" Akechi: "They all smell." Akechi: "It's like... the smell of cheap oil." : "Huh?" Kensuke: "Huh? You mean they actually smell?" Akechi: "What else would I mean?" Kensuke: "Well, you see it all the time in detective dramas." : "Wouldn't they smell like oil because the target works at a bento stop?" Kensuke: "Now that you mention it, there were flyers taped up everywhere." Akechi: "That's strange." Both: "Huh?" Akechi: "You make these things when you don't want to leave clues to your identity, right?" Akechi: "But this leaves all kinds of clues." : "Good point." Akechi: "Also... Would an organic-eating health nut like that woman" Akechi: "go out with a guy who works at a place that uses cheap oil like this?" Kensuke: "Huh? Well, anyway, we're heading toward the target." Kensuke: "I told you, I'll get you food later." Yoshio: "But..." Kensuke: "Anyway, if you want to die, why don't you just never eat?" Yoshio: "I have to eat." Yoshio: "If I don't, various stuff is shoved down my throat." Yoshio: "So let me eat something!" Kensuke: "Soon, okay? When we get there, I'll get you whatever you want." Yoshio: "Whatever I want?" Kensuke: "Okay, we'll split up and—" Guy: "Hey!" Guy: "You can't just walk in here!" Kensuke: "Oh, I have business with someone inside..." Guy: "Inside? Who? I'll call them for you." Kensuke: "Well, uh... I don't want them to know, though." Guy: "Huh?" Kensuke: "Look, mister, I'm in a big hurry!" Guy: "Shouldn't you be in school?" Inoue: "He's from the New Tokyo University High School newspaper club. I apologize for his lack of manners. He heard that he would be interviewing Dr. Senou, an alumnus of our school," Inoue: "so he couldn't contain his excitement and arrived an hour ahead of schedule." Guy: "I see..." Inoue: "I realize it's still in front of the venue, but if it won't cause a problem, I'd greatly appreciate it if you would allow him to wait in the lobby." Kensuke: "Nice going!" Kensuke: "Huh?" ki: "The catered meal is ready." Guy: "Please wait here, Doctor." Meiko: "Senou... The doctor who's on TV all the time?" Inoue: "Yes. Do you know if Naoki-san has anything against Senou or his medical ideology?" Meiko: "He did yell at him on the TV a lot. Something about violating the laws of nature..." Inoue: "I see." Meiko: "I'm sorry, I need to get back to work." : "Pretty crazy..." Meiko: "Um... He'll be okay, right?" Inoue: "I'll call you back." Kensuke: "Wasn't that...?" Kensuke: "Just how much food do you think you can steal?" Yoshio: "What are you talking about?" Kensuke: "Dude, I caught you red-handed!" Yoshio: "Wh-What choice did I have?" Kensuke: "H-Hey!" Kensuke: "Did you finally die?" Yoshio: "In there..." Yoshio: "There's something that mustn't be eaten!" Yoshio: "The same thing happened when I drank gasoline before." Kensuke: "Are you serious?" ki: "Hey! What are you doing?" ki: "All this food I made..." Kensuke: "Uh... Okay, everyone, no dinner tonight! And that's because there's poison in it!" Inoue: "You idiot!" ki: "You're... The guy from earlier!" Kensuke: "So, why did you put poison in the soup?" ki: "What do you mean, poison?" Kensuke: "Then why did you insist on coming here instead of your senpai?" ki: "Because..." Inoue: "I believe there was no soup on the original catering menu." ki: "I... I just... wanted everyone to know how great this water is." Kensuke: "Huh?" ki: "I recommended it to the guys I work with, but they wouldn't listen. But I thought, if a bigshot doctor gave it his seal of approval, people might see how good it is." Kensuke: "What?" ki: "This stuff really is amazing! It cleanses your body, and food cooked with it tastes smoother!" Kensuke: "E-Er, wait a sec! I'm having trouble following you." ki: "Seriously, what did you mean by "poison?"" ki: "These people will eat my cooking, right? Right?!" Kensuke: "Huh? So you're really not the—" Kensuke: "Kobayashi!" Yoshio: "I didn't do anything!" Kensuke: "Let's go!" Yoshio: "O-Okay..." Inoue: "Hanasaki!" Kensuke: "I heard it! On the phone earlier, I heard the same sound as when Kobayashi broke the vending machine!" Kensuke: "That chick's definitely in the area!" : "Inoue, look at this." Inoue: "Did Meiko-san come up with this whole plan?" ki: "Plan? I don't know what you guys are talking about!" Guy: "Should we take them both into custody?" Inoue: "The one who prepared all this mineral water" Inoue: "was Meiko-san, wasn't it? And the one who made the threat letters and poisoned the food was her, as well." Inoue: "Meiko-san framed you with this crime." : "What? So... This guy was just being played?" ki: "No... No, no, no! Don't make up nonsense! Mei-chan wouldn't do that!" Inoue: "Don't!" ki: "See that? Mei-chan did nothing wro—" Guy: "Call an ambulance! Right!" Yoshio: "We caught the guy. Isn't that enough?" Kensuke: "It doesn't add up!" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "Why would she come hang around close by" Kensuke: "when she's trying to frame someone?" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "I just don't like it! I don't want to shrug off something that seemed weird and regret it later!" Yoshio: "But I've already eaten my fill." Kensuke: "Look, you!" Kensuke: "Ow!" Kensuke: "I'll give you a talking-to later." Inoue: "Hanasaki, can you hear me?" Inoue: "Hey! Hanasaki, answer me! Can you hear me, Hanasaki?" Yoshio: "This again?" Senou: "Through genetic design, we can remove hereditary chronic illnesses from the picture... Oh, thank you." Meiko: "Drink up." Kensuke: "Hey! Is anyone in there?!" Yoshio: "Move." Kensuke: "That was awesome! Wait, no! Old man!" Kensuke: "Don't drink that water! You'll die!" Guy: "Doctor! Are you all right?!" Kensuke: "Sorry." Kensuke: "I got so pissed off, I forgot to hold back." Kensuke: "Your boyfriend is dead." Meiko: "I just... He threatened me!" Kensuke: "Stop it!" Kensuke: "You came to us with that job to make us suspect your boyfriend, didn't you? And when it looked like he'd screw up, you came to finish it yourself, right? The result of the investigation you requested is that your boyfriend was an honest, upright man. One who worked his hardest to make his girlfriend happy." Kensuke: "He was far too good a man for a woman like you." Kensuke: "And this concludes our investigation." Guy: "On your feet." Guy: "Come quietly." Kensuke: "What's up?" Yoshio: "Oh... I just, uh..." Yoshio: "This..." Kensuke: "I get ya!" Kensuke: "You just can't help admiring me, huh?" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "If you want it that bad, you can have it." Yoshio: "Huh? No, that's not—" Kensuke: "You're in the Boy Detectives' Club, too!" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "Let's work hard together from now on!" Yoshio: "If I'm with him, maybe I can really..." Yoshio: "If you really insist..." Yoshio: "I guess." Akechi: "They say that woman still won't talk." Kensuke: "I see." Akechi: "Nao-chan said something about a group that the woman got sucked into, but I don't really get it." Kensuke: "Well, figuring it out wouldn't bring that guy back to life." Akechi: "And? What about that kid?" Kensuke: "Sensei, I've decided to have a race. To see whether I can find a way to kill him first or make him want to stay alive first." Kensuke: "It's a race with myself." Kensuke: "Sensei?" Akechi: "That's three minutes." Akechi: "Go on, eat."

Mom: "Dear..." Mom: "Please..." Inoue: "Kobayashi!" Inoue: "Kobayashi!" Inoue: "Kobayashi!" Inoue: "Get up." Yoshio: "The hell..." Inoue: "What do you think?" Inoue: "What's wrong?" Inoue: "Kobayashi..." Hide: "Ya see? We caught up in no time, right?" Inoue: "That's..." Inoue: "You're still hanging around these guys?" Hide: "Huh? You say somethin'?" Kensuke: "How're you feeling?" Yoshio: "Yeah..." Inoue: "Just tell him, "Isn't it obvious?"" Yoshio: "The hell... are you guys..." Hide: "All right, all right, all right!" Hide: "I dunno what you're all tense about, but let's call a truce. Let's work hand in hand here. C'mon, let's get started! Time to track down Kobayan's memories!" Guyb: "Look here." Guyb: "You can see his face." Guya: "We know this man is a detective by the name of Akechi Kogorou." Guya: "We looked into his background, but found no records beyond seven years ago. His name may be an alias, as well." Bossa: "So this is the true identity of Twenty Faces?" Miyanishi: "That's impossible!" Miyanishi: "It's just Twenty Faces in disguise!" Urashima: "Miyanishi." Miyanishi: "Akechi-san has come face-to-face with Twenty Faces countless times. To say they're one and the same is ridiculous!" Guyb: "Then maybe "Twenty Faces" is the name of a group?" Guya: "Yeah, they cause incidents and solve them themselves to take all the credit." Miyanishi: "He's not the type of guy to care about credit! He always did just as Nakamura-san asked—" Bossa: "That's the problem." Bossb: "She leaked investigation intel to civilians." Urashima: "I intend to deal the appropriate punishment to Police Detective Nakamura." Miyanishi: "You can't..." Bossb: "In any case, you're to find Akechi before this blows up." Miyanishi: "Please wait!" Bossc: "And keep it as hush-hush as possible." Miyanishi: "At least listen to what I—" Urashima: "Quiet. The decision is made." Yokoyanagi: "They're trying to push all the blame onto Nakamura-san." Miyanishi: "But that's..." Yokoyanagi: "You'd better watch yourself, too." Voice: "The number you have dialed is out of the service area or—" Miyanishi: "Damn it!" Miyanishi: "I can't just dump everything on those kids!" Yoshio: "Wait..." Kensuke: "If you see anything familiar at all, tell us." Kensuke: "What is it? Need a break?" Yoshio: "I-I'm fine." Inoue: "The amusement park in your dream..." Inoue: "A park with an octopus slide..." Inoue: "A train with green lines... Even if you only remember fragments at a time, the dots should connect eventually." Inoue: "There's your condition, too. You shouldn't overdo it." Hide: "Wow, Kobayan, everyone loves you!" Yoshio: "Huh?" Hide: "Let me in on this love triangle, too!" Inoue: "If you want to come with us, keep your mouth shut." Hide: "Hey, Kobayan, don't you wanna join us hooligans along with Hanayan?" Kensuke: "Hide-chan..." Hide: "If you join now, I'll throw in a super comfy pillow and Furukawa's chief-ish position!" urukawa: "Wait, wait, wait." Hide: "Well, the Boy Detectives' Club is done for, right?" Hide: "So then..." Kensuke: "Hide-chan!" Yoshio: "Wait!" Both: "Kobayashi!" Kensuke: "Ow!" urukawa: "Hey!" Kensuke: "It's okay. I'm used to it." Hide: "Man, Hanayan, you really never learn, do ya?" Yoshio: "That way..." Yoshio: "That way... is my..." Isuzu: "Twenty Faces' true identity? This man?" Isuzu: "Why don't you ask your friends about that?" Miyanishi: "Huh?" Isuzu: "For instance..." Isuzu: "The little messenger boy from the underground waterway." Miyanishi: "How do you..." Urashima: "That's enough." Inoue: "Is this it?" Yoshio: "Yeah." Hide: "Nice! The dots are starting to connect!" Kensuke: "Then let's split up and search inside." Hide: "Find something, Inocchi?" Inoue: "Don't call me weird names." Hide: "What's this? A diary?" Inoue: "It's a medical record. It looks like the husband treated his sick wife himself." Hide: "Wow..." Inoue: "Aggressive autoimmune disorder... An incurable disease that modern medicine can't effectively treat." Hide: "Did this couple have any kids?" Inoue: "I doubt it. Having a child only would've shortened her life further. Besides..." Inoue: "With all the drugs in her body, it'd be impossible." Hide: "You really are smart, huh, Inocchi?" Hide: "What? You find something, too, Furukawa?" urukawa: "Huh? No." urukawa: "The cockroach guy, Ayusawa." urukawa: "His photo, address, and workplace have all been exposed." urukawa: "Did we go a bit too far?" Hide: "He got what he deserved." Inoue: "You guys..." Hide: "One less asshole posting stupid crap, right?" Inoue: "You think it's okay to make an example of him for that?!" Hide: "You guys should've exposed this much about the Lynch Shot creep, too." urukawa: "Then the people online would've freaked out, and maybe scum like Ayusawa never would've shown up." Inoue: "What?!" Hide: "People can't truly feel regret until they're put through some hell. It's only after that that you can try to help them." Inoue: "Still..." Hide: "Is there any need to take pity on bad guys? Inocchi, you're just like Hanayan, aren't ya?" Inoue: "What's wrong?" Kensuke: "When we walked up to this door, Kobayashi panicked..." Miyanishi: "It's obvious there's something they want to hide!" Urashima: "I got a call telling me not to let my men loiter around." Urashima: "Keep your nose out of this." Miyanishi: "Who was it that called you?" Miyanishi: "Your daughter's looking much better." Mom: "Huh?" Miyanishi: "It's great that they found a heart donor." Mom: "Nacchan, time to go home." Miyanishi: "I checked the organ transplant network, but..." Mom: "Stay away!" Miyanishi: "There was no record of your daughter's surgery anywhere." Mom: "Stop this or..." Miyanishi: "You'll tell on me? To your father, the deputy commissioner of the police?" Miyanishi: "You know Doctor Kyoumoto, correct?" Kensuke: "You okay?" Kensuke: "Need something to drink?" Yoshio: "I'm fine." Hide: "If you're suffering this much, why not stop trying to remember?" Hide: "You wanna know about your past that badly?" Inoue: "Of course he does." Yoshio: "No." Yoshio: "If the inside of my head stops being such a mess..." Inoue: "Kobayashi?" Yoshio: "If I can stop it, then I can join them..." Hide: "You heard 'im." urukawa: "Aw, man!" Hide: "Hey, have a little tact!" urukawa: "Hide-chan, look." urukawa: "It was made public ten minutes ago." Ayusawa: "If I die, that'll make you happy, right?" Ayusawa: "Once 6 PM comes, you guys will regret it." Ayusawa: "You're the ones who killed me!" Ayusawa: "I'll restart the broadcast when it's time for me to die!" Inoue: "Turn that off!" Inoue: "Look." Kensuke: "Ayusawa is near here..." Yoshio: "Are we going?" Hide: "Huh? You're not gonna say "he should just die?"" Yoshio: "Huh?" Hide: "Hanayan, this isn't what you told me to expect." Kensuke: "Hide-chan!" urukawa: "Way to make things awkward. So now what?" Hide: "Pass." Kensuke: "Huh?" Hide: "It's all his own fault." Inoue: "You're saying this is what he deserves, too?" urukawa: "Pretty much." Hide: "Furukawa, let's get going." urukawa: "Yeah." Hide: "You three wanna come? We're gonna punish a factory that's leaking contaminants." Inoue: "Are you joking?" Hide: "I'm always as serious as can be!" Hide: "So, what's it gonna be?" Hide: "Well, you can do what you want. I'm just gonna walk my own path. It's been fun." urukawa: "Later." Yoshio: "What are we going to do?" Inoue: "Do you even have to ask?" Kensuke: "What else?" Kensuke: "We're gonna stop that guy from killing himself!" Girl: "Just look at this line! Opening time is near, and it's been confirmed that more tickets to the New Tokyo World Fair will be sold!" Phone: "Please leave your name and message after the tone." Miyanishi: "What the heck are you doing?" Miyanishi: "Senpai, you remember the organ selling incident, right? It was connected to the deputy commissioner of the police! That guy's definitely suspicious!" Miyanishi: "I want to talk to Kyoumoto somehow..." Miyanishi: "Dead following an issue with an inmate?" Miyanishi: "Who caused the issue?" Miyanishi: "Fukiya?!" Phone: "Your message has been recorded." Miyanishi: "That connects it to Twenty Faces..." : "Jeez, are you slave drivers or what? I'm trying to snuggle with Pippo-chan here." Kensuke: "Can you tell where he is from that video?" Inoue: "Don't assume I'm like you." Inoue: "The shadow angles and the position of the Ferris wheel limit the possibilities." : "I'm analyzing Ayusawa's video now. I've narrowed down the range quite a bit." Kensuke: "Where is that?" Inoue: "Ayusawa thinks of his suicide as revenge on the people who defamed him." Inoue: "He's sure to pick a place and a method that'll draw attention." : "Like the roof of a skyscraper?" Kensuke: "So, a place where he'd be a huge nuisance to people?" Inoue: "He's most likely at..." : "The overpass!" Yoshio: "That was so typical of you guys." Miyanishi: "The special security force you were assigned to was the deputy commissioner's idea. He was bragging about it in his interview. He made the suggestion the day after the security robot rampaged in Dogenzaka." Miyanishi: "It's creepy how everything is linked together!" Miyanishi: "Senpai, please just answer your phone!" Miyanishi: "You're okay, right?!" Ayusawa: "If you want to blame someone..." Ayusawa: "Blame them!" Inoue: "There he is!" : "There'll be a train passing through right at 6:00. He's gonna jump off then!" Kensuke: "We won't let him!" Ayusawa: "You all ganged up on me! Did I do anything that bad?!" Ayusawa: "Everything is over!" Ayusawa: "The only choice is to die!" Dad: "The only choice is to die." Dad: "Die, and end everything." Dad: "Why did she call you proof that she lived?" Dad: "You can never replace her." Dad: "Without her, there's no point in either of us living." Dad: "So all three of us might as well..." Dad: "It's your fault... If..." Dad: "If only you'd never been born!" Kensuke: "Stop!" Inoue: "I can't forgive what you did." Inoue: "Is this still what you want?" Mom: "You... have to live." Yoshio: "It doesn't hurt." urukawa: "I think you put on too big a show that time." urukawa: "Using an incident to get those two closer, I mean." Hide: "Huh?" urukawa: "Huh?" Hide: "Oh, uh... Yeah, that's right! I put on too big a show!" urukawa: "You really just ran because it was too much hassle?" Hide: "O-Of course not! I just decided that town didn't need two ideas of justice." urukawa: "Wait, wait, wait..." Hide: "It's true!" Miyanishi: "Senpai?" Inoue: "Want to head back to that house?" Yoshio: "No, I'm fine." Kensuke: "Why?" Yoshio: "I already went back. I don't need to now."

Cop: "We're the police. We're going to conduct a search of this office." Kensuke: "Hey! What are you doing? Stop it!" Inoue: "Don't!" Kensuke: "Why?! You're just gonna let them do this?!" Inoue: "Hanasaki!" Inoue: "Can you tell me why you're doing this?" Cop: "To seize any evidence in the murder of Assistant Inspector Miyanishi." Inoue: "Miyanishi-san was..." Kensuke: "...murdered?" Kensuke: "By who? Where? How?!" Cop: "He was shot." Cop: "By someone you know..." Cop: "Nakamura." Kensuke: "Nakamura-san... shot Miyanishi-san?" Kensuke: "What the hell do you mean?! That doesn't make sense!" Yoshio: "I think it means that woman shot and killed him." Kensuke: "I get that part!" Inoue: "But what does that have to do with our office?" Cop: "It's suspected that Nakamura was under the control of Twenty Faces. Nakamura herself testified that Twenty Faces" Cop: "might be Akechi Kogorou." : "Ake-chin is... Twenty Faces?" Inoue: "That's ridiculous!" Kensuke: "Yeah! I saw Sens—" Kensuke: "I saw that guy fighting Twenty Faces a bunch of times!" Kensuke: "So there's no way he can be Twenty Faces!" Inoue: "In the first place, Twenty Faces was incarcerated after the Le Waqua incident. So how...?" Cop: "We determined that he was a fake." Inoue: "Based on what?" Cop: "I'm not like Nakamura." Cop: "I won't leak information on an investigation to a bunch of kids playing detective." Yoshio: "Feels a lot cleaner in here." : "Isn't there anything else you can say?!" Kensuke: "How could we let them do this? If we don't do anything..." Inoue: "Of course it's not okay." Cop: "Why did you shoot Assistant Inspector Miyanishi?" kamura: "I don't know." Cop: "There have been reports that you're a troublemaker, but I've also heard that you shared a bond of mutual trust with Assistant Inspector Miyanishi." Cop: "So why?" kamura: "I don't know. I don't know why I pointed a gun at him," kamura: "or what was going through my mind." Depcom: "Yeah, I shook them up, and I set out the bait." Depcom: "All is going according to your plan." Akechi: "It's been a while, Tateishi-san." Tateishi: "Why did you ask to meet me here?" Akechi: "I wanted to have a little talk with you." Akechi: "You know what happened to Miyanishi, right?" Tateishi: "Yeah. Naoppe shot Takubou while under Twenty Faces' control, right?" Akechi: "Do you think that's really the case? It seems like a case the press would be all over, but since the info came out, there's been no movement." Tateishi: "So you think there's something behind it?" Tateishi: "Wait, you want me to..." Akechi: "You may be retired now, but you're a former cop." Akechi: "You must still have some connections, right?" Tateishi: "Don't be stupid! You want me to go back there now?" Akechi: "Tateishi-san... You owe me one, don't you? I snuffed out the fact that you leaked intel to the Kusakabe Club for money to pay your daughter's tuition." Akechi: "I hope you haven't forgotten that." Tateishi: "I haven't forgotten. I was only able to retire voluntarily" Tateishi: "because you agreed to my request when that happened." Tateishi: "But I thought that score was settled." Akechi: "Right." Tateishi: "Then..." Akechi: "I hear your daughter got engaged." Akechi: "Found herself the heir to the security company where you started working after retiring. Talk about marrying into big money. Even if the score was settled with the cops, if your future son-in-law's parents learned of this..." Tateishi: "Are you trying to blackmail me?" Akechi: "Of course not. I'm only asking a favor." s: "Nice catch, old man!" Sumire: "Take flight into the universe, mankind! The New Tokyo World Fair has finally commenced!" Sumire: "Wow, we live in an age where we can reach outer space... or at least, somewhere really close to it!" Sumire: "That's the launch pad for the shuttle that'll carry us to the stratospheric plane." Sumire: "So let's get going right now!" Yokoyanagi: "Miyanishi..." Guy: "Welcome!" Tateishi: "This restaurant's still open, huh?" Yokoyanagi: "Oh... Tateishi-san!" Sumire: "Did you learn all about the stratosphere? I guess the air is really thin in the stratosphere. But, Sorassy, you'd probably do fine, so you can take the next flight!" Akechi: "Mariel Tower? The high-rise apartment building?" Tateishi: "It was all over the news at one time, remember? Right when it was sold off, the three top floors, from 53 up, were bought." Akechi: "Rumors said the buyer was either an IT start-up or an oil tycoon, but the truth was never confirmed." Tateishi: "That's where Naoppe is now." Tateishi: "Apparently, she needs to be observed as part of a psychiatric exam." Akechi: "Then shouldn't she be in a hospital? Why send her there?" Tateishi: "Seems there's concern that Twenty Faces will eliminate her. She did testify that she's seen his face, after all. There may also be some within the police force who have his backing, so she was probably transferred under the strictest secrecy." Akechi: "Twenty Faces doesn't kill people." Tateishi: "But there's a chance the people he manipulates could deal the blow." Tateishi: "The one acting at the center of this investigation is the deputy commissioner, Saga. He used to be in Public Safety, you know. Having such a scandal within the Security Police at such a critical time, when the World Fair is going on, must be causing total chaos. It may be that he plans to put an end to it all by committing suicide before anyone can rat on him in court." Tateishi: "Of course, this is all just my own conjecture." 20Faces: "How did it go?" Tateishi: "I told him everything you told me to." 20Faces: "Good." Tateishi: "H-Hey!" Akechi: "Excuse me!" Driver: "Yes?" Akechi: "I'm kinda lost here." Woman: "Yes?" Akechi: "Delivery." Akechi: "The elevator from the entrance hall only goes as high as the 53rd floor. To get to the top floor from there, you go straight down the hallway, turn right at the first intersection, take a left at the dead end, and take the private elevator in the small hall in that direction..." Akechi: "Guess it won't work like he said it would." Guy: "Hey!" Guy: "This floor is off limits." Akechi: "Huh? Well, shoot..." Akechi: "I'm supposed to deliver this." Guy: "Intruder! Stop! Stop right—" 20Faces: "I think it's about time." 20Faces: "Akechi-kun..." 20Faces: "This time, I will give you the greatest thrill yet." Guy: "Don't! What if you hit an ally?!" kamura: "I see my prince on a white horse has arrived. Well?" kamura: "Was it a good thrill?" Akechi: "What are you...?" kamura: "You're such a cruel man. So long as you can have fun, you don't care how many people you end up hurting." kamura: "This must be causing serious headaches for those kids." Akechi: "I'm telling you, I..." kamura: "You dumped them, right? You didn't want to be responsible for them," kamura: "so you tossed them aside, right?" kamura: "So, how many people did you shoot to get here?" kamura: "I only shot one." kamura: "Miyanishi." kamura: "I never imagined that half-wit would track me down. But, hey, it did bring you here, so I guess he didn't die in vain." kamura: "That scumball reeked of virginity, the way he blew money on idols. But he turned out to be useful in the very end." Akechi: "Did Twenty Faces get to you?" kamura: "You're really asking me that now? I thought that was obvious long ago. You actually didn't realize that my boyfriend was Twenty Faces, Mr. Master Detective? You want to know whether or not" kamura: "I kissed him?" Akechi: "How long?" kamura: "How long has it been since he brainwashed me, you mean?" kamura: "Well, you see..." kamura: "I don't know! I don't know that." kamura: "Hey, have you ever thought about this? Twenty Faces doesn't kill people, so it's fine to treat him like anyone else. Then both you and he can have all the thrills you desire." kamura: "Why can't you manage that?" kamura: "Why did you choose thrills back then?" Akechi: "No..." Akechi: "I... I..." kamura: "You are in love with thrills. With Twenty Faces, who gives you thrills, and with yourself when you enjoy those thrills," kamura: "more than anyone else." kamura: "Now, it's time for the beginning of a new thrill. What sort of expression will you show me this time,"

kamura: "I know, Akechi-kun," kamura: "that a thrill like this isn't enough..." 20Faces: "...to satisfy you." Akechi: "What are you trying to do?" kamura: "I just want to play, of course... With those precious kids of yours." Akechi: "Stop it!" Akechi: "Don't you lay a hand on them." Akechi: "Those kids are not your toys!" kamura: "I see you do understand." kamura: "You are the toy." kamura: "Now, let's begin..." kamura: "...the opening ceremony." 20Faces: "It's more exciting if it's flashy, right?" Akechi: "Just stop it already." Akechi: "Don't involve anyone else in this. If you must hurt someone," Akechi: "just hurt me." Inagaki: "Target located!" Inagaki: "Apprehended!" Inagaki: "I, Inagaki Heizou, hereby assume command of the special security force. You can leave the rest to me." kamura: "Bring this world" kamura: "some thrills." : "Miyanishi-chin is dead, and Ake-chin is Twenty Faces... This is all so messed up, I can't think straight!" Kensuke: "You should be thinking, too!" Yoshio: "You expect me to know something she doesn't?" Kensuke: "We don't need your rational self-analysis right now!" : "For starters, I'll tap the police radio to see if I can find anything." 20Faces: "I'm disappointed in all of you. You fall two, or even three, steps behind, and now you're loafing around there?" Kensuke: "Twenty Faces..." 20Faces: "I can't believe I have to set everything up for you." Inoue: "Noro, where's the signal coming from?" : "I'm tracing it now." 20Faces: "No need to be in such a rush. I won't run or hide. Neither will Akechi-kun." : "You mean..." Inoue: "Where have you taken Akechi-sensei?!" 20Faces: "What a scary face." 20Faces: "You want to know that badly?" Inoue: "Answer me right now!" 20Faces: "I'm sorry. He's taken off high into the heavens." : "What?!" Inoue: "You..." Kensuke: "Calm down, Inoue!" Kensuke: "It's your policy not to kill anyone, right?" Kensuke: "Come on, tell us. Where is he?" 20Faces: "Good deduction, Hanasaki-kun." 20Faces: "But it seems you've been negligent in gathering information." Kensuke: "Huh?" Tv: "Miraculously, there were no casualties. The staff who evacuated in the escape pod testified that an unidentified flying object crashed into them, leaving their craft inoperable." Tv: "Also, the TV station received a message warning of a terrorist attack at the Space Expo." Tv: "The sender was... "The Fiend with Twenty Faces." Twenty Faces was arrested and is currently in prison, but the police have stated that the one in prison may be a fake. Assuming that he may commit more acts of terrorism, even after bringing down the stratospheric plane, the police have released a photo of the man believe to be the real Twenty Faces..." 20Faces: "You should understand after all these hints, right?" Kensuke: "Sensei is your vessel?" 20Faces: "Precisely. I'm glad I showed him the way there once." Inoue: "Is his "vessel" the stratospheric plane?" : "Yeah. He's going through millions of servers, but I think we can be certain he's transmitting from super high up." 20Faces: "All right, the table is set. Come on up above the sky to retrieve Akechi-kun." Inoue: "Sensei!" 20Faces: "I realized something that day..." 20Faces: "As I watched you all at Le Waqua, I realized my own mistake." Yoshio: "Huh?" : "That's not an explanation. Tell us more clearly what it is you're after!" 20Faces: "I've told you many times. This is a game. If you can save Akechi-kun before sundown, you win." Yoshio: "And if we lose?" 20Faces: "Akechi-kun will cease to be himself." Inoue: "What does that mean?!" 20Faces: "Who knows? Will he be arrested as Twenty Faces, or will he receive my gift?" 20Faces: "I look forward to seeing your efforts." Inoue: "Noro, find the shortest route to the shuttle terminal." : "On it!" Yoshio: "Hey." Kensuke: "Do we have enough stock of the seven tools?" : "They're lined up next to the yoga mat." Yoshio: "Hey." Inoue: "I'll wait in the car." Yoshio: "Hey!" Kensuke: "What?" Yoshio: "Don't leave me out of the conversation." Inoue: "Kobayashi?" Kensuke: "Don't worry. We're not gonna leave you out." Yoshio: "That's not what I..." Kensuke: "We're gonna need you to keep working hard for us!" : "Koba-chin, you work on replenishing your energy." Yoshio: "R-Right..." Inoue: "What is it?" Ohtomo: "Hey, what's going on at the Space Expo? We were gonna go as a break from studying for Katsuta's entrance exams..." Yamane: "But they've restricted entry, and it's causing a big mess." Katsuta: "Did something happen to Akechi-san?" Ohtomo: "His picture's being shown all over the place." Ohtomo: "They're totally pinning him as a terrorist. Well, not that it matters. So we changed our plans, and we're about to go for karaoke..." Inoue: "Sensei's been taken by Twenty Faces." Inoue: "He took him to his stratospheric plane." Ohtomo: "Damn, that's pretty high up." Inoue: "There's only one route we can use to save him." Ohtomo: "The shuttle heading to the pavilion." Katsuta: "You're going?" Inoue: "Yeah. I want you three to lay low for today." Ohtomo: "I wonder if we can get a refund for our Space Expo tickets..." Ohtomo: "Man, I wanted to see it..." Ohtomo: "Hey, Yamane! Katsuta!" Katsuta: "Where's the shuttle terminal?" Yamane: "It's by the beach, so it's pretty far from here." Ohtomo: "Seriously, don't even bother with that guy anymore." Yamane: "But..." Ohtomo: "He got what he deserved for running around doing as he pleased. Why should we do anything for him?" Yamane: "I-I'm..." Yamane: "...a member of the Boy Detectives' Club!" Yamane: "And I will save my friend! I want to help Inoue-senpai and the others!" Ohtomo: "Have it your way." Inagaki: "All of you can just focus on evacuating residents." Yokoyanagi: "Who do you all think you are?!" Inagaki: "I told you that the deputy commissioner gave us orders personally, did I not?" Inagaki: "He has told me he doesn't want to leave this in the hands of police that constantly fail." Inagaki: "Don't worry. We'll clean up the mess you made." Inagaki: "Squad 1, come with me!" Yokoyanagi: "Hey!" Inoue: "Listen to me." Inoue: "We don't have Sensei with us right now. And we don't have Detective Nakamura or Miyanishi-san to back us up." : "So whether we live or die really is our responsibility now." Inoue: "I don't want anyone else to die." Kensuke: "Inoue..." Inoue: "But that doesn't mean I can just sit around doing nothing. We have to win this—" Yoshio: "Oh, shut up." Yoshio: "We already know all this, so quit yammering." Kensuke: "You heard him." : "The shuttle to the stratosphere runs on autopilot, so I'll take control from here." Inoue: "Thanks." : "We have less than 100 minutes until sundown. Hurry!" Kensuke: "We know. Boarding is on the top floor. We can get there within a few minutes, but..." Yoshio: "What?" Inoue: "It's going too smoothly." Kensuke: "I'm with you there." : "The security cameras there are turned off, so I'll start them back up." Yoshio: "What a pain..." Inoue: "Hey! Kobayashi!" Yoshio: "Wait here." Kensuke: "You just do whatever you want, don't you?" Yoshio: "There's no one here..." Yoshio: "Hey, it's fine in here." Guya: "Don't move!" Guya: "Come over here, quietly." Yoshio: "Huh?" Guyb: "Move it!" Inoue: "I'm not sure what's given you the wrong idea, but could you please lower your guns?" Kensuke: "We sort of got lost, see..." Guyc: "Drop the pathetic act!" Guyb: "We know you're working with Akechi Kogorou." : "What's with these guys?" Guya: "Unfortunately, Captain Inagaki has ordered us not to take any actions on our own." Guyb: "Just come quietly, and no one will get hurt." Inoue: "Kobayashi, you can still get out of here!" Inoue: "Kobayashi!" Guyc: "Look, we're not going to eat you. We just need you to come with us." Kensuke: "You sure about that? I'll tell the truth! All of it!" Guya: "You are pitiful children who've been brainwashed by Twenty Faces to do his bidding." Guya: "Ostensibly, that is the truth." Kensuke: "Kobayashi, go! Now!" Kensuke: "There's no time!" Inoue: "Kobayashi!" Katsuta: "Ryou!" Inoue: "Hanasaki!" Yamane: "I'm sorry. I know you told us to lay low, but I wanted to help..." Inoue: "No, I'm grateful. You saved us." Yamane: "Sure!" Katsuta: "Stay alert!" Katsuta: "They're still coming!" : "The shuttle is continuing on standby!" Inoue: "It all fits together now." Yoshio: "Huh?" Inoue: "The special security force is linked to Twenty Faces. And Detective Nakamura was the leader of that force." Kensuke: "So Twenty Faces got to Nakamura-san, too?" : "That would be the typical conclusion." Kensuke: "So Miyanishi's murder, too... All of it... All of it, all of it was his fault!" Yoshio: "What are you guys so mad about?" Yamane: "It's because we've found out that Twenty Faces is pulling the strings behind the scenes." Yoshio: "You understand what they're saying?" Yamane: "You don't have to look so surprised..." Katsuta: "Here they come!" 20Faces: "I'm sorry, Akechi-kun." 20Faces: "I nearly repeated the same mistake I made back then." 20Faces: "But don't worry." 20Faces: "I won't let you get bored, no matter what. I should have realized sooner" 20Faces: "that you've grown bored of the thrills I give you." 20Faces: "Like when we were mercenaries. I suppose it can't be helped," 20Faces: "when I repeat the same thrill over and over." Katsuta: "This way's a dead end!" 20Faces: "I will give them..." Inoue: "We'll be surrounded!" 20Faces: "...some thrills." Kensuke: "We can't go this way, either?!" 20Faces: "My way of thinking has changed. You need only watch from right here," 20Faces: "as those children suffer for your sake. Whether they make it here or not," 20Faces: "you will suffer." 20Faces: "You can just stay here and enjoy the blooming of the seeds of thrill you've sown." Inoue: "Kacchan. Yamane-kun." Yamane: "Yes?" Inoue: "I need your help." Katsuta: "Right." Kensuke: "Inoue?" Inoue: "Hanasaki, let me see that." Inoue: "The three of us will hold them here." Kensuke: "What?" Inoue: "Go on ahead with Kobayashi." Inoue: "I'm counting on you." Inoue: "You have to save Sensei." 20Faces: "Making himself a sacrificial pawn..." 20Faces: "I'd expect no less of your right-hand man. Right," 20Faces: "Akechi-kun?" Akechi: "All I did for you guys" Akechi: "was use you." Yoshio: "He's above the sky, right?" Kensuke: "You mean Sensei?" Yoshio: "If he wants to be saved, he can just come down." Kensuke: "You gotta stop asking the impossible." Yoshio: "Is he even worth saving?" Yoshio: "You were mad at him, weren't you?" Kensuke: "I'm still mad at him." Kensuke: "But..." Kensuke: "Sensei gave me so many things." Kensuke: "And when you've given something, you have to return the favor." 20Faces: "Such an admirable boy..." 20Faces: "And you used him." 20Faces: "Akechi-kun... What do you want to do," 20Faces: "and how?" Guyd: "Two of the boys ran off! Can anyone go after them?!" Yoshio: "You're slow." Kensuke: "That's big talk." Yoshio: "So, which way?" : "Please look to your right!" : "How do you like that? Noro-chin's a genius!" Kensuke: "Way to go, Noro!" : "Wait! Stop!" Kensuke: "What now?!" : "We don't know what Twenty Faces might be planning! Wait just a sec, to be on the safe side. I'll run a scan." Yoshio: "Don't worry about it." Kensuke: "Huh?" Yoshio: "You'll be fine if you just walk behind me." Kensuke: "You really are a cool guy, Kobayashi." Kensuke: "If only you and I could switch places." Yoshio: "What are you talking about?" Kensuke: "Well, that way, you could die." Kensuke: "And I... I could" Kensuke: "be useful to all of you."

Kensuke: "Damn it!" Yoshio: "Hanasaki!" Kensuke: "That was close..." Yamane: "What's going on?" Inagaki: "Proceed with caution." : "Hey... What happened?" : "Oh, good! All's well!" Kensuke: "No, it's not! The shuttle..." Kensuke: "They got us..." Yoshio: "Was it my fault?" Kensuke: "Huh? Nah, it wasn't anyone's fault. Well, Noro? Is there another way?" : "Huh?" Kensuke: "Another way to get to Sensei." : "Of course there's not!" Yoshio: "What about that?" Yoshio: "That thing downstairs." Kensuke: "Yeah! That's it!" : "Wait a second! Do you know what the stratosphere is?! It's above the clouds!" Kensuke: "What are our odds of getting there?" : "Practically zero!" Kensuke: "So that means it's not zero!" : "Hanasaki! Wait a minute!" Yoshio: "Then is there any other way?" Kensuke: "Noro, let us know when you come up some other ultra high-difficulty plan! We'll switch over to it once you do!" : "That's not the answer! You should meet up with Inoue and work out a new strategy!" Kensuke: "I can't do that." Yamane: "You think something happened to the two of them?" Katsuta: "What should we do?" Inoue: "We're going to stay here and hold them off." Inoue: "That's what I promised him." Inagaki: "Fire." Inagaki: "Capture them!" Akechi: "Damn it." 20Faces: "Experience a brand new thrill," 20Faces: "Akechi-kun." Robot: "Warning. Cease unlawful activity at once. Should you fail to follow orders, the right to self-defense will be exercised." Kensuke: "Damn it!" Robot: "Warning. Cease unlawful activity at once. Should you fail to follow orders, the right to self-defense will be exercised." Kensuke: "Unlawful?! We weren't the ones who caused that explosion!" Robot: "Repeat. Cease unlawful activity at once." Kensuke: "Would you listen to me?!" Kensuke: "Shit!" Katsuta: "Yamane!" Yamane: "Inoue-senpai!" Katsuta: "Ryou!" Inoue: "Let's regroup." Yamane: "Senpai, is your leg okay?" Inoue: "It's fine." Yamane: "You really are amazing, Inoue-senpai!" Inoue: "I know I can count on you, too, Yamane-kun." Yamane: "Yeah!" Katsuta: "How long can we hold out?" Inoue: "Good question. Three games..." Inoue: "No, I'd say one more game." Kensuke: "We can't do anything at this rate." Kensuke: "Damn it, we don't have time for this!" Yoshio: "You go on ahead." Kensuke: "Huh?" Yoshio: "Look. I won't die." Kensuke: "Oh, yeah." Kensuke: "Now!" Robot: "Cease unlawful activity at once." Kensuke: "We're not being unlawful!" Kensuke: "Play with that for a while!" Kensuke: "Damn, he's awesome!" Kensuke: "Yes!" Inagaki: "Don't have the guts to shoot someone, eh?" Inagaki: "Wh-What's going on?" Guy: "An earthquake?" Inagaki: "Th-The moon excavator?!" Katsuta: "What's a thing like that doing here?" Yamane: "You came to help us, Ohtomo-senpai!" Ohtomo: "Jeez, this test vehicle shakes like you wouldn't believe..." Inagaki: "Aim for that guy!" Ohtomo: "Whoa, now!" Guy: "These are nothing." Inoue: "He's..." Inoue: "Get away!" Inagaki: "Damn it! Put your masks on! It's sleeping gas!" Inagaki: "Prioritize shooting down those bug things!" Ohtomo: "I don't even care what happens to Akechi..." Ohtomo: "But I'd appreciate it if you didn't bully my friends." Kensuke: "Damn it!" Kensuke: "Why won't it move?! Come on, move already!" Kensuke: "It's gonna work!" Kensuke: "This way! Hurry!" Yoshio: "Can you drive this thing?" Kensuke: "It's an evacuation vehicle designed for use by anyone. The actual driving part isn't hard." Kensuke: "Hang tight, Sensei!" Yamane: "Incredible! It's working, Ohtomo-senpai!" Inoue: "What happened?" Ohtomo: "Well, I guess that's it for this thing." Inagaki: "Everything in the Space Expo venue, while real, is for display only." Kensuke: "Hey, what the hell?!" Inagaki: "They're only powered enough to put on a simple performance." Akechi: "You..." 20Faces: "Let's stop pretending," 20Faces: "Akechi-kun." 20Faces: "I have been given a gift. And you know, Akechi-kun, I couldn't be more grateful for this miracle." 20Faces: "So I want to repay the debt." 20Faces: "I want to give someone a gift that will make them grateful." 20Faces: "And yet... I was such a fool" 20Faces: "for taking what you said seriously." Akechi: "What are you...?" 20Faces: ""You got what you had coming. It serves you right."" 20Faces: "That is how you really feel toward your father." 20Faces: "To give his life to act as a shield for his child..." 20Faces: "It's what any adult should do. That is how you really feel toward the first Akechi-san." Akechi: "Bastard!" 20Faces: "You killed your father. Both your fathers. You are a villain. "Thrills... More thrills..." I was so moved by those words you kept spouting that I tried hard to keep giving you thrills to make you happy." 20Faces: "But I had no idea that you couldn't even sense the pain of others." 20Faces: "When someone says "it's my fault," people tell them that isn't so." 20Faces: "If one is repentant, others will forgive them." Akechi: "Bastard!" 20Faces: "Would you call that "self-interest?"" Akechi: "What do you..." 20Faces: "Even now, you're still pretending to care about those boys." Akechi: "What the hell do you know?!" 20Faces: "And yet you tell them that they're responsible for their own actions." 20Faces: "Hey, Akechi-kun... When people act unnerved, it's either completely fake" 20Faces: "or because they've been presented with irrefutable proof. You've never felt any awareness of your crimes, nor any pride, responsibility, or anything else. For you to even speak of good and evil is absurd." Akechi: "Don't talk like you know me!" 20Faces: "You are no more..." 20Faces: "...than a complete fool." 20Faces: "It's not my fault. Come on, look at me." 20Faces: "Hey... I'm right here." 20Faces: "What a spoiled boy." Akechi: "Damn you!" 20Faces: "No need to throw a tantrum." 20Faces: "Isn't that pain proof enough?" 20Faces: "That is the proof that you are here now." Akechi: "You bastard... You bastard!" Akechi: "Damn you, you bastard!" Akechi: "God damn you!" 20Faces: "I like that expression." Inagaki: "You boys who are on the run! Can you hear me?" Inagaki: "You have no choice but to submit peacefully." Inagaki: "If you don't..." Inagaki: "Your friend is going to get hurt." Katsuta: "What kind of police officer does that?!" Guy: "Shut up!" Inagaki: "We have different ideas of what a police officer is." Inagaki: "National order and preservation of safety!" Inagaki: "We will do what it takes to achieve these ends." Katsuta: "What are you saying?!" Inagaki: "Yes! That's exactly it! Revolution always brings about an allergic reaction! That's why people who bring about revolutions must be charismatic!" Ohtomo: "So you used him because you have no charisma." Inagaki: "That's right. We frame the hero Akechi as the bad guy, then eliminate him. Then everyone will believe us! A few sacrifices are inevitable if we want to uphold order and safety in this country!" Inoue: "Don't be ridiculous." Inagaki: "This was also the wish of Police Detective Nakamura." Inoue: "She was under Twenty Faces' control!" Inagaki: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Katsuta: "You're wrong!" Katsuta: "The police are... What I dream of becoming is a police officer who protects the people!" Inagaki: "Now, that's no good. That kind of naïve thinking is what ruined the police." Inagaki: "Looks like I'll have to open your eyes!" Yamane: "Katsuta-senpai!" Ohtomo: "Idiot." Inagaki: "Now, come out of there, you—" Inoue: "Hanasaki won't come back." Inoue: "Too bad for you." Inagaki: "Oh? Then there's no reason to keep you alive." Katsuta: "Stop this!" Katsuta: "Stop!" Robot: "Unlawful... Unlawful... Warning... Activity... Activity..." Inagaki: "Subdue them!" Ohtomo: "You struck from above, huh?" Robot: "Warning... Unlawful... Warning... Warning..." Kensuke: "Worked like a charm!" Robot: "Activity... Cease... Cease..." Katsuta: "Hanasaki!" Ohtomo: "Yo, did it even occur to you that there were people down here?" Inoue: "Why did you come back?" Inoue: "Sensei is... Sensei is..." Kensuke: "Take it easy." Kensuke: "We'll get to see him soon." Inagaki: "Good! Now, they—" Katsuta: "What's that sound?" Guy: "Captain!" Inagaki: "I-It can't be..." Inoue: "What's going on?" Kensuke: "The only one capable of that is..." Inoue: "Noro?" : "Only because Hanasaki asked me to come up with some ultra high-difficulty plan." : "Like Koba-chin said, we just needed to bring him to us." Inoue: "You hacked the main system?" : "It'll reach the surface in seventeen minutes. We should make it by sundown." Inagaki: "You criminals are threatening national order!" Inagaki: "Fire! No need for intimidation! Fire! Fire! Fire!" Yokoyanagi: "We're the police! Behave yourselves!" Inagaki: "What do you bastards think you're doing?!" Yokoyanagi: "Police officer or not, execution is a serious offense. And you've been shouting and carrying on like an idiot!" Inagaki: "Don't you get it?! This is insurrection against the deputy comm—" Yokoyanagi: "Anyone who overlooks crime for such a poor reason is no police officer!" Yokoyanagi: "To protect the lives and property of citizens! That's what the police are about!" Yokoyanagi: "Arrest them!" : "The plane's stopped?" Kensuke: "Huh?" : "Someone's interfering!" Akechi: "That's enough, you guys." Inoue: "Sensei!" Akechi: "Kids shouldn't try to stretch their limits. Adults exist" Akechi: "to act as shields for kids." Inoue: "What are you saying?" Akechi: "Later." : "It's rising..." Kensuke: "Noro! Can't you stop it?!" : "I can't! Ake-chin cut off all comm lines!" Kensuke: "Damn it! We were so close!" Ohtomo: "It seems like we could reach it from this distance." Yamane: "Huh?" Ohtomo: "Well, the launch pad still works, right?" Katsuta: "A catapult?" Kensuke: "What do you mean?" Ohtomo: "In simple terms, this launch pad is a huge pachinko machine." Kensuke: "You mean it can launch things other than shuttles?" Ohtomo: "That's right! It can launch anything. It would just fall back down after that, though." Kensuke: "Noro, we can do this!" : "Huh?" Kensuke: "Katsuta, I'm borrowing this!" Ohtomo: "Take this." Kensuke: "Thanks!" Inoue: "Hey! Wait!" : "It'll never work! You'll die!" Kensuke: "You wanna save Sensei, too, don't you?" Yoshio: "Wait!" Yoshio: "That kind of thing should be my job!" Kensuke: "Sorry." Kensuke: "This time, it's my job." Kensuke: "You know, Noro..." Kensuke: "I'm no good as I am now." Kensuke: "I can't keep relying on everyone's kindness." Kensuke: "Now is my only chance to truly return to the Boy Detectives' Club." Kensuke: "You get it, right?" Kensuke: "Okay, let's do this, Noro!" : "Is the airbag working?" Kensuke: "It's in top shape!" : "Once the hangar leaves the rails, give it full throttle in sync with the drop in speed!" Kensuke: "You got it!" : "If you're in trouble, tell me right away!" Kensuke: "I totally will!" Yoshio: "Screw that... Screw that!" Yoshio: "Screw that!" : "Hanasaki!" Kensuke: "Yep!" : "Off you go!" : "Get the timing right! Launching in three... two..." Kensuke: "I'm not done yet!" Kensuke: "Sorry, Kobayashi. I couldn't fulfill my promise."

Yoshio: "Hanasaki!" Kensuke: "Sorry, Kobayashi. I couldn't fulfill my promise." Inoue: "Hanasaki!" Inoue: "Hanasaki! Answer me, Hanasaki!" Kensuke: "Hey, this is Hanasaki. Go ahead." Inoue: "You're all right?" Inoue: "Of all the dumb things to do..." Kensuke: "We have to win this showdown, right?" Kensuke: "No matter what." Kensuke: "His game isn't over yet." Kensuke: "There's still time." Katsuta: "Time?" Inoue: "The time limit Twenty Faces gave us was to save Sensei before the sun set." Ohkawa: "Right... If the police went after Twenty Faces themselves, the sun would be gone by the time they showed up." Kensuke: "I'll put an end to everything. I'll beat him, end all this, and start over from nothing." : "Whoa, whoa!" : "Don't you realize that's a death flag?" Kensuke: "Good point." Inoue: "This is no laughing matter!" Kensuke: "Sorry." Kensuke: "But you know... If I go in prepared for that to happen," Kensuke: "then maybe I can change a little, right?" Inoue: "Hanasaki, you..." Kensuke: "Okay." Kensuke: "I'm going in." Inoue: "Hanasaki!" Ohkawa: "Oh, boy." Katsuta: "Ohtomo." Yoshio: "Send me up, too." : "Koba-chin?" Yoshio: "Send me up there, too!" Katsuta: "Kobayashi..." Yamane: "But it's too late now." Yoshio: "That's why" Yoshio: "you need to hurry up!" Inoue: "Ohtomo, help him." Ohtomo: "Huh? Why me?" Inoue: "If you don't want to, fine." Yokoyanagi: "Hey! You kids!" Inoue: "But this isn't where we want to be." Yokoyanagi: "Would you mind if we talked for a bit? Come with me." Yokoyanagi: "Don't worry about the plane. We're putting together a search party..." Ohkawa: "Come on, Yamane. Let's go." Yokoyanagi: "Hey, you guys..." Inoue: "What do you want to know?" Inoue: "I'll tell you everything. About this case, about Twenty Faces," Inoue: "and about Akechi Kogorou." Ohkawa: "He's so stubborn. He could just say, "I'm counting on you, Hisashi-kun!"" Ohkawa: "It wouldn't kill him to be honest." Yamane: "Yeah." Inoue: "You're not going with Ohtomo?" Katsuta: "You shouldn't have to take this on alone." : "I know this isn't the time, but..." : "I'm really pretty grateful, you know." : "To have you with us." Ohtomo: "We're here!" Yamane: "Senpai, adjust the speed!" : "That thing's battery is empty!" Ohtomo: "I know, I know." Yamane: "I'm going to speed-charge it now." Yoshio: "Do it." Yoshio: "Send me up there fast." Ohtomo: "The Boy Detectives' Club sure is a bunch of slave drivers." : "Koba-chin, on the battery's current charge, you'll only get as far as the plane's landing system." Yoshio: "I told you, I know." Ohtomo: "Okay, okay." Ohtomo: "Now, time for a little review." Ohtomo: "It accelerates on fuel, so don't worry about the battery. Once it gets past the plane, activate the guide system on the control panel." Ohtomo: "From there, the plane itself—" Yoshio: "I told you, I get it." Yoshio: "I just need to get where he is." Yamane: "But..." Ohtomo: "We don't have to worry. He can't die." Ohtomo: "At the school..." Ohtomo: "I've got a new invention." Ohtomo: "Tell Hanasaki to come tell me how awesome it is." Yoshio: "Tell him yourself." Ohtomo: "I'll do that." : "Here goes, Koba-chin!" Yoshio: "Shut up!" : "Kobayashi, you..." : "get going, too!" Ohtomo: "Fireworks!" Yamane: "U-Um..." Kensuke: "Sensei..." Akechi: "Why did you come here?" Kensuke: "Why else? To win his game!" Akechi: "You idiot! Don't bother with me anymore!" Kensuke: "You're okay with losing to him?!" Akechi: "That doesn't matter." Kensuke: "It does matter!" Kensuke: "I'm going to win and end all of this!" Kensuke: "All this time, that's what we've all been..." Kensuke: "Sensei! What's wrong with you?!" 20Faces: "You truly are an interesting boy..." 20Faces: "Hanasaki-kun." Akechi: "Don't." Kensuke: "Sensei! What are you doing?!" Akechi: "You've done enough." Akechi: "Good job, Hanasaki." Akechi: "I wanted to make myself look good." Akechi: "I wanted to be the hero in a tragedy." Kensuke: "Sensei... But he..." Akechi: "So let me look good here." 20Faces: "Akechi-kun..." 20Faces: "You turned the helium plus blower up as high as it would go, didn't you?" 20Faces: "Who can say how long the hull will withstand the sudden ascension and change in pressure?" 20Faces: "Did you want us to die in each other's arms?" Akechi: "Sorry, Hanasaki." Akechi: "I got you involved in this..." Akechi: "Just like them. I wanted them" Akechi: "to pay attention to me." Kensuke: "What are you talking about, Sensei?!" Akechi: "Leave the rest to me!" Akechi: "I'll end this myself." 20Faces: "Akechi-kun is doing you a favor. Hanasaki-kun, you should escape from here." 20Faces: "Akechi-kun finally made up his mind to play with me. Your role is over now." Kensuke: "Shut up!" Akechi: "Hanasaki." Akechi: "Go, Hanasaki!" Akechi: "Just leave him to me!" Akechi: "Hanasaki!" 20Faces: "To think a toy you're already done playing with won't even do as you say, Akechi-kun." 20Faces: "What a bad boy." Akechi: "Just stop this!" 20Faces: "Akechi-kun!" Kensuke: "It won't work." Kensuke: "You can't kill him, Sensei." Akechi: "Hanasaki..." Kensuke: "It's always been like that, hasn't it? You'd always run away at the last moment," Kensuke: "letting him escape." Kensuke: "You're too nice, Sensei." Kensuke: "Sensei..." Kensuke: "I'm sorry." 20Faces: "You... really are just like Akechi-kun..." 20Faces: "A big idiot!" 20Faces: "After Akechi-kun tried to do you a favor... After I set everything up..." 20Faces: "After... After..." 20Faces: "After Akechi-kun finally..." Yoshio: "Hanasaki!" Kensuke: "Kobayashi?" Yoshio: "You..." Yoshio: "You big idiot!" Yoshio: "You're supposed to kill me, remember?" Yoshio: "So..." Yoshio: "So..." Yoshio: "Don't leave me behind!" Yoshio: "Let me go, old man!" 20Faces: "There are two rescue pods left. I'm going to follow Akechi-kun." 20Faces: "You two are insufficient playmates for me." 20Faces: "Kobayashi-kun, I truly pity you." 20Faces: "You can't even control your own gift." 20Faces: "After I escape, you two are free to live or die as you please." Yoshio: "Do it, Hanasaki!" Yoshio: "Weren't you going to end all this?" Yoshio: "Do it!" Yoshio: "Don't worry about me!" Yoshio: "You just... You just do what you want to do!" Yoshio: "Once he's gone, this will all end, right?! So hurry up and end it, and then kill me!" Yoshio: "Do it! Don't be a coward!" Yoshio: "I won't die!" Kensuke: "Kobayashi!" Akechi: "Move!" Kensuke: "Kobayashi..." Kensuke: "Kobayashi!" Kensuke: "Kobayashi!" Kensuke: "Kobayashi!" Kensuke: "Kobayashi!" Kensuke: "Kobayashi, grab on!" Kensuke: "Kobayashi..." Kensuke: "Sorry I couldn't kill you. But this way" Kensuke: "we can die together." Yoshio: "I see... So I can die with you." Yoshio: "Hanasaki..." Yoshio: "Thanks." Akechi: "They're gonna be fine." Akechi: "When kids think for themselves, things work out for them." Akechi: "It was the same for us." Akechi: "Thanks." Akechi: "For keeping your promise to me. For always giving me thrills." Akechi: "I won't run away anymore." Akechi: "What? You can make a better face than that." Akechi: "Aren't you Twenty Faces?" 20Faces: "Akechi-kun..." 20Faces: "Isn't this fun?" Teacher: "Representative of graduating students, your address." Katsuta: "My address. In this season, which brings a warm breeze along with a strong breath of life," Katsuta: "we, the graduating class, are about to set forth on our own journeys." Yumeko: "U-Um..." Yumeko: "Um, well... C-Could I have the second button?" Inoue: "All right." Yumeko: "Huh?" Inoue: "I'll ask Katsuta for you." Yumeko: "Huh? Ah..." Yumeko: "Inoue-senpai!" Yumeko: "Congratulations on graduating!" Inoue: "Thanks." Inoue: "Hello, Akechi Investigation Firm." Kensuke: "The lost child case is solved!" Inoue: "Good." Kensuke: "We took him back to his mom." Inoue: "Good." Kensuke: "All right, we're heading to the next mission, Sensei!" Inoue: "Don't call me Sensei." Kensuke: "Okay, let's go, Kobayashi." Inoue: "Sorry about that." Yokoyanagi: "Not at all." Inoue: "I appreciate your kindness, but..." Inoue: "Sensei's whereabouts are still unknown." Yokoyanagi: "Thanks to you kids' cooperation and the investigation data Miyanishi left behind, we were able to prove that Akechi-san wasn't Twenty Faces." Yokoyanagi: "That's all over now." Yokoyanagi: "Hey... Would you help me out?" Yokoyanagi: "I've hit a dead end with my current case." Yokoyanagi: "I'd like to have your help, not Akechi-san's." Kensuke: "So your power didn't go away, huh?" Yoshio: "Yeah." Kensuke: "That okay with you?" Yoshio: "What can I do about it?" Yoshio: "This is me." Yoshio: "What? That! Look, up there!" Yoshio: "If you wanna die, just die already." Kensuke: "Kobayashi, don't say stuff like that." Yoshio: "It's easy for you to die, right?" Kensuke: "So, uh..." Kensuke: "Hi!" Guy: "Huh?" Kensuke: "I dunno what happened, but for starters..." Kensuke: "Boy... Detectives' Club?" Yoshio: "So?" Yoshio: "What'll it be?" Guy: "Huh?"

Kensuke: "Ow..." Kensuke: "Okay, okay. If you get within a 30 cm radius of him, you're out. So on that note, this is our new member, Kobayashi. If you step within this line, you're dead, so be careful!" Inoue: "I think not!" : "What makes you think you're that important?" Kensuke: "Huh?" Inoue: "How could you invite someone so dangerous to join this firm?" Kensuke: "That's I'm telling you. As long as you keep your distance, there's no problem!" Yoshio: "Ah, um..." Akechi: "Don't worry about it." Akechi: "If you're gonna be coming to my house, you'll follow the rules. First, whether you live or die is your own responsibility." Inoue: "Akechi-sensei!" Akechi: "Second, don't call me stuffy names like "Sensei." Third, don't let your emotions rule you. Fourth, don't disobey me. Fifth, basically, I am the law here. End of story!" Akechi: "Got that?" Yoshio: "Right..." Akechi: "And now, we have a guest." Akechi: "Go on. Give it all you've got." Yoshio: "Huh?" Yoshio: "Huh?!" Junko: "I'm sorry." Junko: "It's the only recent photo I have." Akechi: "How long has your son been missing?" Junko: "About three days." Junko: "Usually, even when he goes out, he's always home by dinnertime." Kensuke: "So, hey, Granny..." Inoue: "Hey!" Kensuke: "Did you talk to the police?" Junko: "Well, no..." Kensuke: "What made you decide to come to us?" : "Hey! You're being super rude!" Kensuke: "Well, I mean, shouldn't you try the police first?" Junko: "I need to look after my ailing husband, so I can't be tied down for long periods." Junko: "Also..." Junko: "My son's name is somewhat well-known." Akechi: "Nemoto the kayaker, huh?" Akechi: "Didn't he place eighth in the individual event?" Junko: "Sixth." Inoue: "Have you asked his coworkers and friends?" Junko: "My son spends most of his time at home..." Kensuke: "Huh? He's jobless?" Inoue: "Hanasaki!" Junko: "I'm ashamed to say so, but yes." Akechi: "Should we really look for him? Maybe it's his first step toward independence." Junko: "He may be a useless son, but now that my husband is ill, if anything happened to Kouichi, I'd just..." Yoshio: "Then..." Yoshio: "Why don't you just die?" Yoshio: "If you're suffering that much, why not?" Yoshio: "Any of you could die easily, right?" Inoue: "Don't speak to the client. Don't even make eye contact. I won't tolerate any more rude behavior. Understood?" Yoshio: "I wasn't wrong." Kensuke: "Hey, everyone's new at first." Inoue: "This is a more basic issue than being new." Kensuke: "Come on, turn that frown upside down!" Inoue: "I'm against this." : "So am I!" Miya: "Here's the missing person report and related documents. All analog media, as you requested." Inoue: "You got these together awfully quickly." Miya: "Yeah, Senpai just happened to..." ka: "Miyanishi, not another word." Miya: "Aren't you at the end of your rope, though?" ka: "Are you going to pay the commission fee, then?" Kensuke: "Hey, come on. Talking is free, right?" ka: "A medical examiner who's been a great asset to us disappeared." Inoue: "I see. So you're on a missing person case, too." Miya: "Our superiors told us to leave it alone, but..." ka: "Miyanishi." Miya: "So, yeah, why don't we share information and call it give-and-take?" Kensuke: "Nakamura-san's actually nice." Inoue: "That's slightly rude, Hanasaki." ka: "Not really. But he wasn't the sort of man who'd abandon his work." ka: "So what's your name, newbie?" Kensuke: "Oh, that's Kobayashi." ka: "Oh? You've got a pretty cute face." ka: "So, what? Were you scouted by Akechi?" ka: "If only you had a nicer-looking face." Miya: "There's more to a man than his face, Senpai." Kensuke: "S-See ya!" Kensuke: "Safe!" : "I checked out Nemo-chin's lifestyle patterns just before his disappearance, using his card info. Convenience stores, a net café, the park... Looks like he never went more than 500 meters away from his home. No interactions with any friends in his recent history. All his phone calls have been with his mom and dad, too. There was some security camera footage of him, but no info that would be of much help to us." Kensuke: "Your stomach hurt?" Yoshio: "There's no way I can walk through that crowd." Yoshio: "We'll have problems way bigger than finding a missing person." Kensuke: "Good point. Okay, wait here, then." Kensuke: "We're back!" Kensuke: "Well, I tried asking people all over the place, but..." Kensuke: "Whoa, awesome!" Kensuke: "Huh?" Inoue: "Tell me, Hanasaki! What good does it do us to have him around?" Kensuke: "Huh? Well, he's invincible—" Inoue: "And you really think that's going to help us? I see nothing but demerits in this!" Yoshio: "It's not my fault." Inoue: "What?!" Yoshio: "I told you..." Kensuke: "Kobayashi? I told you to leave me alone!" Kensuke: "No worries, no worries." Inoue: "Am I the one in the wrong?" Kensuke: "Alleys, rooftops, under bridges..." Kensuke: "I've pretty much figured out your escape patterns." Kensuke: "Just kidding! It's actually because you have that." Kensuke: "It's got GPS, so I can tell where you are." Yoshio: "Just stay away from me." Kensuke: "You want to die, don't you?" Kensuke: "Then at least leave the lock open!" Yoshio: "Lock?" Kensuke: "This one!" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "If you keep it shut, all the effort I put in is meaningless. I'm not asking you to compromise, but at least leave an opening!" Kensuke: "I mean, you know... The window... to your heart. What the heck? "Window to your heart?" That's so corny!" Yoshio: "Don't blame me." Kensuke: "Well, anyway, I promise I'll come up with a way to kill you," Kensuke: "so just help us out a little until then." Yoshio: "But..." Kensuke: "Oh, Inoue? He doesn't work well with people who are younger than him. He seems like he's in charge, but he's actually the baby, you could say? It'd bug me too much to leave things like this, so let's you and me knock him for a loop!" Yoshio: "I don't... really care either way." Guy: "Keep it down, you damn kids!" Guy: "You're blinding me, damn it!" Kensuke: "Oops, sorry!" Guy: "Kill the light already, you little brat!" Kensuke: "Perfect timing." Kensuke: "Did you guys happen to see this man?" Guy: "Shut up! Get outta here!" Kensuke: "We're looking for someone—" Guy: "Put a sock in it!" Kensuke: "Okay, then, do you know of any other places where guys like you might—" Guy: "You making fun of us, punk?!" Yoshio: "Let's go." Guy: "This group'll take anyone, so long as they pass a physical exam." Yoshio: "Per..." Kensuke: "Thanks, mister!" Guy: "Give-and-take." Woman: "We offer support for the hopeless in their old age. There's no need to fear loneliness anymore." : "It sounds like a super shady group, but I guess it's an interesting endeavor, if nothing else. To explain it so someone with the intellect of a sea slug, like you, can understand, they protect the dignity of hopeless folks, and guarantee free food, clothing, and shelter for them." Kensuke: "Yep. Totally got it." : "Liar! You don't get it at all." Inoue: "All that matters to us is finding out if our target is here or not." Kensuke: "Yeah, Kobayashi got us this info, after all." Inoue: "Stop saying that." Kensuke: "He's been useful, too. Don't forget that." Inoue: "Getting our answer comes first." Kensuke: "Yeah, but..." Yoshio: "Don't try to meddle." Kensuke: "Yeah, but..." Lady: "We can't allow visitors if the resident they're visiting hasn't given their prior consent." Inoue: "Then could you tell us if Nemoto Kouichi-san is here?" Lady: "To protect the privacy of our residents, I cannot answer that question." Kensuke: "Come on, lady, please! Can't you just..." Lady: "I'm very sorry." Kensuke: "You really can't, no matter what?" Lady: "I will call security." Kensuke: "Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please! Please!" Kensuke: "No luck there, I guess." Kensuke: "Okay, Kobayashi, smash through the wall!" Yoshio: "What?" Kensuke: "You can do that, right? Just slam through it!" Inoue: "Stop it, idiots." Kensuke: "What do we do, then?" Inoue: "You two can get up there." Kensuke: "Time?" : "Forty-two seconds." Kensuke: "Yeah, I guess that's about right." : "How incompetent can you get?" Kensuke: "Yeah..." : "It's no laughing matter!" Kensuke: "Okay, ready to go die?" Kensuke: "Comin' in..." Inoue: "Get me the internal layout." Kensuke: "Right, right." Kensuke: "Looks like a net café." Kobayashi: "More like a pig barn." : "I'll use facial recognition to see if Nemo-chin's here." Inoue: "Was that...?" Kensuke: "Huh?" Inoue: "They're the missing people in the files Assistant Inspector Nakamura gave us." Kensuke: "Seriously?" Inoue: "They've all had no work for at least ten years. They've been living by leeching off their parents. Speaking in millennial terms, they're NEETs." : "As far as I can tell, they're all NEETs through and through. And all of their parents are either dead or in nursing care." Kensuke: "They're a lot like the kayak guy." Inoue: "There'd be no end to it if the police tried to investigate all of them." Inoue: "What is it?" Yoshio: "It... It's not my fault. The wall..." Kensuke: "Nah, it's nothing. Just our own thing. We'll let you know if we find him." Kensuke: "Yo, old dude." Guy: "Wh-What?!" Kensuke: "Why are you here? Are you being confined?" Guy: "Security! What's going on?! A kid wandered in here!" Kensuke: "Huh?" Guy: "This is my room! Get out, you little brat!" Yoshio: "Hey!" Kensuke: "Crap!" Kensuke: "Yikes..." Yoshio: "What do we do?" Kensuke: "What's this? You wanna fight them?" Yoshio: "You know I don't." Kensuke: "Now, what do we do?" Guy: "Get in." Kensuke: "Thanks!" Guy: "This is no place for children. Run on home." Kensuke: "Sure, I will." Kensuke: "After I find this guy. Well? You know him?" Guy: "When did he disappear?" Kensuke: "Something like three days ago?" Guy: "Then he'd still be undergoing the tests." Kensuke: "Tests?" Guy: "There's a physical exam and an acceptance test, to find out whether you can fit in here." Guy: "Next floor down." Kensuke: "Thanks!" Kensuke: "Hey, why are you here, anyway?" Guy: "I find it comfortable. I don't have to look anyone in the face." Guy: "Plus... If I die, they'll take care of my body without telling anyone." Kensuke: "That's what sold you on this place?" Yoshio: "Why would those old geezers be so determined to live that they'd stay here?" Yoshio: "They might as well just die and make it easier on themselves." Kensuke: "Isn't dying scary, though?" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "You don't know if dying will really make anything easier." Kensuke: "You suck at steering away from the subject, man." Yoshio: "No, look." Guy: "Stop..." Kensuke: "Old guy!" Guy: "Type B-positive, relocating." Kensuke: "Something's weird about this place! One old dude just got taken away!" Inoue: "Have you forgotten the mission?" Kensuke: "Huh?" Inoue: "Our priority right now is finding Nemoto Kouichi!" Kensuke: "To hell with that!" : "He's out of control again." Inoue: "Leave him. He's responsible for what happens to him now." : "Yeah, you're right." Kensuke: "Grab on!" Kensuke: "That many?" Kensuke: "What the hell is all this?" Kensuke: "Old guy!" Guy: "Stop! Don't move!" Kyoumoto: "Sorry about that." Kyoumoto: "Bringing in bacteria would ruin these perfectly good organs." Kensuke: "What are you gonna do to him?!" Kyoumoto: "All of these gentlemen are helping us save many lives. Don't you think this is a far better use for their lives than spending the rest of their years in idleness and shame?" Kyoumoto: "You boys can forget what you saw here and go home. Simply doing that will save the lives of many good people." Inoue: "It is him! Kyoumoto, the medical examiner Assistant Inspector Nakamura was looking for!" : "No way!" Kyoumoto: "All vermin are seeking a good place to die." Kyoumoto: "I'm only helping them find one. We are of one interest." Yoshio: "See? They really did want to die." : "Are you dumb?" Yoshio: "Huh?" : "The kind of people who'd live in this place don't even have the guts to die!" Yoshio: "Don't call me dumb!" Kyoumoto: "Huh?" Kyoumoto: "Stop that!" Yoshio: "You do as you please, huh?" Kensuke: "This is only the beginning of "doing as I please!"" : "Watch this," : "Koba-chin!" Yoshio: "K-Koba-chi—" Guy: "What's this?" : "There, see?" Kyoumoto: "Downstairs! Stop them!" Guy: "Right!" Kyoumoto: "You little..." Kyoumoto: "Seal all floors! Don't let them get outside!" Kensuke: "Kobayashi." Kensuke: "Do something." Yoshio: ""Something?"" Kensuke: "At least unlock it a little!" Yoshio: "It's not my fault, okay?" Kyoumoto: "What are you doing?! Grab him, now!" Kensuke: "Run, Kobayashi!" Kensuke: "No matter what you do now, you can't hide the truth. Our club's highly skilled shut-in is already sending all the police stations that video." Inoue: "Search target captured!" emoto: "What the hell? Let go! Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Inoue: "Could you please stop creating more work for me?" emoto: "You just had to meddle!" Junko: "Kou-chan..." emoto: "I'm not going to help take care of Dad!" Yoshio: "Was it the right thing to save a guy like him?" Kensuke: "Hmm..." Kensuke: "I can't really answer the tough questions." ka: "The captured leader of the organ-smuggling group, Kyoumoto Harumi, once worked for us as a medical examiner, but the police have no connection to this incident whatsoever." Miya: "You okay?" ka: "Why?" Inoue: "Kobayashi is dangerous!" Akechi: "Huh?" Inoue: "He has a power that could hurt or kill people, and he can't even control it himself!" : "He's so shocking, it's creepy." Kensuke: "Hey, Noro, how can you be so harsh? You flip out when someone calls you a shut-in!" Inoue: "If he makes a mess, we won't be able to clean it up!" Akechi: "Yeah, but Nao-chan will, right?" Inoue: "Akechi-sensei!" Akechi: "He's the only one who obeyed my rules. Hanasaki, you let your emotions rule you, and acted on your own instead of finding Nemoto." Kensuke: "Yeah, but—" Akechi: "Noro, whether you live or die is your own responsibility, but you asked me for help. Now I'm in debt to Nao-chan yet again." : "That was because Hanasaki—" Akechi: "Inoue. You still call me "Sensei" all the time. Cut it out already." Inoue: "Is this the time to joke around?" Akechi: "Shut up! I am the law here!" Akechi: "You obeyed the rules." Akechi: "So you may stay here. End of story!" Kensuke: "All right!" Yoshio: "I don't really care either way." 20: "Now, shall we play, Akechi-kun?"

Girls: "Senpai!" Girls: "Katsuta-senpai!" Girl: "Senpai, here. Please use this if you'd like." Girl: "Excuse me..." Girl: "Um, if you'd like... here." Inoue: "Thank you." Inoue: "I'll pass it along to him later." Girl: "Huh?" Inoue: "I know it'll make Katsuta happy." Girl: "Ah... Uh..." Girl: "Okay..." kamura: "Yeah, you, right there. Be sure to obey the traffic lights. Drive safely, please. Hey, young man, messing with your phone while walking can kill you." Miyanishi: "I can't believe they put us on patrol, too. This short-staffed crap is getting out of hand." kamura: "Well, security robots have been banned since that last incident." Miyanishi: "Come back, security robots!" kamura: "Miyanishi!" Miyanishi: "Senpai, look!" kamura: "A patrol car?" kamura: "Miyanishi!" Miyanishi: "Right!" kamura: "Twenty Faces..." Ohtomo: "I see." Kensuke: "Right? It rebounds too much and breaks everything." Ohtomo: "Looks like this thing has some room for improvement." Kensuke: "Take care of it, would you? I like this thing a lot." Ohtomo: "Actually, I've already got a new design." Ohtomo: "Ta-da!" Kensuke: "Whoa! Awesome!" Ohtomo: "Isn't it?" Ohtomo: "Sorry about that." Yamane: "No experimenting in the club room!" Ohtomo: "Don't be silly, Yamane. Experiments are essential to invention. In fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to say the purpose of invention is to experiment." Yamane: "But I'm the one who has to clean it up." Ohtomo: "That's an assistant's job." Yamane: "If you're going to dump odd jobs on me, I really will quit the club." Ohtomo: "Just so you know, if you quit the Scientific Experiments Club, girls will never like you. It'll be a dull, cloudy youth." Yamane: "Girls don't like me now, anyway." Yamane: "If you have time to make weird comments, help me clean up." Kensuke: "You just got told off, Ohtomo." Yamane: "I mean you, too, Hanasaki-senpai. Stop coming in here just to make a mess of our club room." Kensuke: "At least let me take a break in here. I've got classes until late at night after this." Yamane: "Communication science classes are during the day, you know. I've been in class since early this morning." Ohtomo: "Don't get all mad. It's the one day of the month when he's at school, so he has no friends in his classes. It won't kill you to be nice." Yamane: "Yeah, but..." Ohtomo: "A ladies' man need to keep his cool." Kensuke: "Yeah, as if you have a life outside this club." Ohtomo: "And it's because I don't that the essential tools of your trade are evolving every day. Do you realize that?" Kensuke: "Whoa!" Yamane: "Hey, not again!" Ohtomo: "The data they photograph is transferred here instantly. Handy, right?" Kensuke: "Yeah! Yeah!" Ohtomo: "They can't stay in the air very long yet, though." Kensuke: "Kobayashi's gonna flip when he sees this!" Ohtomo: "Kobayashi?" Kensuke: "Yeah. He's a newbie." Ohtomo: "Oh? What's he like?" Kensuke: "Well, kinda like Yamane, but two million times more worthless." Ohtomo: "That's pretty damn worthless." Yamane: "You're both total jerks!" Kensuke: "Huh?" Yoshio: "How do you break it?" Kensuke: "Eh?" Yoshio: "This "GPS" thing you were talking about!" Kensuke: "Huh?" Akechi: "Hey, you've got a job to do." Kensuke: "Sensei?!" Yoshio: "He found out where I was, thanks to you!" Kensuke: "What? What is it? What's the job?" Akechi: "Oh, hey, Hanasaki." Kensuke: "Well? What's the job, Sensei?!" Akechi: "Isn't today your school day?" Kensuke: "Huh?" Akechi: "You need to go to school on the one day of the month when it's required. That was our agreement, wasn't it?" Kensuke: "Yeah, but..." Akechi: "I'll tell you at 8:00, when all your classes are over." Kensuke: "Aw, man! Why'd it have to be today?!" Yamane: "How many times have you scattered these organs all over the place?" Yamane: "Oh, for crying out loud!" Akechi: "Now, then..." Akechi: "Come on, Kobayashi, let's go." Yoshio: "G-Go where?" Akechi: "Shut up and follow me." Yoshio: "Huh?" Akechi: "Now that you've joined the Boy Detectives' Club, you do as I say." Yoshio: "D-Don't talk down to me!" kamura: "No, we will." kamura: "We are adults, you know." Yoshio: "Huh?" kamura: "If you refuse to assist with investigations, you'll be prohibited from entering this building." kamura: "If you want to blame someone, blame him. He said he wouldn't do this job without you." Yoshio: "Huh?" kamura: "You don't mind losing your bed?" Miyanishi: "A police officer threatening a kid... Actually, isn't it a problem for him to live here?" kamura: "I don't say a word about Boy Detectives' Club matters." kamura: "That's the rule between me and him. It specifically said to watch it with you, so I haven't watched it yet." : "Is it the kind that'll self-destruct once it's viewed?" kamura: "Who knows? Senior Officer Kanda, the other passenger, is missing, and Officer Imaizumi passed out from shock, so he didn't see the culprit." Kanda: "It's time for the game to begin, Akechi-kun." Kanda: "The rules could not be simpler. If, by 9:00 this evening," Kanda: "you can take back the foolish police officer I took, you win. If you cannot do so, I win. If I win the game," Kanda: "he just might be promoted two ranks." Yoshio: "Huh?" : "That means he'll die in the line of duty." Yoshio: "I-It's not like I was asking or anything." Akechi: "This isn't like Twenty Faces." Akechi: "Wasn't his motto that he never killed people?" 20Faces: "Yes, that's right." 20Faces: "That's my policy, Akechi-kun." Inoue: "What's going on?!" Akechi: "He knew how I was going to react, huh?" 20Faces: "To kill anyone would violate my policy. But if he were to be involved in a tragic accident right in front of me..." 20Faces: "Unfortunately, to help others also violates my policy." Akechi: "Being a fiend sure is a hassle, huh?" 20Faces: "Oh, not nearly as much as being a detective." Akechi: "It's pretty creepy having my next move predicted like that." 20Faces: "I'll be waiting, Akechi-kun." : "It really blew up!" kamura: "You've got to be kidding me!" Miyanishi: "Senpai, calm down!" kamura: "On my pride as a police officer, I'm going to beat him!" Akechi: "Guess you don't need my help, then." Inoue: "Sensei!" Akechi: "I'm just not feeling this one. I don't care that much about him, anyway." kamura: "Now, listen..." Akechi: "I have the right to choose the jobs I take, don't I?" kamura: "You don't care what happens to the hostage?" Inoue: "She's right, Sensei!" Akechi: "All right, if he agrees to do it, I will." Yoshio: "Huh?" Yoshio: "I hate the police." Miyanishi: "You just had to threaten him..." kamura: "Me?!" Miyanishi: "Come on, please? Think of it as helping someone." Yoshio: "What good will that do me?" Yoshio: "Do I get anything good out of him being alive?" Inoue: "That's enough!" Inoue: "Does human life mean nothing to you?!" Yoshio: "Not really." Yoshio: "There are humans everywhere." Yoshio: "It's not as if life is that hard to come by." Inoue: "Are you serious?!" Yoshio: "Oh, shut up!" Yoshio: "You asked, so I answered. That's all!" Inoue: "Kobayashi!" Akechi: "Nao-chan, I'll do it." kamura: "Huh?" Akechi: "Seeing him this pissed off is new to me. It's kinda interesting." : "True!" Inoue: "Please don't treat this like a joke!" Yoshio: "This isn't like what we discussed." Akechi: "Shut up. It's decided, and that's it. Okay, how about this? If you and Inoue can make nice and solve this case together," Akechi: "I'll buy you all the hamburgers or beef bowls or whatever you want." kamura: "That's all cheap stuff." Yoshio: "Hamburgers?" Miyanishi: "And he's actually taking the bait..." Akechi: "All right, I'm counting on you." Inoue: "If that is your order, Sensei." Yoshio: "Fine." Kensuke: "Katsuta..." Katsuta: "Give these to him." Kensuke: "Flowers for a guy? And they're potted, no less?" Katsuta: "The cutters..." Katsuta: "I didn't want to take the cutters to it." Kensuke: "Gotcha." Kensuke: "You sure? I can wake him if you want." Katsuta: "I'll come back later." Kensuke: "He totally knew you were faking sleep." Kensuke: "Three more hours..." kamura: "Well? Figuring anything out?" : "The Pippo-chan camera's shot. Not much hope of restoring the data." Miyanishi: "What should we do? Start the investigation?" Akechi: "It won't do any good to search blindly." : "What do you think, Inoue?" Yoshio: "He's asleep." Inoue: "I am not. I'm retracing my memories." Akechi: "Think you can remember anything?" Inoue: "Did Senior Officer Kanda have a problem with his eyes?" kamura: "I don't think there's any record of one. Why?" Inoue: "His blinking looked unnatural." Inoue: "No, that's not it." Inoue: "Was it Morse code?" Inoue: "New... Out... er... Dis... charge." Akechi: "The discharge channel?" kamura: "Miyanishi, call for backup immediately." Miyanishi: "But surely he won't still be there." Akechi: "No, once he makes a rule, he won't break it." kamura: "Let's go!" Miyanishi: "Right!" Inoue: "I'll arrange for a car." Yoshio: "You believe him?" Akechi: "I actually trust Inoue's brain quite a bit." 20Faces: "Time to begin." Kensuke: "How's it going?" Yoshio: "He's annoying me." Kensuke: "Oh, Inoue?" Yoshio: "You'd be better than him." Kensuke: "Well, that's nice to hear." Yoshio: "The two of us aren't gonna find anything in this huge place." Inoue: "It's not just us." Kensuke: "Guess it's a matter of time, then..." Inoue: "Didn't Sensei tell you to focus on your classes?" Yoshio: "You know, if the police are on this, why do they need us?" Inoue: "Doesn't this seem too easy?" Yoshio: "Huh?" Inoue: "Would Twenty Faces make a mistake like overlooking Senior Officer Kanda's message?" Yoshio: "I dunno." Kensuke: "Hmm, sounds like there's more to it..." Yoshio: "Huh? Hey!" Inoue: "We must have lost the signal." Inoue: "This way." Inoue: "Hey!" Yoshio: "That way's a dead end." Inoue: "What?" Yoshio: "I use this route all the time." Inoue: "This route isn't on the map." Yoshio: "The map must be wrong." Inoue: "It's the latest edition that I just printed out." Inoue: "Hide!" Yoshio: "Why?" Inoue: "Just do it!" Yoshio: "Hey, why are we hiding?" Inoue: "People are coming this way." Inoue: "If we follow them, we might find Twenty Faces." Yoshio: "Then why didn't you say so?" Maska: "They haven't infiltrated this way yet." Maska: "All is as planned. Right. Heading that way." Maska: "Let's move." Maskb: "Yep." Maska: "What's that?" Inoue: "Damn it!" Yoshio: "Huh..." Inoue: "Don't just stand there! Hurry and call for hel—" Inoue: "What are... you doing? Idiot..." Inoue: "Hurry up!" Katsuta: "Wait!" Katsuta: "We have to wait for Akechi-san!" Katsuta: "There may be an accomplice!" Inoue: "Even if it means letting the culprit go?" Katsuta: "Yes!" Inoue: "Even if it means more victims?!" Katsuta: "Inoue!" Maskb: "Damn!" Maskb: "You really put us through hell!" Maskb: "Huh? Aren't you gonna help him?" Yoshio: "Why should I?" Maskb: "Why... should you?" Maskb: "Anyway, if you don't wanna die, you'd better run." Maskb: "You're not running?!" Yoshio: "Again, why should I?" Maskb: "You'll die!" Yoshio: "Yeah, if only..." Kensuke: "I told you, the transmission suddenly cut off!" : "They're probably out of range." : "Mobile communications services aren't perfect." Kensuke: "Yeah, but..." Kensuke: "Something might have happened to them!" : "Wait, wait, wait. Don't you still have classes left? You gonna skip out?" Kensuke: "Don't you dare tell Sensei!" : "Huh? Of course I'll tell him. Don't try to drag me into this." Kensuke: "Hey! Man, what a creep..." Kensuke: "Katsuta!" Kensuke: "Done with tennis practice already?" Katsuta: "Yeah." Kensuke: "You're still in the gardening club, too?" Katsuta: "Yeah." Kensuke: "And judo?" Katsuta: "Yeah." Kensuke: "If you can do all that, you could've stayed in the Boy Detectives' Club..." Kensuke: "We've all had it pretty rough since you quit. I'm an idiot, Noro's a shut-in, and the new kid, Kobayashi, is pretty worthless." Kensuke: "Come on, Katsuta!" Katsuta: "Break time's over." Kensuke: "Huh?" Kensuke: "Oh, actually, I just got a message..." Katsuta: "You need to attend your classes." Kensuke: "You're saying that now, too?" Katsuta: "Listen to him." Katsuta: "Listen to what Akechi-san says." Kensuke: "Fine, I got it." Inoue: "I'm sorry." Akechi: "You have nothing to apologize for." Yoshio: "Oh, you're finally awake?" Inoue: "What's going on?" Yoshio: "Those guys from before closed us in here." Inoue: "Why didn't you run?" Yoshio: "I don't like being ordered around." Inoue: "Don't be stupid! It's this late already. You—" Yoshio: "Oh, shut up. I just have to break it, right?" Yoshio: "Huh?" Inoue: "It's not breaking." Inoue: "What are you doing?!" Yoshio: "Taking a break." Inoue: "Stop messing around and break that wall right now!" Yoshio: "Shut up, useless." Inoue: "What?!" Yoshio: "You're obviously the useless one in this situation." Inoue: "You scum." Yoshio: "What are you so mad about? It's the truth." Inoue: "Listen to me! Someone like you has no right to call himself a Boy Detect—" Inoue: "Are you still going to take a break?" Akechi: "It's 30% down." Miyanishi: "Yeah..." Akechi: "The appeal of nurses when they wear pants, that is." Miyanishi: "Yeah..." kamura: ""Yeah," nothing." Miyanishi: "Sorry!" Akechi: "So did you get permission to see him?" kamura: "Of course I did." Miyanishi: "You know, is it even necessary to visit him now?" kamura: "Be quiet. He's finally started his investigation." Akechi: "That's right." Akechi: "Shut up and follow me." kamura: "Excuse us. We'd like your cooperation with— What are you doing?! Hey! Open up! Open this door! Akechi!" Akechi: "So..." Akechi: "What's your role in all this?" Imaizumi: "What are you talki—" Akechi: "A car suddenly crashed into you, did it? Your face looks pretty unhurt after an ordeal like that..." Akechi: "Almost as if you covered your face with your right arm." Akechi: "Also..." Akechi: "It should have dropped from your mouth, right? You were supposed to be unconscious, yet you dutifully kept hold of that film reel in your mouth, eh?" Akechi: "Were you told not to drop it at any cost?" Imaizumi: "I have a message for you from Twenty Faces," Imaizumi: "Akechi-san the murderer." Kensuke: "Every minute is so damn long..."

Inoue: "Don't get so irritated." Katsuta: "You still going to keep it up?" Inoue: "What, you're ready to give up?" Katsuta: "I mean Akechi-san's thing." Katsuta: "The tournament's coming up, so I wondered..." Inoue: "Here." Inoue: "I'm not going to give up." Inoue: "Not tennis, not investigations, not anything." Katsuta: "Greedy bastard." Inoue: "So? What about you?" Katsuta: "Huh?" Inoue: "You're sticking with the detectives' club, right?" Katsuta: "I..." Akechi: "Don't try to talk a big game again." Akechi: "Tell me everything you know, and be quick about it." Imaizumi: "Does it infuriate you that much" Imaizumi: "to be defeated by Twenty Faces?" Akechi: "Spit it out," Akechi: "messenger boy." Katsuta: "I can't be like Akechi-san." Inoue: "What does that mean?" Yoshio: "Loser." Inoue: "Shut up!" Kensuke: "All right!" Kensuke: "It's over!" kamura: "Open this door! Hey! Damn you!" Imaizumi: "came to him after he saw you again after so long." Akechi: "Me?" Imaizumi: "He was so very happy. He said that facility was a veritable treasure trove." Imaizumi: "Did you really think he left there without stealing anything? Do you know what guards the New Outer Underground Discharge Channel during peacetime?" Akechi: "So you're saying he has all the data on those underground channels?" Imaizumi: "The security system and the drainage control system all work exactly as he wishes." Akechi: "And what's he planning to steal next?" Imaizumi: "If I had to say, probably public trust in the police." Akechi: "Trust?" Imaizumi: "How many dozens... No, hundreds of police are in that labyrinth now?" Imaizumi: "That concludes my message." kamura: "Now, listen, you—" Akechi: "Let's go." kamura: "Huh?" Akechi: "It turns out there's" Akechi: "more than one hostage." Kensuke: "Huh? What?! What's that mean?" Akechi: "Use your imagination." Akechi: "What happens if a lot of water is released into those channels right now?" Kensuke: "But I thought Twenty Faces didn't kill people!" Akechi: "There are no absolutes in this world." Kensuke: "What's Inoue's status?" Akechi: "Someone may be jamming communication. We can't get in touch with Inoue or any officers on the case." Kensuke: "There, you see, Noro?!" : "Oh, shut up. You know the saying, don't you? "Even Homer sometimes nods."" Akechi: "I've got Noro on the communications jam." : "I think I'll have it in about twenty more minutes." Kensuke: "So my job is..." Kensuke: "Rescuing the hostage?" Akechi: "We've got fifty-two minutes until the time limit." Akechi: "Take care of it." Kensuke: "This is why I should've skipped class!" Akechi: "You don't have time. Move it." Kensuke: "Sure, sure." Kensuke: "Katsuta! Katsuta! Katsuta! Katsuta!" Katsuta: "No." Kensuke: "I didn't even say anything yet!" Katsuta: "No." Kensuke: "We've got real trouble this time!" Katsuta: "I'm on a delivery." Kensuke: "Come on, man! Inoue's in danger!" Kensuke: "Just today! Just for today, okay?" Katsuta: "Get on." Kensuke: "Uh..." Kensuke: "On where?" Inoue: "Is that the best your power can do?" Yoshio: "Who do you think I'm doing this for?" Inoue: "Get out." Yoshio: "Huh?" Inoue: "You can get out of here." Inoue: "Up there." Inoue: "Go out through there and tell the others. That the map is fake, and that they have to cut the investigation short and evacuate." Inoue: "There's no time! Hurry!" Yoshio: "What about you?" Inoue: "I'll climb this and get out through there. My chances aren't good, but forget about me and just—" Yoshio: "Okay, got it." Inoue: "He hasn't asked me about my leg." Katsuta: "Don't!" Katsuta: "Wait!" Inoue: "I won't give up!" Inoue: "He wasn't any help at all..." Criminala: "Please, don't!" Criminalb: "It's all ruined because you screwed up!" Inoue: "Stop it!" Criminala: "You..." Inoue: "I don't like hitting people!" Inoue: "You'll come quietly, right?" Katsuta: "Behind you!" Katsuta: "Stop!" Inoue: "Watch out!" ursea: "He's worked so hard at his rehab. Poor thing." urseb: "It's so odd that he can't stand up. His left leg was uninjured." ursea: "I guess the psychological trauma was just that severe." urseb: "You mean it's all in his mind?" Inoue: "Sorry for the trouble." Inoue: "I'm going to focus on being a leader to you guys for a while." Inoue: "So, what's the job?" Inoue: "Well?" Katsuta: "I don't care about any job." Inoue: "What?" Katsuta: "What about rehab?" Katsuta: "I thought you weren't going to give up." Inoue: "This is all I can do now." Katsuta: "I can't stand to look at you now." Inoue: "Then don't!" Copa: "We're running out of time." Copb: "Let's keep moving." Copa: "What is this?!" Copb: "Hey!" Kensuke: "Guys! Get out of there! Don't go any further in!" Katsuta: "Stop!" Katsuta: "Twenty Faces will hear you, too!" Kensuke: "But we're almost out of time!" Katsuta: "We need to avoid any unnecessary fighting." Kensuke: "Yeah, but..." Kensuke: "Oh, it's you, Kobayashi." Katsuta: "What's going on?" Kensuke: "You can explain later." Kensuke: "What?" Inoue: "Damn it." Kensuke: "Sensei!" Akechi: "You're late." Kensuke: "Is this all the people who came in here?" Miyanishi: "No, only about half." Kensuke: "Okay, then we should at least get the people here now outside." Akechi: "We've discussed that, but..." kamura: "They all say they won't leave their comrades to die, and they won't move." Miyanishi: "The police have their pride, you know." Kensuke: "Yeah, but..." Akechi: "Don't panic." Akechi: "If we beat Twenty Faces, we can save them all." Miyanishi: "I guess our only choice is to keep searching the long way." Kensuke: "Oh, Inoue said the map of the channels is wrong." Kensuke: "He said without a good map, there's no way to search." Cop1: "What?" Cop2: "We'll have to go back for the original map." Cop3: "We don't have the time!" Kensuke: "Don't worry!" Kensuke: "Just leave this to me." Akechi: "Hanasaki." Akechi: "What happened to Inoue?" Inoue: "I should have apologized much sooner..." Katsuta: "Ryou!" Inoue: "Kacchan..." Kensuke: "Test, test... Katsuta, can you hear me?" Kensuke: "Noro works fast, huh? For sure. So did you get to Inoue in time?" Katsuta: "Yeah." Inoue: "Hey, what's going—" Kensuke: "As long as he's okay!" Kensuke: "Guess we should get started, too. Noro?" : "Got it!" Kensuke: "Go!" : "I'm sending this to all the others, too." Inoue: "Put me down, Katsuta!" Katsuta: "The exit's just ahead." Inoue: "Just put me down, please!" Inoue: "Hanasaki, where are you now?" Kensuke: "Uh... It says "E-12."" Inoue: "Okay, head straight toward E-13." Kensuke: "Huh? But..." Inoue: "We don't have time to wait for the map to be updated. Go." Akechi: "Sheesh, that Inoue-sensei is a real slave driver." Akechi: "We're gonna head out, Nao-chan." kamura: "H-Hey! Hold it, you two!" Miyanishi: "Senpai!" kamura: "What?" Miyanishi: "The press is swarming outside." kamura: "Huh?" Miyanishi: "Apparently Twenty Faces sent a message to all the media." kamura: "He really wants to make us a laughingstock, doesn't he?" Inoue: "Turn right next." Katsuta: "How do you know the way?" Inoue: "I've memorized the fake map. By looking at the overwritten locations, I can narrow down the direction we need to go." Kensuke: "Is Twenty Faces" Kensuke: "really trying to drown all these people?" Akechi: "Hard to say." Kensuke: "Hey! Kobayashi!" Akechi: "He must be wiped out." Kensuke: "But..." Akechi: "Pretty incredible, isn't it?" Akechi: "For someone who wants to die to push himself to exhaustion like that." Inoue: "Focus on the case. Keep going straight and you should reach an open space." Kensuke: "An open space?" Kensuke: "There's no open space!" Inoue: "Not yet. In another eighty meters." Twenty: "Five minutes until the promised hour." Twenty: "It took you longer than I expected." Akechi: "It doesn't matter how many minutes are left! A win is a win!" Twenty: "True." Kensuke: "So hurry up and return the hostage!" Twenty: "Hostage? Which hostage do you mean?" Kensuke: "Huh?" Inoue: "The 287 officers currently investigating." Twenty: "Would that voice be Inoue-kun?" Inoue: "He's locked them in various places throughout the channels." Inoue: "There are a few sealed locations on the map that look out of place." Inoue: "That's probably where they are." Twenty: "What makes you think I would do that?" Inoue: "To lower trust in the police. You unleashed water into the channels to seal them in." Akechi: "Hey, Inoue, that's my job you're doing." Kensuke: "But you failed, Twenty Faces!" Twenty: "Did I? I believe I told you," Twenty: "if you can take back the hostage, you win." Twenty: "Nothing wrong with a game of tag every now and then, is there?" Kensuke: "Damn, talk about childish!" Akechi: "Here we go!" Inoue: "Three minutes left!" Akechi: "I got this!" Akechi: "It's okay. Don't panic, Hanasaki." Kensuke: "Right!" Minionb: "That's..." Kensuke: "Kobayashi!" Akechi: "Hanasaki!" Kensuke: "Right!" Akechi: "We've got the hostage!" kamura: "Our investigator has just secured the hostage." Kensuke: "You really have lost this time!" Twenty: "Now, that's not fair, Akechi-kun." Akechi: "Huh?" Twenty: "You could have told me you had such a great toy." Akechi: "Kobayashi is not a toy." Akechi: "Hey, remember this." Akechi: "Kobayashi, Hanasaki, Inoue, Noro, and Katsuta..." Akechi: "None of them are your toys!" Twenty: "I've never see you this heated up." Twenty: "I don't think I like it." Kensuke: "Hold it!" Akechi: "Well! Better go save the isolated officers, and get my commission fee from Nao-chan." Kensuke: "He's asleep already..." Katsuta: "That scrawny kid asked me." Inoue: "Kobayashi?" Katsuta: "He said he couldn't help you himself." Inoue: "I'm sorry." Katsuta: "For what?" Inoue: "For relying on you only at times like this." Inoue: "And after you quit the club because of me." Katsuta: "I'm not cut out to be a detective. That's why I quit." Inoue: "That's not..." Katsuta: "I can't accept you like Akechi-san does." Katsuta: "So I'm thinking of becoming a police officer. If you're going to be Akechi-san, then I'll be Nakamura-san." Katsuta: "That's the answer I've chosen." kamura: "They're searching the area around the hospital..." Akechi: "But they probably won't find him." Katsuta: "Don't try to go too fast right away." Inoue: "I have to." Inoue: "I can't let that kid call me useless again." Kensuke: "Hey, so... Thanks." Yoshio: "Is it your first time eating these, too?" Kensuke: "No! I'm talking about Inoue!" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "You worked really hard to save Inoue's life!" Yoshio: "I couldn't have eaten this stuff if he had died." Kensuke: "Ah. I get it." Yoshio: "Don't eat a second one." Kensuke: "The hell? Don't be stingy." Yoshio: "These are all mine." Kensuke: "You're such a glutton!" Yoshio: "Shut up!"

Kensuke: "Woohoo! And after his fourth fall of the day, Kobayashi... is unhurt! No blood! And still not dead!" Yoshio: "Tsk." Kensuke: "And that's his eighth "tsk" of the day!" Kensuke: "Want some help?" Yoshio: "Hurry and pull me up." Kensuke: "You heard the man!" Kensuke: "Hey, why not live at Sensei's place?" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "You'd never go hungry there." Kensuke: "This place is filthy." Yoshio: "Hey. Don't go in there." Kensuke: "And it's so unstable." Yoshio: "Don't touch it. Stop filming. Go back." Kensuke: "It's boring back there, though. Sensei said, "I worked too hard the other day." Then he took off somewhere and hasn't been back." Kensuke: "Inoue's at school." Kensuke: "And Noro is Noro." Kensuke: "There's not a damn thing to do." Kensuke: "Except play with you!" Yoshio: "Then think about it." Yoshio: "You know, me?" Kensuke: "Oh, that? Right, right." Yoshio: "Are you really serious about killing me?" Kensuke: "Sure I am! Totally serious!" Kensuke: "I am thinking about it! Like, um... Uh..." Inoue: "What?" Kensuke: "I told you, job requests! The ones Sensei deleted." Kensuke: "I accepted six, so take care of them!" Inoue: "What do you think you can do without Sensei there?" Kensuke: "I've thought it through!" Inoue: "I can't trust you." Kensuke: "I'll solve them, I swear!" Inoue: "Based on what?!" Kensuke: "Hey, cool it. Don't yell at me." Inoue: "I yell because you keep taking matters into your own hands, idiot." Kensuke: "Don't worry. We'll take care of them quick." Kensuke: "Me and Kobayashi!" Yoshio: "Huh?" Inoue: "Just you two?" Kensuke: "Ah! You just thought we couldn't handle it, right? You underestimate us!" Inoue: "Don't cause trouble." Kensuke: "What? So it's okay?" Inoue: "Just know I won't help you." Kensuke: "I know. You've got exams coming up, right?" Inoue: "So do you." Kensuke: "All right!" Yoshio: "Liar." Kensuke: "Huh?" Yoshio: "I came along because you said you'd found a way for me to die." Kensuke: "And I'm telling you, this is it." Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "Remember the times you got hurt? Both at the factory and in the hall, it happened after you helped someone. So if we solve a bunch of cases, you can get hurt a bunch of times and die!" Kensuke: "What's with the cold reaction?" Yoshio: "That sounds so shady." Kensuke: "Like you can talk?" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "Anyway, I've actually given this serious thought for once. You take it seriously, too." Kensuke: "Our first job is to get one more of this vase!" Yoshio: "What the hell?" Kensuke: "I dunno. The client must really like it." Kensuke: "Come on, inside! Quick!" Kensuke: "Okay, follow me." Yoshio: "What is this place?" Kensuke: "You'll see soon enough." Kensuke: "Whoa, watch it! Cut it out! I give! I give! I give! I'm sorry, okay?!" Yoshio: "Who are you?" : "You don't stink like I thought you would." Yoshio: "Grass?" : "It's lemon balm and mint." Kensuke: "Blech. You're serving awful-smelling tea again?" : "You know I'm normally doing hot yoga at 2:00, right?" Kensuke: "Don't be such a stiff." : "Even a paramecium-brain like you should be able to toss it in a 3D printer." Kensuke: "It's apparently pretty valuable, so I don't want to break it." : "Oh, right." : "Here. Fill this out." : "It's our member list. You're technically a member now, right?" Kensuke: "Oh, his profile? He can't. Kobayashi doesn't know anything about himself." : "Even your age?" Yoshio: "Don't know." : "Your birthplace?" Yoshio: "Don't know." : "Your birthday?" Yoshio: "Don't care." : "What? That's so tragic!" Yoshio: "Huh?" : "I mean, that's the one day of the year when you get to be the star! Don't you want everyone to fuss over you?" Yoshio: "Not especially." : "Really?" Yoshio: "Hey, can you do something about this weirdo?" Kensuke: "All right! While that's printing, let's head out to our second job!" Yoshio: "Oh, right." : "Can't you sit still for a few minutes, meathead?" Ohtomo: "Wow, for real?" Kensuke: "See? Awesome, right?" Ohtomo: "I thought you were exaggerating." Kensuke: "Like I'd do that." Yoshio: "Is this the job?" Kensuke: "Yeah, right. No way." Kensuke: "Apparently they were told no shop could fix it." Ohtomo: "Hmm, let's see..." Ohtomo: "Ah, yes, yes. The contact here is the problem." Yoshio: "That's a weird color for clothes." Kensuke: "I like gray, personally." Kensuke: "What color do you like?" Kensuke: "The color of the sky, huh? Fancy!" Yoshio: "Are you dumb?" Ohtomo: "There, all done." Kensuke: "That was fast!" Ohtomo: "I added some extra functions, too." Kensuke: "Extra?" Ohtomo: "Opening!" Yamane: "H-Hey..." Kensuke: "Oh, no need to freak out." Ohtomo: "That's the normal reaction." Yamane: "Come on! Don't add weird functions to those things!" Yamane: "There's nothing funny about a boomerang with a self-destruct feature!" Yamane: "You're not hurt, are you?" Yoshio: "Yeah, as if." Yamane: "Oh... Okay..." Kensuke: "So, uh..." Kensuke: "Where should we start?" Ohtomo: "Might as well let him have the wrong idea for a while." Kensuke: "Hey! Don't ignore me!" Kensuke: "Oh, Katsuta's here, too." Katsuta: "Shh!" Kensuke: "Sorry, sorry." Kensuke: "What? You like pizza?" Yoshio: "Probably. I've never had it before." Inoue: "What do you want?" Kensuke: "Oh, just dropped in since I was at school anyway." Inoue: "You're not here to tell me you're giving up?" Kensuke: "Huh? Not at all! We're just five minutes away from having two solved already!" Inoue: "With help from Noro and Ohtomo, right?" Inoue: "Didn't you tell me the two of you would handle it on your own?" Kensuke: "Come on, don't be such a stiff." Inoue: "So you can't even keep one promise?" Katsuta: "Ryou." Inoue: "It was your choice to accept those jobs. Finish them yourself." Kensuke: "Fine. The two of us will do the deducing and solving ourselves. Right?" Yoshio: "How do you plan to deduce anything?" Kensuke: "Like I know." Inoue: "How many years have you been a detective?" Guy: "Ah, thanks." Kensuke: "Thank you for coming to us for—" Guy: "Huh?" Guy: "Whoa! What is this?!" Kensuke: "An extra feature." Kensuke: "I'm here to deliver the vase." Lady: "Vase?" Lady: "What were you trying to do with my vase?!" Girl: "Mother, calm down..." Lady: "You wanted to make a copy and sell the original, didn't you?!" Girl: "Of course not!" Lady: "You trying to say my son doesn't earn enough money for you?!" Girl: "Mother! You know, I've got things to say to you, too!" Yoshio: "Failed again." Kensuke: "Okay! Time for the third one!" Yoshio: "At least be a little discouraged." Kensuke: "We don't have time for that!" Yoshio: "I see." Kensuke: "We'll handle the next one by ourselves, for real this time!" Yoshio: "And? What's the last one?" Kensuke: "Investigating an affair." Yoshio: "That's stupid." Kensuke: "Come on, don't say that." Yoshio: "Let's just get it done and go home." Kensuke: "You don't like rain?" Yoshio: "It always leaks." Kensuke: "That Ferris wheel car?" Kensuke: "Like I said, why don't you just live with Sensei?" Kensuke: "Why don't you? There's a bed available." Yoshio: "I can't sleep." Kensuke: "Huh?" Yoshio: "I can't sleep anywhere but there." Kensuke: "Yeah?" Kensuke: "Wait, you liar!" Kensuke: "Here she comes!" Kensuke: "Let's finish this one successfully for once." Kensuke: "We'll work together and kick this job's ass!" Yoshio: "Oh, shut up." Kensuke: "Okay, ready? Once she gets in that car, we'll sneak closer and snap proof that she's cheating! Huh?" Yoshio: "Hey." Yoshio: "Hey." Yoshio: "You having an affair?" Yoshio: "With him?" Yoshio: "You want to say it's all my fault, right?" Kensuke: "No, no. I was thinking of saying I'm sorry." Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "I couldn't kill you today, again." Kensuke: "None of those six jobs went very well, huh?" Yoshio: "It's impossible with just you and me." Kensuke: "Even so, we gotta do it!" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "I want to complete jobs with you." Kida: "Uh-oh..." Kidb: "What do I do? My brother's gonna kill me!" Kida: "Don't ask me." Kidb: "Hey!" Kensuke: "Guess I have no choice." Kensuke: "I'll be right back!" Kidb: "Come out!" Kidb: "Come out! Come out!" Yoshio: "He's taking forever." Kida: "Quit crying. I'll apologize to him with you." Kidb: "Really?" Kida: "It's better than going alone, right?" Yoshio: "Hey!" Yoshio: "Wait there." Kensuke: "Ow... Man, this is not my day. Okay, now—" Kensuke: "Again?!" Kensuke: "Kobayashi!" Kensuke: "Kobayashi!" Yoshio: "Hurry and pull me up." Kensuke: "Careful getting home." Kensuke: "Case solved, huh?" Kensuke: "Hey." Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "You're not hurt?" Yoshio: "No." Kensuke: "Man, what the hell?" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "It makes no sense. You helped someone, and still..." Yoshio: "Who cares?" Kensuke: "I thought you were dead for sure that time. What else could I think?" Yoshio: "I've tested blast furnaces a few times." Kensuke: "Ooh! "I'll be back!"" Yoshio: "Are you... hurt?" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "I bet you're hungry, right? Let's go eat." Yoshio: "Sure." Kensuke: "Go on ahead." All: "Happy Birthday!" Inoue: "Happy Birthday." Yoshio: "Huh?" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "You said you don't know when your birthday is, right?" Kensuke: "So we've made today your day." : "I was getting lots of stuff ready while you guys were playing around." Ohtomo: "Hanasaki pulls off some pretty elaborate schemes sometimes." Kensuke: "What? Too emotional to even speak?" Yoshio: "Don't just decide when my birthday's going to be." Inoue: "No, idiot." Inoue: "Cake comes after you blow out the candles." Kensuke: "That's right! And before that, it's time for your present!" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "This way!" Kensuke: "Ta-da!" Kensuke: "It's from all of us!" Ohtomo: "Actually, all you did was shout directions." Ohtomo: "You're such a slave driver." Yamane: "That's right. How many round trips do you think we made between the office and that building?" Kensuke: "Sorry about that." Yoshio: "All you ever do is cause trouble for people." Ohtomo: "Now, now..." Yamane: "Do you realize how much work this was?" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "Happy Birthday!" Ohtomo: "Well, come on, let's eat. I'm starving." Yamane: "Senpai, you can't have cake." : "Do I get cake? Hey, do I get cake?" Kensuke: "This kind of thing is fun, huh?" Yoshio: "No." Kensuke: "I see." Ohtomo: "Hey, are these chairs backwards?" Kensuke: "Don't sweat the details!" : "Do I get cake?" Yamane: "Are there enough drinks?" : "Don't I get cake?" : "Pippo-chan!" Kensuke: "See? You're smiling."

Yoshio: "I... I..." Yoshio: "Squid (ika)!" Inoue: "Caesar (Kaesaru)." Kensuke: "Ru, ru, ru, ru..." Kensuke: "Rule (ruuru)!" Inoue: "Luke (Ruka)." Yoshio: "Ka... Ka..." Yoshio: "Shellfish (kai)." Inoue: "Irma (Iruma)." Kensuke: "Ma? Ma, ma... Mach (mahha)!" Inoue: "Hammurabi (Hanmurabi)." Yoshio: "Bi..." Kensuke: "Inoue, pick some easier words!" : "Ganging up on him like that is just shameful!" : "Inoue's limiting himself to BC-era historical figures. That should be more than enough of a handicap." Kensuke: "Damn it, Sensei!" Kensuke: "How long are you gonna be on break?!" Tv: "Is this what you're saying? The Shibuya Dogenzaka robot incident, the organ-trading tower incident," Tv: "the abduction of police officers in underground channels... All of these incidents that have shaken up society recently were solved" Tv: "by this mysterious cooperant." Tv: "Is that what you mean?" Akechi: "Huh..." Akechi: "Seeing you dressed like that is quite the turn-on, too." kamura: "How long are you going to keep ditching work?" Akechi: "If possible..." Akechi: "Forever, I guess." Guya: "You're telling us to pay?" Guyb: "Don't pull that crap with us, you—" Guyc: "Hey, little punk! What are you—" Akechi: "What am I doing?" Akechi: "Exactly what you guys were just doing." Guya: "Damn it!" Akechi: "For the love of... What if you'd been shot, idiot?!" Boy: "Oh... Yeah." Akechi: "And you did that to a guy like this..." Boy: "It's fine. I'm used to it." Akechi: "That's not the point!" Akechi: "You're only supposed to do that with someone you love!" Akechi: "Don't laugh!" Boy: "Sorry." Boy: "Thanks, um..." Akechi: "Kogorou. Akechi Kogorou." kamura: "Excuse me?" kamura: "Are you listening? Hey!" Akechi: "Nao-chan..." Akechi: "That kinda hurts." kamura: "The promise was that in return for overlooking your boys' unauthorized actions," makura: "all the credit would be attributed to me, right?" Akechi: "You've reminded me of that over and over." kamura: "Then just what is that?" Akechi: "How should I know?" kamura: "Every single channel is talking about you. Twenty Faces has completely faded out of the picture." Akechi: "Well, I guess people can't ignore a handsome face like this, right?" Akechi: "Uh, you're supposed to make some witty comeback." kamura: "Tell me." Akechi: "Huh?" kamura: "What happened between you and Twenty Faces?" Akechi: "Here! Right here!" kamura: "Ah, hey!" Akechi: "This is my best song! This man, Akechi Kogorou, will now sing from the heart for his beloved Nao-chan!" Boy: "This welcome party is supposed to be for us." Akechi: "Just be happy we get to drink." Boy: "Just like you, Akechi-kun." Akechi: "Huh?" Boy: "You hate boredom," Boy: "and you're always looking for thrills." Akechi: "You know, you don't have to hang out with me." Boy: "You're the only one who can change my world, Akechi-kun." Boy: "Ever since that day." Akechi: "Have it your way." Guy: "Here, newbie. Fire a shot." Guy: "What's wrong?" Guy: "This your first time firing a gun?" Akechi: "If only it were..." Servant: "I-I'm sorry!" Servant: "I'll bring a new one right away." Kensuke: "It's fine." Kensuke: "No one would've eaten it, anyway." Kensuke: "More importantly, are you okay?" Servant: "Y-Yes..." Dad: "Leave us." Servant: "I'm very sorry." Dad: "You need to dress properly when you stand before me." Kensuke: "Yes..." Kensuke: "Father." Kensuke: "So, um..." Kensuke: "What was it you needed?" Dad: "Hm?" Kensuke: "Akashi-san called and said you wanted to see me." Dad: "I'm not allowed to ask for you unless I have business with you?" Kensuke: "Well..." Dad: "I hear you're out goofing off every day." Kensuke: "I'm not goofing off." Dad: "I'm not angry." Dad: "So long as you don't cause trouble, you're free to do as you please." Dad: "I'm leaving tomorrow on another business trip." Dad: "If you need anything, call Akashi." Dad: "Don't forget that you're the eldest son of the Hanasaki family." Kensuke: "I'm not the eldest son." Kensuke: "Woo-hoo!" Yoshio: "You're always so loud." Kensuke: "You need to take your clothes off!" Yoshio: "So that was your father earlier?" Kensuke: "Huh? Oh, yeah." Kensuke: "Not by blood, though." Kensuke: "I was adopted. They took in my older brother and me. Well, I'm not related to my older brother, either, and he already moved out." Yoshio: "Huh..." Yoshio: "Guess a lot can happen in life." Kensuke: "Oh?" Kensuke: "So I can actually hit you with this!" Yoshio: "Don't you dare." Kensuke: "Time to vent some aggravation!" Yoshio: "Cut it out!" Kensuke: "Oh, now you've done it! I'm not gonna hold back!" Akashi: "Is that a friend, do you suppose?" Yoshio: "You're not playing fair!" Akechi: "Stop!" Akechi: "Akechi-san!" Guy: "Sou... suke..." Dad: "Sousuke!" kamura: "Hey! Were you listening?" Akechi: "Huh? Oh, yeah. That was great. Especially the chorus, where your voice cracked on "You're just a palate cleanser."" kamura: "Then tell me now." Akechi: "Huh?" kamura: "You said you'd tell me if I sang, didn't you? About you and Twenty Faces." Akechi: "Oh, did I?" kamura: "Don't you give me that, you drunkard." Akechi: "I... killed him." kamura: "Huh?" Akechi: "My dad... Both of them." kamura: "What?" Akechi: "Huh?" kamura: "Uh, I'm not sure what I should question first. Killed your father? Er... Huh? What do you mean? And what does it have to do with Twenty Faces?" Akechi: "Since I killed someone, I'm evil itself." Akechi: "That's probably what he thinks." kamura: "You? Evil? I mean, is that masked jerk putting himself on a pedestal or what?" Akechi: "By his standards, probably." kamura: "And?" Akechi: "And what?" kamura: "Well, what happened?" Akechi: "For one song, that's about all I can tell you. If you wanna hear more, you'll have to show me a much deeper part of you." Akechi: "Ow!" kamura: "Your idea of cost-performance sucks." Akechi: "Well, enough playing around with me." kamura: "Huh?" Akechi: "Better get ready. You've got a date, right?" kamura: "Huh?" Akechi: "Your nails are painted for once. You just came from the hair salon. You didn't eat your favorite Okinawan shallots or kimchi because you're worried about your breath." kamura: "What?!" Akechi: "Not to mention, you've shaved all the important spots." kamura: "You jerk! What's your problem? I just gave you half of my precious day off! Ugh, what a waste! What a total waste!" Akechi: "So, is he a hotter guy than me?" kamura: "Obviously!" Akechi: "Hey, got a picture of him? Send me a picture! Come on!" Dad: "Now, that's a nasty look in your eyes. If you wanna leave, you're more than welcome to, Sousuke!" Girl: "Oops, I'm sorry." Akechi: "Man, what a waste of beer." Akechi: "Be more careful, miss." Akechi: "Jeez, the table's soaked." Akechi: "Hey, got anything I can wipe the..." Girl: "Can I please shake your hand?!" Akechi: "Huh?" Inoue: "I told you, we're getting a flood of job requests!" Kensuke: "Huh?" Inoue: "Didn't you hear? I left you all those messages!" Kensuke: "Oh... Sorry 'bout that." Inoue: "There's an article going around online saying Sensei is the "mysterious cooperant."" Kensuke: "Yikes." : ""Yikes," nothing! We need you to be your adrenaline junkie self!" Kensuke: "For real?" : "For real!" Kensuke: "For real?!" Inoue: "Listen, come straight back to the office right n—" Kensuke: "A case! We've got a case, Kobayashi!" Yoshio: "What, right now?" Kensuke: "You wanna die, don't you? Come on!" Yoshio: "Okay, fine." Kensuke: "Hurry it up!" Yoshio: "Oh, can it." Kensuke: "Oh, that's my brother." Kensuke: "Come on, step on it!" Yoshio: "Tsk." Akechi: "Whoa, scary." Akechi: "Akechi Kogorou." Akechi: "It's the name of the detective who saved my life." Boy: "Detective?" Akechi: "Yeah." Akechi: "He saved me from my worthless, abusive father." Akechi: "He's my second father." Akechi: "He's the one who made me who I am now." Guy: "Don't worry, Sousuke." Guy: "You're not like your father." Guy: "For every time he hurt you, you can save someone." Guy: "Hey, where's your answer?" Akechi: "He saved me with days filled with thrills." Akechi: "But..." Akechi: "But because of me..." Akechi: "I was right in front of him, but I couldn't save him." Boy: "Akechi-kun..." Akechi: "I wanted to run away. To a place where no one knew me or even cared," Akechi: "a place as far away from there as I could get." Akechi: "Before leaving Japan, I met with my dad one last time." Dad: "Hey! Where are you going?" Dad: "You're just going to leave your dying father lying here? Please, Sousuke!" Akechi: "I'm not Sousuke." Akechi: "My name is Akechi Kogorou." Dad: "Just remember this." Dad: "You left me to die." Dad: "You killed your real father!" Dad: "Sousuke!" Dad: "Sousuke, wait! Don't you leave! Sousuke! Sousuke!" Akechi: "Right after I left the country, my dad died." Akechi: "I killed both of my fathers." Akechi: "I've got a good life here. Only the thrills I find here let me forget the "me" I threw away," Akechi: "as well as both of my dads." Boy: "You're my savior." Akechi: "Huh?" Boy: "I won't ever let you be bored." Boy: "I'll be your thrill." Akechi: "Thanks for picking me up." Inoue: "You'd better hurry and sober up, Mr. Celebrity." Akechi: "Just listen to you, Inoue." Inoue: "The only one in the office now is Pippo-chan." Akechi: "Well, that's not exactly reassuring, is it?" Woman: "If only time would stop right now..." Man: "I was just thinking the same thing." Akechi: "Hey, Inoue." Inoue: "What is it?" Akechi: "What kind of person am I?" Inoue: "Is that creepy question actually serious," Inoue: "or is it one of those jokes you love so much?" Akechi: "You're harsher than usual today." Akechi: "Don't scare me like that." Akechi: "Your clothes are completely clean..." Boy: "I've decided, Akechi-kun." Boy: "I won't ever kill anyone." Boy: "I won't become something evil like you." Boy: "I'm not like the rest of you. I'll keep providing thrills for you, mired in your own evil," Boy: "as you stand on the opposite shore of evil." Boy: "So fill your head with those thrills... with me! Things have gotten quite fun now," Boy: "Akechi-kun." Woman: "Don't say that to me now! It's unfair!" Man: "Don't yell at me." Woman: "So you're making me the bad guy?!" Inoue: "If you're going to sleep, turn that off." Akechi: "I'm listening to it." Man: "See? You never listen to anything I say!" Inoue: "I see." Man: "Here, take this. Here's your compensation." Tv: "Forgive this interruption in your busy evening." Tv: "I represent the residents of the Kokorogaoka Housing Complex." Tv: "I'll make this quick, so please give me just a few minutes of your time. We, the residents of the Kokorogaoka Housing Complex, refuse to vacate the complex for the sake of urban redevelopment that no one asked for. We proclaim the entire complex, from Building A to Building H, to be named the "Kokorogaoka Borough,"" Tv: "and as of this moment, declare its independence from the nation of Japan." Yumeko: "What is this?" end: "That's kinda hilarious!" Tv: "Now then, everyone..." Yoshio: "Hey." Tv: "Have a great day." Kensuke: "Haru-nii?"

Tv: "We, the residents of the Kokorogaoka Housing Complex, refuse to vacate the complex for the sake of urban redevelopment that no one asked for. We proclaim the entire complex, from Building A to Building H, to be named the "Kokorogaoka Borough," and as of this moment, declare its independence from the nation of Japan." Yoshio: "Hey." Tv: "Have a great day." Kensuke: "Haru-nii?" Yoshio: "Hey!" Kensuke: "Haru-nii..." Akechi: "So..." Akechi: "This isn't the first time, then?" Woman: "That's right." Akechi: "Ma'am..." Akechi: "Affairs are like cockroaches." Akechi: "If you discover one, you can bet there've been dozens more." Kensuke: "Sensei!" Kensuke: "Sen... sei..." Akechi: "Hey, been a while, Hanasaki." Kensuke: "You saw the news, right?" Akechi: "Huh? You mean the special feature about me?" Kensuke: "This is no time to just sit around!" Inoue: "We have a client." Kensuke: "If we don't hurry, Haru-nii's gonna..." Akechi: "No." Akechi: "I'm not doing anything unless a client hires me to." Kensuke: "What?!" Akechi: "There's a client in here now. Shut your mouth." Woman: "Um..." Inoue: "We will accept your job." Woman: "Huh?" : "We'll call you later with the results of our investigation." Inoue: "Take care." Woman: "Thank you very much." Inoue: "She's gone now." Kensuke: "This is no time to play around!" Kensuke: "If we don't do something..." Kensuke: "I'm sick of seeing things happen that can never be fixed!" Akechi: "Detectives are not heroes." Kensuke: "But Haru-nii's gonna..." Akechi: "Don't make me repeat myself." Kensuke: "Fine, I'll just ask Nakamura-san." Akechi: "Hanasaki!" Akechi: "If a detective does that, it's all over." Kensuke: "I won't accept this!" Inoue: "Cut it out, Hanasaki." : "Yeah, just calm down, would you?" Kensuke: "You start on jobs sometimes before anyone hires you to, don't you?" Akechi: "Don't leave this building today." Kensuke: "What?" Akechi: "No going out." Kensuke: "You can't do that!" Akechi: "Don't forget that what I say is law here." Kensuke: "What the hell?!" Kensuke: "And at a time like this!" Yoshio: "If you were coming back here, you should've said so." Inoue: "Hold it. Where are you going?" Kensuke: "The roof." Yoshio: "Hey." Yoshio: "Ignoring me again?" Akechi: "Man, I'm exhausted." Akechi: "It's only my first day back." Akechi: "I think I've done more than enough." Inoue: "Are you sure you want to leave it at that?" Akechi: "I said everything that was on my mind." Inoue: "Don't sleep and eat at the same time." Akechi: "Shut up. This is my office. Inoue, we've got another visitor." Inoue: "Can't you answer it yourself?" : "Maybe we should call this off. What if it's C4 or something?" Akechi: "It's fine." Akechi: "Even if it blows up, he can't die." Inoue: "We still would, though." : "There's nothing fine about it at all!" Inoue: "What is this?" Akechi: "Huh? Let's see." Inoue: "Is it... a toy?" Akechi: "No, it's a coin bank." 20Faces: "Our new playground will be the Kokorogaoka Housing Complex, Akechi-kun." : "That's..." 20Faces: "Let's play with your new toy. I'm sure you must be tired of your old toy by now, right?" Akechi: "Like I said..." Akechi: "It's not a toy." Yoshio: "What the hell are you doing?" Inoue: "Just be quiet." Akechi: "Kobayashi." Yoshio: "Huh?" Akechi: "Would you do me a favor?" Yoshio: "Hey." Yoshio: "Where are you going?" Kensuke: "For a walk." Kensuke: "Huh?" Yoshio: "You're going for a walk, right?" Kensuke: "You don't have to join me." Kensuke: "Did he tell you to keep an eye on me?" Yoshio: "You heard?" Kensuke: "When did you get so attached to Sensei, anyway?" Yoshio: "Huh?" Kensuke: "Just leave me alone." Yoshio: "Leave you alone?" Yoshio: "What are you talking about?" Yoshio: "I don't care what happens to you." Yoshio: "Think I can die?" Kensuke: "Huh?" Yoshio: "I know you're going someplace where there's a case!" Yoshio: "Is it dangerous? Do you think I can die?" Kensuke: "Just give up on that right now." Yoshio: "What? Screw that! You said you'd kill me, didn't you? Didn't you?" Kensuke: "I've got bigger things to worry about right now!" Inoue: "Why did you let him go alone?!" Yoshio: "What?" Inoue: "Didn't Sensei tell you to watch him?!" Yoshio: "Yeah, so I did." Inoue: "Don't split hairs with me!" Yoshio: "Shut your damn mouth." Inoue: "Excuse me?!" Yoshio: "Whether you live or die is your own responsibility. Isn't that the rule?" Akechi: "True, true. Kobayashi's right." : "But shouldn't we follow Hanasaki?" Akechi: "No." Inoue: "Normally, he'd be here by now..." Miyanishi: "Senpai... Hurry up and answer!" Bossa: "Hey, Miyanishi, are you listening?" Miyanishi: "Y-Yes, sir!" Bossa: "Honestly, he really made a mess of things for us." Bossb: "We can't just ignore a hijacked broadcast." Miyanishi: "You know about these guys?" Bossa: "Of course. Even an idiot would notice that wall they built." Bossb: "If they'd just stayed quietly barricaded inside, we could've overlooked this." Bossc: "Any new demands from them?" Bossa: "None yet." Bossd: "Then all we can do is use force, but we can't do that, can we?" Bossc: "Is this really a Public Safety job?" Bossd: "What choice do we have? After the security robot incident, everyone's short-staffed." Bossa: "Shall we send a recon team for now?" Bossb: "I guess all we can do is watch what they do." Miyanishi: "Damn it..." Miyanishi: "What the hell are you doing, Senpai?" Boyfriend: "Is that what you're like on the job?" kamura: "Pretty much." Kensuke: "Hello?" Kensuke: "Yeah, I called earlier." Kensuke: "Is Dad there?" Kensuke: "What? He's busy? You saw the news, didn't you?! Haru-nii is..." Kensuke: "No, listen, Akashi-san..." Kensuke: "Fine. Forget it!" Haruhiko: "Stop crying." Kensuke: "But I can't do it. I can't ride." Haruhiko: "Did it hurt?" Kensuke: "Uh-huh." Haruhiko: "I see. But you know, Kensuke," Haruhiko: "that pain is what makes people stronger." Kensuke: "Stronger?" Haruhiko: "All heroes power up by overcoming pain and suffering." Kensuke: "If I get stronger, will you be happy?" Haruhiko: "Sure." Kensuke: "Dad, too?" Haruhiko: "Of course." Haruhiko: "Whoa... What's the matter?" Kensuke: "If I get stronger, can I stay in this house forever?" Haruhiko: "Kensuke?" Kensuke: "I'm sick of moving to new houses!" Haruhiko: "You don't have to worry about that." Kensuke: "Really?" Haruhiko: "Sure. Trust your big brother." Kensuke: "What the heck is this?" Servanta: "Did you hear about the national mock exams?" Servantb: "I heard! Isn't it amazing? Both of those brothers are so gifted!" Servanta: "It seems Haruhiko-san has started to help with his father's work, too." Servantb: "Already?" Servantb: "The master doesn't waste time, does he?" Servanta: "I guess the Hanasaki family's future is assured." Haruhiko: "How can you say something so cruel?!" Haruhiko: "Returning Kensuke to the orphanage after all this time?" Dad: "This had already been decided when we first brought you two here." Dad: "I've arranged things with the orphanage." Haruhiko: "But..." Dad: "Kensuke is insurance." Haruhiko: "Dad!" Dad: "You just think about your own happiness. You two aren't related, anyway." Haruhiko: "Kensuke is... Kensuke is my brother!" Kensuke: "Haru-nii..." Haruhiko: "You're awake?" Haruhiko: "It's been a long time." Kensuke: "Haru-nii?" Haruhiko: "Kensuke." Kensuke: "Haru-nii!" Haruhuko: "You've grown up." Kensuke: "What have you been doing all these years?! I... I..." Haruhiko: "Still a crybaby, I see." Kensuke: "I'm not crying!" Haruhiko: "Let's go. I'll show you around" Haruhiko: "my country." Haruhiko: "Oh, those are ID tags." Kensuke: "Tags?" Haruhiko: "They identify these people as my family." Haruhiko: "See? You have one, too." Kensuke: "When did you...?" Haruhiko: "Don't. If you take it off..." Haruhiko: "You'll die." Haruhiko: "I'll introduce you to my mother." : "Can we really just let this go? He's an adrenaline junkie! You don't know what he'll do!" Inoue: "Sensei said not to do anything." : "Then you don't care what happens to Hanasaki?!" Inoue: "Don't shout." : "We should at least take the thing Twenty Faces sent us to the police." Inoue: "We'll decide how to deal with everything, including that, on our o—" Akechi: "Oh, morning already?" Inoue: "Kobayashi!" Yoshio: "Leave him be. He'll come back if he wants to." Akechi: "Kobayashi's right." Kensuke: "Use this to find Haru-nii." Akechi: "I told you, I can't." Kensuke: "If it's not enough money, I'll work as many years as it takes to pay. So please..." Akechi: "Sorry. I'm just not feeling this one." Akechi: "It's in pretty poor taste to lie in ambush, kid." Akechi: "Here." Kensuke: "Wait!" Kensuke: "I looked all this time, but I couldn't find him." Kensuke: "Please, help me find Haru-nii..." Akechi: "It's not me you should be asking, but your parents—" Kensuke: "My dad doesn't..." Kensuke: "He doesn't care if Haru-nii is gone! That's why I'm..." Akechi: "I see. Sorry I brought it up." Akechi: "Head home before it gets dark." Haruhiko: "Ah, there you are." Haruko: "Mom, I brought him." Isuzu: "Good work." Isuzu: "Do you like it, Kensuke-kun?" Kensuke: "Huh?" Isuzu: "Haruhiko's and my country." Kensuke: "I wanted Haru-nii to..." Isuzu: "We haven't done anything wrong." Isuzu: "We don't want the life we've finally built in this country to be taken away." Haruhiko: "Mom and I will protect our family together." Kensuke: "Protect them?" Isuzu: "All the people living here have pasts that they cannot speak of." Haruhiko: "They all found their way here by depending on Mom." Isuzu: "If they're run out of their land of repose, they'll revert to their former selves." Kensuke: "Still, there's no way you can keep this up for long." Isuzu: "Don't worry. We've taken the appropriate countermeasures." Kensuke: "Countermeasures?" Isuzu: "Haruhiko." Haruhiko: "Of course, Mom." Haruhuko: "I'm sorry." Kensuke: "Haru-nii?" Isuzu: "Well, that was perfect timing." Isuzu: "Watch closely." Voice: "Warning. Entering the yellow zone is strictly forbidden to any who are not citizens of this borough." Voice: "Entering the yellow zone is strictly forbidden to any who are not citizens of this borough." Haruhiko: "It's coming." Kensuke: "What are you doing?! If you do that..." Haruhiko: "It's all right. They're just warning shots." Kensuke: "Huh?" Voice: "This is a warning. Repeat: This is a warning." Voice: "We cannot guarantee the lives of any who enter the red zone." Haruhiko: "When anyone without a tag comes close, sensors detect them, and the defense system is activated." Isuzu: "That's how it works. Anyone without an ID tag can't even come over the wall. If they still want to die like dogs, they're welcome to come." Kensuke: "Look, you—" Haruhiko: "We want to protect our family." Haruhuko: "You understand, don't you, Kensuke?" Haruhiko: "Kensuke..." Haruhiko: "You like Dad, right?" Haruhiko: "You want to stay here forever, right?" Haruhiko: "It's okay. There's nothing to worry about." Kensuke: "Haru-nii!" Kensuke: "Haru-nii?" Kensuke: "Haru-nii!" Dealer: "Who're you, kid?" Kensuke: "Oh, um... I'm sorry." Buyer: "Hold up." Buyer: "Those are some nice clothes you've got on." Kensuke: "Let me go!" Buyer: "Who's your rich daddy, huh?" Dealer: "He's got electronic money. Even though he's a damn kid." Kensuke: "Give it back! Someone... Someone help!" Buyer: "Shut your mouth!" Akechi: "Where's the fun in hitting a little kid like that?" Dealer: "Who the hell are you?!" Akechi: "My name's worth more than you could afford." Dealer: "What'd you say?!" Akechi: "Now, then..." Akechi: "Let's get home." Akechi: "It's gonna take an hour to get home from here. You got a curfew or anything?" Akechi: "Hey, don't do that. It's gonna look like I'm being mean to you." Kensuke: "Haru-nii was talking to Dad before he left." Kensuke: "Dad told him to think about his own happiness. So why?" Akechi: "I guess leaving home must have been the thing that would make him happy." Kensuke: "Haru-nii was the one Dad picked." Kensuse: "Because I said I wanted to stay there... He..." Akechi: "Well, then, protecting you must have been the thing that would make him happy." Akechi: "That's a pretty cool big brother you've got. If you still want to look for him, I won't stop you," Akechi: "but you'd better become a man he can be proud of first." Akechi: "Head home before it gets dark." Kensuke: "I want to get stronger." Kensuke: "Please be my sensei and make me a strong man! Please!" Haruhiko: "Kensuke." Haruhiko: "Let's be a family again, here in this country." Kensuke: "Haru-nii..." Haruhiko: "I know I can give you happiness now. Much more than the grown-ups around you." Detective: "Call from someone identifying as a representative of the borough!" Akechi: "Yes, this is the Akechi Investigation Firm." Akechi: "Took you long enough, idiot."

Kensuke: "Haru-nii, watch me! I'll make it back to the house without falling!" Haruhiko: "Okay." Haruhuko: "Huh..." Kensuke: "I said watch me!" Haruhiko: "Oh, sorry... But..." Haruhiko: "Look, detectives." Kensuke: "Detectives?" Haruhiko: "They help people who are in trouble." Kensuke: "Haru-nii..." Haruhiko: "We'll never be separated again." Haruhiko: "Come live with me and my family." : "The police have tried to get in twice, but they failed. Now the press and gawkers are swarming around, and the police are pushing them back. Looks like you boys won't be able to get close to the complex without Nakamura-chin's help." Akechi: "Hear that, Nao-chan?" kamura: "Yes, I know. I'll be there in ten minutes." Akechi: "Sorry we had to interrupt your fun." kamura: "Listen, you shouldn't say it that way in front of a child." Inoue: "What's the current situation?" kamura: "There was a call from the person representing the complex. I'll let you know when I find out what he said. And..." : "They fired warning shots at a press helicopter, right?" kamura: "Yes, exactly." Akechi: "Well, that's not nice." : "Check out the news footage. It's pretty heavy stuff." Inoue: "Any word from Hanasaki?" : "No, but his GPS is showing him at the complex." Inoue: "That idiot." Voice: "Entering the yellow zone is strictly forbidden to any who are not citizens of this borough." Old: "Haruhiko-san!" Old: "Dinner's ready!" Haruhiko: "I thought things would work out if I left home." Haruhiko: "It was foolish of me to think that." Haruhiko: "My wallet was empty before I knew it. "Maybe I was wrong..." Just as I had begun to feel that way," Haruhiko: "Mom reached out to me." Haruhiko: "She told me I'd made the right choice." Haruhiko: "I want to protect the family that she made." Kensuke: "Even so..." Kensuke: "One wrong move, and that helicopter would've..." Haruhiko: "I don't like it, either. But it's the only way to protect my family." Kensuke: "You can't keep this up for long." Haruhiko: "It'll be fine. If we conduct ourselves properly, someone is sure to reach out to us." Miyanishi: "Seriously, where are you?" kamura: "I'm on the scene. Where else?" Miyanishi: "You can't act on your own!" kamura: "I'm only making up for lost time." Miyanishi: "You just do whatever you want, don't you?" Officer: "We have another call from their representative!" Boss: "Okay, put them through." kamura: "Miyanishi." Miyanishi: "I know!" Isuzu: "Have you prepared it?" Boss: "You know we can't do that in such a short time!" Isuzu: "Three billion yen isn't really that much, is it?" kamura: "What, so they just want money?" Boss: "Don't be ridiculous!" Isuzu: "Then how about this? We'll let you police take all the credit." Boss: "What do you mean?" Isuzu: "If you give us the money, we'll even pretend to be terrorists." Isuzu: "You can easily take out 317 citizens. Attractive offer, isn't it?" 20Faces: "All done pretending to be a savior?" 20Faces: "Was my present not pleasing to you?" Isuzu: "Of course it was! I can't thank you enou—" 20Faces: "I don't see his." Isuzu: "Huh?" 20Faces: "Haruhiko-kun's passport. You certainly can't say out loud that your conviction and all the people you brought here were mere tools to make a fortune, right?" Isuzu: "Are you angry?" 20Faces: "No, this is as I expected." 20Faces: "Now, the curtain is about to rise." Voice: "Entering the yellow zone is strictly forbidden to any who are not citizens of this borough." Akechi: "Hey, what is this?" Inoue: "Anti-personnel radar." Akechi: "So they attack anyone entering, no matter who it is?" Inoue: "I don't know how it works, but yes." Akechi: "Noro, any luck?" : "No good. It's stand-alone, so I can't do a thing." Inoue: "Then there's only one way: to destroy the power facility on the premises, shut down all systems, and make the residents submit." : "But if you go in, they'll launch a concentrated attack on you." Akechi: "We have the best man for the job, right?" Inoue: "Well... I don't think it's a great idea, but..." Akechi: "Got a better one, then?" Inoue: "No. But Kobayashi is..." Akechi: "Have a little faith in your teammate." Akechi: "Hey, Kobayashi." Akechi: "You still want to die?" Kensuke: "I still think it's wrong! This is just messed up!" Haruhiko: "Messed up? How?" Kensuke: "I'm not really sure, but I just don't like it! This place, and that old lady, too!" Haruhiko: "Did he put some idea in your head?" Kensuke: "Huh?" Haruhiko: "I mean Akechi Kogorou." Kensuke: "What? How do you—" Officer: "Hey! Stop that!" kamura: "This road is closed. Didn't you see the news?" Inoue: "I'm sorry. I know you were enjoying your afternoon." kamura: "Oh, I see." kamura: "Direct this car to an alternate route." Yoshio: "I just need to get inside the wall, right?" Akechi: "I'll give you instructions after that. Keep your phone on." Akechi: "They'll start firing five seconds after the warning announcement. Get over the wall before—" Yoshio: "I heard that already." Akechi: "Hey!" Voice: "Entering the yellow zone is strictly forbidden to any who are not citizens of this borough." Akechi: "Five, four, three, two..." Officera: "What now?!" Officerb: "Report!" Haruhiko: "What's the commotion?" Residenta: "I'll find out!" Haruhiko: "I'll go, too!" Kensuke: "Wait!" Kensuke: "How do you know about Sensei?" Voice: "This is a warning. Repeat: This is a warning." Voice: "We cannot guarantee the lives of any who cross the wall and enter the red zone." Yoshio: "Pretty thin wall." Voice: "Gunfire will commence in ten seconds. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight," Residentb: "Get out of here!" Akechi: "Don't bother with them." Yoshio: "As if I would." Residentb: "Don't ignore us!" Residentc: "We'll shoot! We'll really shoot you!" Voice: "nine, ten." Akechi: "Hey, old man." Akechi: "Where's this little nation's power plant?" Haruhiko: "Vigilante corps, arm yourselves and assemble at Building F. Other citizens, await instructions in your homes." Kensuke: "Hey!" Haruhiko: "Hey, did you hear me?!" Kensuke: "Wait up, would you?!" Haruhiko: "You're being a pest, Kensuke." Kensuke: "But..." Haruhiko: "Your "Sensei" came to see me." Kensuke: "Huh?" Haruhiko: "It was right after I came here." Akechi: "Your little brother's looking for you, Hanasaki Haruhiko-kun." Haruhiko: "I'm..." Isuzu: "There's no one by that name here." Isuzu: "This is my son." Haruhiko: "That's right." Akechi: "I see." Akechi: "Don't even come near him again, then." Haruhiko: "Huh?" Akechi: "Until you cut ties with that shady old hag, don't approach him again." Haruhiko: "What right do you have to..." Akechi: "I won't say it again. Don't let him see how pathetic you look now. Got me?" Kensuke: "What?" Haruhiko: "I repeat. Vigilante corps, assemble at Building F." Kensuke: "Wait, you mean...?" Haruhiko: "Hey! You three!" Akechi: "Right, this is the place." Yoshio: "Yep." Haruhiko: "We need your help, too! There's an intruder—" Residentd: "Help you? Screw that!" Old: "You told us this place would be safe, no matter what!" Residente: "That's why we lived here with you! You liar!" Kensuke: "Haru-nii, we should run, too!" Haruhiko: "Now is the time when the family must come together!" Residente: "Enough with the "family" crap!" Haruhiko: "Wait! I'm not done talking—" Akechi: "Good work." Kensuke: "Come on, it's over already!" Haruhiko: "I have to find Mom." Kensuke: "Haru-nii!" Haruhiko: "I have to save her. I'm sure she's still trying to stop the enemy invasion." Akechi: "Like hell she is." Kensuke: "Sensei!" Akechi: "Too bad for you." Akechi: "You were so close to making a fortune." Isuzu: "What are you talking about?" Akechi: "You'd be better off not resisting." Haruhiko: "Did you call him here, Kensuke?" Kensuke: "Huh?" Haruhiko: "Was this all your doing?" Kensuke: "No!" Haruhiko: "I thought we were family." Kensuke: "Haru-nii!" Akechi: "Hanasaki, take his gun." Akechi: "Hanasaki!" Kensuke: "Why did you shoot him?!" Akechi: "Forget it. Just don't move." Kensuke: "Don't do this!" Akechi: "Out of the way, Hanasaki." Kensuke: "Please, Sensei!" Isuzu: "What are you doing, Haruhiko?" Isuzu: "Shoot him back at once." Akechi: "Don't bother." Akechi: "You've got nothing left to protect." Haruhiko: "This is all..." Haruhiko: "because of you two!" Akechi: "Don't do it." Kensuke: "Haru-nii!" kamura: "Why are you just standing around?" Akechi: "You're ruthless, Nao-chan." Kensuke: "Haru-nii! Haru-nii!" Haruhiko: "...ch... me..." Kensuke: "Huh?" Haruhiko: "Don't... touch me..." Tv: "The Kokorogaoka Housing Complex independence attempt that started with a hijacked broadcast has concluded in half a day after police infiltrated the complex." Inoue: "Is Hanasaki all right?" Akechi: "Oh, he'll probably just get a lecture. Nao-chan's a nice cop." Inoue: "That's not what I meant." Inoue: "For that to happen to the brother he'd been hunting for years..." Yoshio: "Hey." Yoshio: "Can I leave now?" Inoue: "You know you can't." Yoshio: "Why do I have to wait for him, too?" Akechi: "Don't talk like that. You were a major contributor in this case." Yoshio: "C-Contributor?" Akechi: "Inoue, google it for him." Inoue: "I refuse." kamura: "Try not to make so much trouble for us." Akechi: "Sorry about that." Inoue: "We're going now." Inoue: "Hanasaki?" Kensuke: "Apparently Twenty Faces is involved again." Kensuke: "Nakamura-san told me." Akechi: "We don't know how deeply he was involved, though." Kensuke: "Haru-nii said they had a helper." Akechi: "I see." Miyanishi: "A-At any rate, get some rest for today." Kensuke: "Why?" Kensuke: "Why didn't you tell me?" Inoue: "We found out Twenty Faces was involved after you left the office." Kensuke: "Hey, Sensei..." Kensuke: "You knew where Haru-nii was, didn't you?" Kensuke: "If you had told me, this wouldn't have happened!" Akechi: "Then tell me something, too." Akechi: "Are you my client?" Akechi: "I'm asking you if I took a job request from you on that day." Kensuke: "You bastard!" Akechi: "You're full of openings right now." Kensuke: "Shut up!" Miyanishi: "Akechi-san!" Akechi: "Don't I always tell you not to let your emotions rule you?" Kensuke: "All of it... All of it..." Kensuke: "All of it was your fault!" Akechi: "I know it's easier to blame someone else." Inoue: "Sensei, please stop this!" kamura: "Do you realize where you are?" kamura: "Nao-chan, see him home. Sure." Akechi: "Hanasaki, you're banned from detective work for the time being." Akechi: "Cool your head." Kensuke: "I don't need you to tell me that! I won't work under you!" kamura: "Hey, wait! Miyanishi, let's go." Miyanishi: "Huh? Me, too?" Yoshio: "Are you done now?" Yoshio: "Let's go, then." Inoue: "You're such a..." Akechi: "He's right. Let's head home and go to bed. We start early again tomorrow." Inoue: "Tomorrow?" Akechi: "We've got work, you know." Kensuke: "Right here is fine." kamura: "Hey, are you all right?" kamura: "I guess not, huh? Sorry. But you know, he's just looking out for y—" Kensuke: "Bye." kamura: "What? He's a rich boy?" Miyanishi: "Senpai, you really don't know anything about them, do you?" kamura: "Of course I don't." kamura: "If I did, I'd get attached." Akashi: "Welcome home." Kensuke: "Where's Dad?" Akashi: "He had some work that required his attention." Kensuke: "And Haru-nii?" Akashi: "I don't know." Kensuke: "As if he hasn't heard everything already." Akashi: "What would you like to do about dinner?" Akashi: "Shall I bring it to your room?" Kensuke: "Hey, which hospital is it? What happened to Haru-nii?" Akashi: "Kensuke-san." Kensuke: "What's your deal? If it's about dinner, I'm not hungry!" Akashi: "The Hanasaki family has no connection to that incident or the suspects involved in it." Kensuke: "What?" Akashi: "If the press should come here asking questions, you are to answer them in the same way." Kensuke: "Were those Dad's orders?" Akashi: "A change of clothes has been laid out on your bed." Kensuke: "But Haru-nii is—" Akashi: "Please." Akashi: "Remain quiet for a few days." Akashi: "I beg you." Akashi: "We cannot allow any more problems to befall the Hanasaki family." Akechi: "Inoue, how's it going there?" Inoue: "He just arrived at the scene with the third woman." Akechi: "Huh? The third? Damn, he's aggressive." Inoue: "What about there?" Akechi: "Yeah, here... Just got everything cleaned up." Akechi: "Okay, let's head to the next one." Yoshio: "Huh?" Inoue: "You're very devoted to your work lately." Akechi: "Huh? Oh, well, keeping busy prevents overthinking." Akechi: "For you guys, I mean." Akechi: "Good work." Yoshio: "I'm still not dying." Akechi: "Oh, right! Too bad!" Phone: "This customer is currently not available." Phone: "Please leave a message after the tone." kamura: "Hello. Thanks for your help earlier. Kobayashi-kun really saved us. I wasn't sure what would happen when Hanasaki-kun came along, but my stock here in the station has bounced back." kamura: "I want to talk about your commission fee, so call me back. Thanks." Inoue: "Hanasaki?" Yoshio: "Yo." Inoue: "Did you get Sensei's permission?" : "Inoue, grow up." Kensuke: "I just came to get my stuff." Yoshio: "Here." Kensuke: "Huh?" Yoshio: "Eat." Kensuke: "Huh?" Yoshio: "You're hungry, right? Your face is pale." Kensuke: "I don't need any." Yoshio: "You can have one." Kensuke: "I told you I don't need it!" Kensuke: "Don't get all high-and-mighty!" Kensuke: "Just because you got credited for a good job..." : "Hey, you didn't have to put it like that." Yoshio: "Okay. I ate, so I'm going to bed." : "Good work today, Koba-chin!" Kensuke: "You're being pretty nice to Kobayashi." Inoue: "Quit flaring up over every little thing." Kensuke: "You're taking his side, too?" Inoue: "You're the one who brought him into the club." Kensuke: "Oh, yeah. That's right." Yoshio: "What are you muttering about?" Kensuke: "Of course Kobayashi is more handy around here than I am." Yoshio: "Handy?" : "Don't take things out on Koba-chin." Kensuke: "What? You know it's true! Nothing kills him, after all! Right?" Kensuke: "It was the same for me." Kensuke: "I just kept you around for laughs!" Inoue: "Hanasaki!" Kensuke: "So don't get high-and-mighty with me! You damn monster! I shouldn't have even brought you here! I don't even care about you!" Akechi: "Well, aren't you hot stuff?" Akechi: "Is the rich son of the Hanasaki family that big a deal?" Kensuke: "Shut up!" Akechi: "You think when you're hurt, it's okay to hurt someone else?" Akechi: "Is that what a detective does?" Kensuke: "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Kensuke: "Don't make me the bad guy! I... I hate you! I hate all of you!" Inoue: "Hanasaki!" Yoshio: "I'm going to bed." Inoue: "You don't feel anything?" Yoshio: "Huh?" Inoue: "Kobayashi..." Kensuke: "Damn it! Damn it, damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Kensuke: "Screw that jerk!" 20Faces: "That's right." 20Faces: "He is evil."

Young Vash: "Good morning, Jeff." Young Vash: "Good morning, Arthur." Young Vash: "Good morning, Kate." Young Vash: "Good morning, everyone." Rem: "Vash, come back immediately!" Ai: "This is a Level E-3 emergency. Formation maintenance program: phase 5 recalculating. " Ai: "This ship is in free fall. Please evacuate as quickly as possible. " Ai: "Once again, please evacuate as quickly as possible." Young Vash: "She's not here!" Rem: "Vash!" Young Vash: "Nai! Rem!" Young Vash: "What's going on?! Why is the ship in free fall?!" Rem: "Everything's fine. The ship's AI is just exaggerating. Now follow me, you two." Rem: "Get inside. And hurry." Young Vash: "What about everyone still sleeping? They'll be able to escape, right?" Rem: "Of course they will. Now get ready." Young Knives: "You come too, Rem." Rem: "I love you both." Young Vash: "Rem?" Rem: "Vash, Nai... I want you two to survive." Rem: "Meeting you..." Rem: "...has brought me so much joy!" Young Vash: "R-Rem!" Young Vash: "REM!" Radio Host: "The time is now 10:00 AM on the morning of May 25th. This is November Public Broadcasting's satellite news," Radio Host: "where we bring you the latest news from all regions. The JuLai government has announced a new Most Wanted fugitive." Roberto: "JuLai doesn't do that often." Roberto: "Man, what a waste." Radio Host: "He is considered a person of interest in a series of mass murders." Roberto: "You tryin' to die young, newbie?" Meryl: "You shouldn't be drinking while we're working anyway, Roberto." Radio Host: "Any cities with information are asked to reach out." Meryl: "Moreover... My name is not "newbie."" Roberto: "Thanks for the update." Roberto: "Graduated from November University, huh? Pretty elite." Meryl: "Becoming a reporter was my dream." Roberto: "Not much of a dream." Meryl: "Someday I'll be on the news desk—" Roberto: "Wow, I didn't know we had a rising star on this little gossip piece." Roberto: "This is why I didn't want to babysit a newbie." Meryl: "We're on the job. Also, please refer to me by my name. I'm Meryl Stryfe." Roberto: "That so?" Roberto: "Well, let me tell you something, newbie. This scorching planet, Noman's Land," Roberto: "is cruel beyond belief." Roberto: "It's a dog-eat-dog world." Roberto: "You'll find out soon enough. You've got a lot to learn about doing what it takes to survive, young lady." Meryl: "Are you done mocking me?" Roberto: "You're spilling my booze!" Meryl: "Just you wait until I get my big scoop..." Roberto: "Right, sure." Meryl: "I'll be running the news bureau!" Roberto: "Calm down, would you?" Meryl: "Are you listening?" Roberto: "Yeah, yeah." Meryl: "I forgot to charge the battery..." Roberto: "You'll be toast before you know it." Meryl: "I'm thirsty..." Meryl: "Does that "Humanoid Typhoon" or whatever even exist?" Roberto: "You've seriously never heard of him?" Roberto: "If you meet him, you're done for. He's a walking disaster. That's how he got that nickname..." Meryl: "The Humanoid Typhoon." Meryl: "Real people aren't monsters like that. There's no way. But I won't give up, no matter how unreasonable the assignment!" Roberto: "Sure." Meryl: "No matter how long it takes, I'll get my scoop—" Meryl: "Roberto!" Roberto: "That'd be the aftermath." Roberto: "Looks like the work of the Bad Lads Gang." Roberto: "They really did a number on this corpse." Vash: "There it goes." Meryl: "Creepy..." Roberto: "I agree. Let's go." Vash: "Hey, hold on!" Meryl: "But..." Meryl: "We can't just leave him hanging here." Roberto: "Hey..." Vash: "Thank you." Roberto: "Are you a gunman?" Vash: "Yeah, I guess... But I'm not much of a fighter." Meryl: "A gunman who's not a fighter?" Roberto: "Lost technology, eh?" Roberto: "I recognize those uniforms. What are the JuLai military police doing all the way out here?" Meryl: "Military police? They can help us!" Roberto: "Hey!" Meryl: "Over here!" Captain: "Good, a person." Captain: "Have you seen this man around here?" Captain: "Well? Have you, young lady?" Roberto: "What has this man done?" Captain: "Reporters, eh? You must have heard of him, then. They call him the Humanoid Typhoon. He's killed folks all over, and he's running around destroying plants. He's a vicious criminal with a $$6,000,000 bounty on his head." Captain: "So, have you seen him or not?" Meryl: "I saw him!" Meryl: "Over there! He went that way!" Captain: "You should have said so sooner, fool!" Vash: "Thank you!" Meryl: "I'll turn you over to the military police after I get an exclusive interview!" Roberto: "Well done, newbie." Meryl: "My name's Meryl Stryfe. And besides, if he's been falsely accused, it's our job as reporters to clear his name." Vash: "Running into such nice folks... I can't believe my luck! What a blessing!" Meryl: "Oh, don't go flattering me." Roberto: "There's something sketchy about him." Vash: "Why don't we do the exclusive interview at the diner instead of out here?" Meryl: "What?" Vash: "Huh?" Meryl: "There's a diner?" Vash: "Yeah?" Meryl: "Wh-Why didn't you say so earlier?! Is it this way?" Vash: "W-W-W-W-Wait! Not that way!" Meryl: "So is it this way?" Vash: "Er, no..." Meryl: "Then it has to be this way!" Vash: "No, not exactly..." Roberto: "The Humanoid Typhoon, huh?" Meryl: "Is there really a diner?" Roberto: "Vash the Stampede." Vash: "Yes..." Meryl: "Then tell me where it is!" Roberto: "Just who is he?" Meryl: "Damn it!" Meryl: "Water..." Meryl: "The western city of Jeneora Rock." Lady 1: "Oh my." Guy 1: "This ain't a place for kids, little miss!" Meryl: "Water, please." Rosa: "I can't hear you if you don't speak up." Vash: "I figured she'd be here!" Roberto: "This newbie's more trouble than most." Rosa: "Vash!" Vash: "Got a second on the way, Rosa?" Rosa: "Looks like it." Vash: "Where's the hubby?" Rosa: "I kicked his lazy ass out." Vash: "You never change." Meryl: "You two seem pretty close..." Rosa: "He saved the whole town of Jeneora Rock, after all." Meryl: "He did?" Rosa: "And just who are you, exactly? What are you planning to do with Vash? Depending on your answer, things might get bloody." Vash: "They're both friends of mine!" Rosa: "Then what's with the rope around you?" Vash: "What rope?" Rosa: "Fine." Rosa: "You must have a good reason for being with them. What'll it be for the lot of you?" Roberto: "I'll have a whiskey." Meryl: "We're on the job. Three waters, please." Roberto: "Graduates are so uptight." Meryl: "I'll have you know that's what got me good grades at November University..." Roberto: "Newbie..." Rosa: "Sorry it's dirty. Our water-producing plant broke down, so we've been buying it from another town." Rosa: "No one will have clean water for a while." Meryl: "Your plant?" Rosa: "But since you three came around, maybe things are looking up for us." Rosa: "Would you take another look at it, Vash?" Roberto: "Wouldn't have pegged you as a plant engineer." Vash: "I know, right?" Rosa: "It broke down a few years ago as well. Vash fixed it, free of charge." Roberto: "So that's how he saved the town." Roberto: "You know what plants are, I trust, newbie." Meryl: "Of course I do! They're biological generators that produce everything humanity needs to survive on this desert planet. Part of the technology lost after the Spacefaring Age." Roberto: "A textbook answer from Miss Good Grades." Roberto: "We can't build them anymore." Roberto: "If you want one, you have to pay a premium or steal it. Hence why every town keeps tight control of theirs." Meryl: "That one's red..." Vash: "A red plant..." Rosa: "Is that bad?" Vash: "It's dying." Rosa: "What?" Vash: "Buying a new one would cost a fortune." Vash: "But if we do nothing, something even worse will happen." Captain: "So you need a ton of money, do you?" Captain: "We've tracked you down, Humanoid Typhoon!" Rosa: "The JuLai military police?" Captain: "Haven't you heard about the huge bounty on that man's head?" Rosa: "Six million...?" Captain: "Funnily enough, that's just about the cost of a new plant." Captain: "If you turn him in, it'll solve this town's problems." Vash: "I'd really prefer not to fight..." Captain: "Then come along quietly!" Captain: "Tie him up!" Meryl: "This is awful..." Captain: "No one's gonna save you!" Captain: "Six million is worth more to them than your life!" Vash: "Ow... Maybe we could settle this peacefully?" Captain: "Okay, let's take him back to JuLai." Police 2: "What an easy job." Police 3: "On your feet!" Roberto: "Hey, hey, hey now! You sure about this?" Meryl: "Roberto?" Roberto: "This is gonna make a great article." Captain: "You're the reporter from the desert." Roberto: "How about this for a headline? "JuLai Military Police Show Their Weakness, Cowardly Drawing Guns on Unarmed Suspect!"" Meryl: "What? Oh... Right!" Roberto: "If you're a real man, you'll settle this with a duel." Vash: "A duel?!" Meryl: "Great idea!" Roberto: "Otherwise you'll be known as a coward for the rest of your days." Captain: "Enough!" Meryl: "It was a joke! We were just kidding!" Captain: "You're on." Police 2: "Captain!" Police 3: "Are you serious?" Police 3: "A duel?" Vash: "Um..." Townsperson 1: "It's a duel!" Townsperson 2: "I've got 5,000 on Vash!" Townsperson 3: "I'm putting 10,000 on the JuLai guy!" Townsperson 4: "This will be a quick-draw duel! The last man standing wins!" Meryl: "Roberto, I'm not sure a duel was the best idea..." Meryl: "I mean, he seems really bad at this." Roberto: "You don't win a duel by drawing first." Meryl: "Huh?" Roberto: "If you shoot too early or too slow, you lose. Just watch. He might not be as bad as you think." Captain: "Draw." Captain: "Draw!" Vash: "No." Captain: "Draw! This is a duel!" Vash: "I said no." Vash: "This is stupid." Captain: "I suppose you're right." Captain: "It is stupid." Captain: "A fight should be a show!" Police 2: "Captain! Firing a cluster bomb will put us all in danger! We're supposed to capture him alive, Captain!" Police 3: "R-Run!" Captain: "I never wanted to duel you in the first place! Let's enjoy ourselves, Humanoid Typhoon!" Vash: "He's crazy..." Meryl: "That coward!" Roberto: "You've nearly died enough today, newbie. Remember, we're only reporters. We're not military police or bodyguards." Meryl: "But..." Roberto: "You'd do well to remember only the privileged get to sling around the word "coward."" Roberto: "Got that?" Meryl: "Yes." Rosa: "Vash, this way! Hurry!" Vash: "Take cover inside!" Meryl: "He's trying to keep everyone out of harm's way." Roberto: "Acting brave now is pretty foolish." Roberto: "He's like you: not long for this world." Vash: "Huh...? Wait, what? Huh? What...? What? Wh-What?! Huh?! H-H-H-H-Huh?! How the..." Meryl: "Don't tell me..." Vash: "Um, I'm out of bullets." Meryl: "Unbelievable." Captain: "What an idiot!" Vash: "Ammo! Please, I need some ammo! Does anyone have .22 caliber bullets?!" Vash: "Someone! Anyone!" Meryl: "Why isn't anyone helping him?" Meryl: "Huh?" Vash: "Please! I need .22 caliber bullets!" Meryl: "I've got one!" Meryl: "This is from Rosa!" Vash: "Huh?" Meryl: "Hey!" Vash: "My bullet!" Vash: "Gotcha!" Roberto: "Just one bullet?" Meryl: "Not my fault." Vash: "Thank you." Captain: "I don't think so!" Vash: "That's enough!" Captain: "Y-You'll pay for this!" Meryl: "You sure know how to handle a gun." Vash: "Gosh, that sure was a surprise! I wasn't sure one bullet would be enough." Vash: "I'm one lucky duck." Roberto: "Who are you afraid of?" Roberto: "Does it have something to do with that red plant?" Roberto: "You weren't fazed in the least by the military police." Roberto: "So tell me... What does scare you?" Vash: "I have a brother." Young Knives: "A brilliant success! I finally did it!" Young Vash: "How could you?" Young Knives: "Don't worry. I made sure the plant ship would survive." Young Vash: "But you killed even Rem!" Young Knives: "Don't you scold me." Young Knives: "You're my accomplice." Young Knives: "Right, Vash?" Vash: "Millions Knives." Vash: "Have you ever heard that name?" Knives: "So you've found him." Knives: "Take me there to retrieve him." Knives: "They're filthy parasites..." Knives: "And this time, I'll completely eliminate them."

Radio Host: "We have an update on the plant robberies taking place all over the planet." Radio Host: "Sources say the stolen plants are being transported to JuLai. The JuLai government is denying all allegations of involvement. The investigation is ongoing." Zazie: "Who will benefit this planet more? Humans? Or plants?" Zazie: "Which do you think?" Meryl: "Whose side are you on?" Zazie: "Humans really like dividing things into groups." Zazie: "The Worms take no sides. We are the planet." Zazie: "Here's what Knives thinks..." Zazie: "You greedy humans aren't capable of using plants correctly. In fact, you'll devour them just like you did your previous planet, Earth." Zazie: "You know about the Last Run, don't you?" Roberto: "Is that why you're gathering red plants?" Zazie: "Better than wasting them, don't you think?" Zazie: "So, humans or plants? Which will benefit this planet more?" Meryl: "I know we can't keep going the way we are. There are people raising flora, a replacement for plants." Conrad: "You mean Luida. Luida is a geoplant specialist. I'm sure she's pursuing her own way of saving the human race on this planet. I am doing the same." Meryl: "You are? That's not the impression I got." Conrad: "Follow me." Roberto: "Where do you think you're going?" Meryl: "You're not coming?" Roberto: "Is there a clearance sale on your life or something?" Meryl: "This is our chance to find out what Millions Knives is after." Zazie: "Stolen from right under my nose..." Vash: "This is JuLai..." Vash: "It's changed quite a bit." Wolfwood: "JuLai, the third city..." Wolfwood: "A fortified metropolis, largest of the seven cities. Thanks to her monopoly on water-producing plants," Wolfwood: "she can buy up all the bullets she wants." Wolfwood: "I'd call her opulent." Wolfwood: "You dipshit!" Chuck Lee: "I remember you!" Chuck Lee: "Hey! Hold it!" Chuck Lee: "Stop it! Stop right there!" Soldier X: "Halt! Or I'll shoot!" Chuck Lee: "That's right. Be good little boys." Wolfwood: "All right, Officer..." Wolfwood: "What'd we do to deserve this?" Chuck Lee: "Don't play dumb! He's the Humanoid Typhoon. Are you here to destroy this city, too?!" Soldier X: "I won't let you turn JuLai into the next Jeneora Rock!" Vash: "Don't do it, Wolfwood." Wolfwood: "Is now really the time for that?" Soldier X: "My parents were in Jeneora Rock when it happened." Soldier X: "And you... How could you?" Wolfwood: "Hey, Needle-noggin!" Wolfwood: "Hey! Are you okay?!" Chuck Lee: "I-I-I didn't give the order to shoot!" Wolfwood: "Put a sock in it, asshole!" Chuck Lee: "Okay!" Wolfwood: "Tch..." Vash: "Let's go." Wolfwood: "Hey, Needle-noggin!" Soldier B: "After them!" Conrad: "You must have seen the flora and thought, "What a wonderful breakthrough."" Meryl: "I did." Conrad: "But that plan would take an extraordinarily long time to implement. Are you certain mankind would survive until then?" Conrad: "Luida's ambition of changing the environment is admirable. But time is of the essence. We don't have the luxury of exploring alternatives." Roberto: "And so what's your answer, then?" Conrad: "Humanity." Title: "#10 Humanity" Conrad: "Requiring neither food nor drink, capable of withstanding the temperature differential of the desert... My goal was a new breed of humanity." Meryl: "You... operate on people here?" Conrad: "You've seen them." Conrad: "E. G. the Mine. Monev the Gale. Livio the Double Fang." Roberto: "And Nicholas." Meryl: "What? The undertaker?" Conrad: "Yes, Nicholas the Punisher." Conrad: "He, too, is my creation." Wolfwood: "Hanging around you is gonna get me killed." Vash: "Sorry." Wolfwood: "You turn into a deer the moment you're up against humans." Vash: "I'm sorry. But thank you." Wolfwood: "Huh?" Vash: "You didn't kill them." Wolfwood: "How could I? You took off without me." Wolfwood: "Get yourself patched up already! Or are you gonna fart around till you pass out?" Vash: "Got it." Wolfwood: "Needle-noggin..." Wolfwood: "Those scars..." Vash: "Oh, how embarrassing." Vash: "Ow..." Wolfwood: "So that's the price you pay for saving everyone." Wolfwood: "It's not hard to imagine how people have treated an aberration like you." Wolfwood: "I can't understand why you want to help humans so much. How do you even put up with 'em?" Vash: "My body moves before I can think." Vash: "I can't abandon anyone who's in tight spot." Vash: "That includes you." Wolfwood: "So you figured me out." Wolfwood: "Did you think sacrificing yourself will make everyone happy?" Meryl: "How awful..." Conrad: "They were all doomed to die of illness or poverty." Conrad: "I saved lives and gave purpose to ordinary folk who had none." Roberto: "You kidnapped orphans and sick people to toy with them." Meryl: "He's right!" Conrad: "I did nothing to demean them!" Roberto: "Yeah, I bet. You seem even more uptight than you look." Roberto: "Want a sip?" Conrad: "My surgeries helped make them tougher." Conrad: "But that was all. They still hungered and thirsted. They were failures." Conrad: "Nothing like Millions Knives, the Independent plant..." Conrad: "The ultimate life-form." Conrad: "So if we cannot patch people together, we must alter them before birth. Thus, with help from Knives and the study of lab-grown clones," Conrad: "we created this child." Meryl: "How could you..." Conrad: "But its power level is only around that of a supply gate." Conrad: "The child neither human nor plant." Meryl: "But can't you see these kids are already born?" Conrad: "I just want you to understand..." Conrad: "that this is for the future of mankind on this planet." Meryl: "What arrogance..." Conrad: "If that's what you think, young lady, you may kill me right here and now." Conrad: "You will get what you want and save a few lives, yes. But at the same time, you'll be killing countless possibilities." Conrad: "Both Knives and I are looking much further ahead into the future. It's a lonely job, but it must be done." Conrad: "For the sake of creating a new human race, I would pay any price. Even if that must be one of the twins." Roberto: "Nonsense. You think you're gonna save the world?" Roberto: "What's more important than how you feel seeing these kids right here in front of you?" Meryl: "I pity them..." Elendira: "Who are you to pity me?" Elendira: "That's why I hate humans." Elendira: "You only ever judge by what you can see." Conrad: "Stop it, Elendira!" Elendira: "Silence!" Roberto: "H-Hey!" Roberto: "Wow, it worked." Roberto: "What did I tell you?!" Meryl: "I'm sorry!" Roberto: "Always sticking your nose into trouble..." Meryl: "I'm sorry!" Roberto: "If I get hurt and worker's comp doesn't cover it, you're on the hook!" Meryl: "I'm sorry!" Roberto: "That doc is crazy." Roberto: "This is a trap. They're trying to lure Vash here." Meryl: "We have to let him know!" Meryl: "Please hurry! Hurry!" Elendira: "Found you." Elendira: "Oh, no! You would kill a pitiful creature like me? How cruel! Horrible! Awful!" Elendira: "See? Always judging by looks. You're all driven by discrimination." Roberto: "You monster." Elendira: "Monster? Did you just call me a monster?" Elendira: "You should really... speak for yourself." Roberto: "We're almost there. Just gotta survive until the elevator comes." Meryl: "Huh?" Roberto: "We run on the count of three. One, two..." Roberto: "Three!" Meryl: "Vash?!" Vash: "Quickly now, you two!" Roberto: "Took you long enough!" Elendira: "Punisher!" Roberto: "Jeez, talk about in the nick of time." Meryl: "Phew, we're safe. But how did you..." Roberto: "Call it a hunch." Meryl: "Don't go, Vash! It's a trap!" Elendira: "Ouch! Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Oh, the pain..." Wolfwood: "That's pathetic, you dummy." Elendira: "I hate you!" Wolfwood: "Well, the feeling's mutual. Maybe we'll get along after all." Elendira: "We will not, you jerk! Just get out of here." Wolfwood: "Yeah, yeah." Vash: "Does it hurt? Your injury..." Elendira: "Don't touch me, scum! You traitor! You don't even know how much Lord Knives..." Wolfwood: "Hey, Needle-noggin! Leave the little creep alone. Let's scram." Meryl: "Come on, Roberto! We have to go after them and..." Roberto: "Goodness gracious..." Roberto: "Looks like I messed up." Meryl: "No!" Roberto: "Maybe I had a bit too much to drink." Roberto: "Keep your hands to yourself. It hurts enough." Meryl: "But... But the bleeding..." Roberto: "Pass me my booze." Meryl: "This is no time for that!" Roberto: "Will you ever get off my case? Good grief." Roberto: "If I drink, it might just come out the hole in my gut." Meryl: "This is all my fault..." Roberto: "Yeah." Roberto: "You limited what I can drink, so..." Roberto: "Damn, my head's too clear for this." Roberto: "Take this." Meryl: "No! I can't leave you!" Roberto: "You listen here. You're in charge from now on. Follow your heart." Meryl: "No." Roberto: "You can run if you want. Well?" Roberto: "Meryl Stryfe." Roberto: "I... was just unlucky..." Meryl: "I'm sorry..." Wolfwood: "Not wanting to kill anyone..." Wolfwood: "That's just a coward's idealism. Even a kid could tell you that." Wolfwood: "Folks only get to live 'cause other people die. That's the world we live in." Wolfwood: "I don't have the luxury of being afraid to make tough decisions." Wolfwood: "I have to choose." Wolfwood: "In order to protect the things that are dear to me." Wolfwood: "So I'll do anything I have to." Wolfwood: "As a guide." Vash: "For the orphanage?" Wolfwood: "What a load of babysitting this job turned out to be. Dragging someone so eager to die all the way out here alive..." Wolfwood: "But it's done now." Vash: "Wolfwood." Vash: "Thanks for everything." Knives: "One of our brethren from back then. I keep her here as a warning for myself." Vash: "The humans aren't exploiting them because they want to." Knives: "What did you come all the way out here for?" Vash: "To take back the plants." Vash: "And not just that." Vash: "The rash of robberies everywhere... That was you, Nai, wasn't it?" Knives: "What an accusation." Knives: "All I'm doing is rescuing our brethren who've been discriminated against and oppressed." Vash: "We can coexist with humans too, Nai!" Knives: "Vash!" Knives: "You don't want to save the humans because you love them." Knives: "You just want to make up for causing the crash 150 years ago." Conrad: "Your contract is complete. Take this." Wolfwood: "What good is this piece of paper supposed to do?" Wolfwood: "I'll never forget what you did to me. Or to Livio." Conrad: "Nicholas, were you able to lay down your cross?" Wolfwood: "What about you?" Younger Conrad: "I can't believe it! Nai?! You survived the crash... the Big Fall?" Teenage Nai: "Long time no see, Count Lebnant Vasques. Or should I say... Researcher Bill Conrad?" Teenage Nai: "You choose. Join the trash heap of hundreds of thousands perished..." Teenage Nai: "Or live and atone for the Sinners' transgressions." Younger Conrad: "Where did those eyes... Forgive me." Younger Conrad: "What I have done to you... cannot be undone..." Conrad: "My atonement is unending." Knives: "No matter how much you try to atone, the humans will never forgive you. No matter how much you fool yourself, in their eyes, you're still a monster." Vash: "I know humans make sacrifices in order to live," Vash: "but they're trying to move forward. I want to believe in them." Knives: "I feel sorry for you. You're sick." Knives: "I'll put you out of your misery." Knives: "I will remake you." Knives: "To be more like me... The perfect Independent!" Vash: "Don't, Nai!"

Meryl: "Undertaker! Where's Vash?" Wolfwood: "That's none of my business anymore." Meryl: "Huh?" Meryl: "Stop playing around." Wolfwood: "What?" Meryl: "Where is Vash?" Wolfwood: "I'm tellin' you, I don't know. Maybe Knives is turning him into a mummy or something." Wolfwood: "What was that for?" Meryl: "I'm so disappointed in you." Wolfwood: "Huh?" Wolfwood: "Who does she think she is?" Knives: "Don't panic, Vash." Knives: "Now, let's begin." Conrad: "Initial connection complete. Vitals are stable. Looks like the connection was a success. At last, a hundred years of my research bears fruit..." Meryl: "Stop this." Meryl: "I mean it." Conrad: "You won't shoot me." Conrad: "It's bulletproof glass. Besides... Forcefully severing the connection now would be fatal." Meryl: "What are you trying to do?" Conrad: "The plants are just husks." Conrad: "Their true being is located elsewhere. Not here, but an alternate dimension. A higher plane." Conrad: "That's where the energy we consume from plants originates." Conrad: "Plants are merely windows that connect the two dimensions." Meryl: "So what do you want?!" Conrad: "Why do you think the twins are the only ones with their own will? I hypothesize that the key difference between the plants and Independents is the existence of a soul." Conrad: "In order to give the plants souls, we must connect to the core." Meryl: "What core?" Conrad: "The manifestation of the beginning and the end. The source of all matter and energy. Access the core. Give plants souls. That is my objective." Meryl: "Are you saying... you intend to make every plant on this planet an Independent?" Vash: "This place..." Knives: "Curious this is the first memory I come to." Vash: "What do you mean?" Knives: "Do you remember what I vowed that day?" Knives: "I've done it. I found the way to free them." Knives: "To make it happen, I need your help. Come. Let us save our brethren together." Vash: "You know why humans abuse plants? Because they crashed on this barren planet. It's our fault!" Knives: "I see." Vash: "Then be crucified on behalf of the Sinners, as you wish!" Meryl: "If all the plants become Independent, humanity won't survive!" Conrad: "We're already in the process of a slow suicide. Plant Independence is the only way to reverse that." Conrad: "Vash's "window" is special. He's the only one able to take from and send to the higher dimension." Meryl: "He'd never agree to something like this!" Conrad: "That is why he shall be remade." Meryl: ""Remade"?" Conrad: "Second connection successful." Conrad: "We can now interfere with every plant using Vash as a window. This is the point of no return." Meryl: "Vash! Snap out of it!" Meryl: "Vash!" Conrad: "Initializing assimilation, absorption, awakening, and memory manipulation." Meryl: "Memory manipulation?" Conrad: "Knives." Knives: "It's going well. I'm heading deeper now." Knives: "Soon, you won't recognize anything. Not me, not the world..." Knives: "Nothing." Wolfwood: "I owe you one." Wolfwood: "Gotta make a choice, huh?" Rosa: "Leave this town!" Tonis: "You said you'd save us." Vash: "Tonis..." Rollo: "You said you'd save us." Vash: "Rollo!" Wolfwood: "You want us to live on, even if it's as monsters?" Wolfwood: "How could you be so irresponsible? You can't even take care of us." Wolfwood & Knives: "Kill him. Put him out of his misery." Monev: "Kill..." Monev: "Kill...!" Vash: "No, Rollo." Vash: "That's enough!" Knives: "You're no hero who'll save everyone." Knives: "You're just a coward who can't stand to watch anyone die." Vash: "Where am I?" Vash: "My hand..." Vash: "This isn't real! It's a dream you're showing me... It's fake!" Vash: "I have to get out of here." Vash: "I have to find the exit." Conrad: "Synchronization at 40 percent and climbing." Knives: "I won't let you get away, Vash." Vash: "This is..." Young Nai: "That's right. It's the Big Fall." Young Nai: "What will they think once they learn it was your fault?" Young Nai: "Don't you worry." Young Nai: "They're just feeble creatures that don't even live for a century. Now forget." Young Nai: "Let go and relax." Vash: "Who were they again...?" Conrad: "Synchronization at 70 percent. Seventy, eighty... What speed!" Meryl: "What's going on?" Meryl: "These are... They're like the flora!" Conrad: "What is this, Knives?" Knives: "Don't panic." Young Nai: "Release your powers, Vash! Let's remake the world!" Conrad: "Synchronization at 90 percent..." Conrad: "Progress has stalled?" Young Nai: "That woman..." Young Nai: "There you are!" Young Nai: "Rem Saverem!" Conrad: "Love for humanity versus..." Conrad: "love for a younger brother." Conrad: "It will determine the fate of the world." Shopkeeper: "Quite an appetite you've got there. You on your way home?" Chuck Lee: "Nope." Shopkeeper: "I see." Soldier 11-A: "Haven't you heard? The Humanoid Typhoon snuck into the city." Shopkeeper: "What? No way." Soldier 11-B: "That's why we're working all night." Meryl: "Vash!" Meryl: "Don't get taken in! Wake up!" Young Vash: "A "flower"?" Rem: "Yes. This one's a geranium. There were lots of other flowers back on Earth, too." Young Vash: "Can you eat it?" Rem: "Not this kind, I'm afraid." Young Nai: "So it's ornamental, right, Rem? Just like the one in the plant room." Rem: "That's right, Nai. You're very observant." Young Vash: "Too bad it's not edible..." Young Nai: "You're always thinking about eating." Young Vash: "Well, sorry that's all I'm good for." Young Nai: "That's not what I said." Young Vash: "It's what you meant!" Young Nai: "What was that?" Rem: "Gosh, you're always bickering. Nai, just because you're the one with special powers—" Young Nai: "Yeah, yeah. It doesn't mean I should show off, right?" Rem: "The power you received is wonderful, but promise me this. When everyone wakes up from cryosleep—" Young Nai: "Never show it to anyone but you." Rem: "And even if you don't need to—" Young Nai & Rem: "Pretend to eat and drink." Young Nai: "I know." Young Nai: "You should be more worried about Vash. At this rate, he'll really just be a human." Rem: "That's fine. There's no need to compare yourself to anyone else. You are who you are, and that's all you need to be." Rem: "You too, Nai. Come here." Rem: "Powers or no powers, both you boys are still precious to me." Rem: "I love you." Vash: "This must have meant something to you, too." Knives: "You really think so?" Young Vash: "This is bad, Nai." Young Nai: "You have to be wondering what Rem is hiding, too." Young Nai: "Me?" Young Vash: "And me, too." Young Nai: "Project Code "Type T"?" Young Nai: "Another Independent like us was born on this ship... Fifty years ago." Young Vash: "The records are being kept... here?" Young Vash: "H-Huh?" Young Nai: "What?" Rem: "Nai! Vash!" Vash: "I know that humans did terrible things to her." Vash: "I understand why you'd hate them." Vash: "But even so..." Knives: "You still don't get it? That was but one grain of sand." Young Nai: "Humanity repeats the same tragedies." Young Nai: "They deplore conflict, yet no era is ever free from war." Young Nai: "History is proof." Young Vash: "Reading that again?" Young Nai: "Humanity never learns." Young Vash: "That's not true." Young Vash: "Rem told me. When we were born, she vowed never to let that tragedy occur again." Young Vash: "So... let's have faith in humanity." Knives: "Without any powers, you're too weak to live as a plant. That's why you craved the love of humans over all else. You needed to smile, show your charm, and behave like a harmless pet." Knives: "You'll never find happiness that way. I had to protect you. That's why I crashed the ships." Vash: "It's my fault?" Knives: "I did it all for you." Knives: "This is it! The final memory..." Conrad: "Synchronization at 99 percent." Meryl: "Please, make it stop! It's not too late!" Conrad: "It is indeed too late. About 150 years too late." Meryl: "Vash!" Meryl: "Artillery fire?" Soldier 11-C: "A giant unknown organism has appeared in the central tower! Need backup!" Chuck Lee: "What is that thing?" Conrad: "We're so close..." Knives: "That woman was the cause of all the confusion." Knives: "What you tried to believe was love, Vash, was just a bunch of excuses." Knives: "Mere silly fantasies." Vash: "No! Rem!" Vash: "Please! Don't leave me!" Knives: "I'll save you." Conrad: "Synchronization at 100 percent. Memory manipulation and assimilation complete." Knives: "I've finally got him back!" Knives: "Happy birthday, Vash." Conrad: "Third connection successful." Conrad: "That's..." Conrad: "the entrance to the higher plane!" Soldier: "This is the Third City JuLai to the Alliance of Cities! Request immediate assistance!" Knives: "Flaming arrows will vaporize the cities, and a flood will purify the lands..." Knives: "Today is the battle of Har Megiddo." Knives: "I'm going to enter the higher plane and directly touch the core." Conrad: "Be careful, Knives." Meryl: "You're..." Conrad: "It's been a long journey." Conrad: "Until Knives realized his wishes, I was not even permitted death." Conrad: "But it'll all be over soon." Knives: "The human race and its zealous assertion of dominance ends here." Knives: "We Independents..." Knives: "will bring a new order to this world!"

Young Vash: "A space colony...? Emigrants...?" Rem: "That's right, Vash. We left Earth two hundred years ago in search of a new home." Young Nai: "Like a Western... Life on the frontier!" Young Vash: "Huh?" Young Nai: "Where cowboys stand up for their friends and beat the bad guys! Bang, bang!" Young Vash: "I don't like that stuff." Rem: "Look, you two." Rem: "Project Seeds means hope, a future for humanity and plants." Young Vash: "How come we're the only ones who can live outside the casings?" Rem: "Here's what I think. Maybe you two are gifts sent by God to act as a bridge between humans and plants." Young Nai: "Like angels." Young Vash: "I wonder if we can get along with humans." Rem: "Don't worry. No matter what happens, I will protect you." Rem: "Always." Knives: "We the Independents will bring a new order to this world. It's the birth of a new world!" Radio Host: "This is a Satellite News Flash from November Public Broadcasting! The unknown object that suddenly appeared in central JuLai is continuing to grow at an astounding pace!" Wolfwood: "It's the end of the world." Conrad: "Knives has gone to the other side of the gate." Meryl: "The other side of the gate?" Conrad: "A realm in the higher dimension that we cannot possibly fathom. There, he will connect directly with the plant core. He will artificially impregnate all of the plants and create new Independents, similar to how he and Vash were born." Conrad: "Then he will wipe out humanity and create a new world." Meryl: "Are you saying he's going to kill us if this goes on?" Meryl: "Wake up, Vash!" Conrad: "I already told you that he's no longer the Vash the Stampede you knew." Conrad: "Accept it." Conrad: "The gate is already open, with Vash as the hub." Conrad: "The only way to close it now would be to destroy the gate itself." Conrad: "In other words, to kill Vash." Meryl: "That can't be..." Knives: "I made it." Knives: "I can feel it!" Knives: "This is the power that was inside you all this time." Knives: "Now, let us begin!" Soldier Radio: "This is JuLai requesting backup from the Alliance of Cities!" Soldier 12-A: "What's going on?!" Soldier 12-B: "There's no end to it!" Zazie: "You're not going to run? At this rate, the twins will take the whole planet." Wolfwood: "It's not every day I get to see you flustered. Things not going to plan?" Zazie: "It's really too bad. If you had a network of your own, you could've made death obsolete." Wolfwood: "Humans aren't like Worms." Zazie: "And I reckon this'll be the end of you." Wolfwood: "For cryin' out loud." Meryl: "The only one who can stop Millions Knives is..." Conrad: "He has been reborn. As a plant." Conrad: "Human words mean nothing to him anymore." Conrad: "But what is he trying to start?" Conrad: "You must run! It'll swallow you up!" Meryl: "Don't you give up now!" Meryl: "You're the only one who can stop Millions Knives! Come on... Vash!" Meryl: "I know you can hear me, Vash!" Conrad: "She doesn't know when to quit." Knives: "Pathetic. A parasite feeding off our brethren." Knives: "This power belongs to us." Knives: "I won't let any human have it!" Meryl: "Vash!" Meryl: "Vash!" Young Nai: "What's that song?" Young Vash: "It just comes to me. It calms me down when I'm nervous. I feel like I know it from long ago." Young Nai: "Hm..." Young Vash: "Say, Nai, do you think we can get along with humans?" Young Nai: "Don't worry. No matter what happens, I will protect you." Rem: "Vash." Rem: "Vash..." Young Nai: "I will protect you." Young Vash: "No..." Young Vash: "No! You're not the one who said that!" Young Vash: "The person who said that to me is..." Young Nai: "Vash." Young Nai/Knives: "You'll be so much happier if you stay here." Young Nai/Knives: "Don't go. Don't go!" Young Nai/Knives: "Vash! Stop!" Rem: "Vash... Vash..." Rem: "Vash..." Rem: "Vash." Rem: "Vash." Teenage Vash: "Wait!" Teenage Vash: "Please wait!" Vash: "Rem!" Rem: "I'm sorry I left you all alone." Rem: "But I'm glad to know I've lived on inside you all this time." Rem: "Thank you for protecting my dreams and my hopes..." Rem/Meryl: "Vash." Meryl: "Vash? Vash... Vash!" Conrad: "What?" Conrad: "The power... It's flowing in reverse!" Knives: "I was rejected!" Knives: "What's going on, Doctor?!" Conrad: "The gate is closing... The energy from the higher plane is converging." Meryl: "Vash..." Knives: "So you think you've outplayed me?" Knives: "Pathetic human!" Vash: "Thank you, Meryl." Vash: "I heard your voice, too." Conrad: "He's controlling that huge mass by himself?" Meryl: "Vash..." Knives: "Vash..." Vash: "Nai." Vash: "Your plan has failed." Vash: "Now let's end this." Knives: "It's not over. I won't let it be! Give that to me! Vash!" Knives: "Take me there again!" Knives: "Back to the higher dimension!" Conrad: "It didn't converge? He refined it on a molecular level? He broke it into countless particles, smaller than air, and crystallized it... But that won't last long!" Vash: "I need to get this someplace far away right now!" Knives: "Do you know what that is, Vash?!" Meryl: "Vash!" Conrad: "Wait!" Meryl: "U-Undertaker!" Wolfwood: "I'm just here to pay up for the cigarettes." Wolfwood: "Whoa!" Wolfwood: "What kind of idiot challenges Millions Knives like that?" Wolfwood: "He's way out of our league. Time to skedaddle!" Knives: "Do you see now? Our powers are on a whole different level. You think those puny humans could ever accept that?!" Knives: "They'll never allow those who threaten them to survive! You can bet they'll hunt us down in a frenzy!" Meryl: "Ugh..." Knives: "Give it to me!" Soldier 12-C: "There he is! It's the Humanoid Typhoon!" Vash: "Soldiers?! It's not safe here! You have to get away!" Vash: "Please, listen to me!" Vash: "It's not safe. You need to run." Vash: "You're in danger!" Soldier 12-D: "Don't let him get away! Open fire!" Soldier 12-E: "If you hadn't shown up, nobody would have died!" Soldier 12-F: "How many cities will you destroy before you're done?!" Soldier 12-G: "Humanoid Typhoon!" Vash: "Run. Please run. You have to flee!" Knives: "It's like I already told you." Knives: "Our powers are too great. Humans will never understand." Knives: "They're neither friends nor family." Knives: "They are our enemies." Vash: "You're wrong. I... We can... We can get along!" Knives: "Your own actions contradict you!" Vash: "I know I'm contradicting myself." Vash: "But even so, I won't give up until they believe in me. I'll do whatever it takes! I'll do everything I can!" Meryl: "I knew it." Meryl: "Vash is trying to release the energy into outer space." Wolfwood: "What? But if he does that..." Wolfwood: "it'll blast him to pieces!" Knives: "Releasing it into space? I won't let you!" Knives: "Doctor! Cut off the lab! Let them free!" Vash: "Let go, Nai! I can't hold it anymore! At this rate, it'll be the whole planet, including the plants!" Conrad: "What are you going to do, Knives? The gate is closed. I can't send you back to the plane!" Knives: "I'll push this energy back into Vash! I'll pry open the entrance to the higher dimension again!" Knives: "Vash! I'm telling you to hand it over!" Knives: "We're out of time!" Knives: "Listen to me, Vash! This is a war! Let's gather our allies, break free from the humans, and create a paradise for us Independents! It's the only way!" Vash: "Since when have we been so different?" Knives: "What are you talking about?" Knives: "You saw for yourself how they're running our brethren red and killing them off!" Knives: "The humans will never understand our Independence. They only see us as slaves!" Vash: "That's not true!" Knives: "Wake up, Vash! What's changed since that day a hundred years ago?" Vash: "You're wrong." Knives: "How long will you remain the hunted?!" Vash: "Even if they hunt me, I'll just run away! I'll run, run, run, and keep running as far as I have to!" Vash: "And when things calm down, I'll quietly settle by their side again." Vash: "I'm Vash the Stampede." Knives: "After more than a century..." Knives: "that's the best answer you could come up with?!" Vash: "Let go! I can't contain it any longer!" Vash: "Stop!" Vash: "You'll die!" Knives: "What are you talking about, Vash?" Knives: "Nai is dead." Knives: "You killed him." Knives: "Give it to me!" Knives: "Take me back..." Vash: "Please stop, Nai!" Knives: "I'll do it." Knives: "I will create it!" Vash: "Nai!" Knives: "No fear. No pain. No humiliation. I'll win a place for us..." Knives: "A paradise... for us..." Vash: "Nai!" Vash: "Nai!" Radio Host: "It's been two years since that fateful July 21st. A crowd has gathered at what used to be the third city of JuLai to pay their respects. Even after two years, the pain of losing their loved ones has yet to heal. The suspect said to have murdered 90 percent of the city, also known as the Humanoid Typhoon, still remains at large." Radio Host: "That demon turned the whole city into a gaping crater overnight. There is no forgetting the sorrow of loved ones taken from you. The Alliance of Cities has raised the bounty on Vash the Stampede to $$60 billion, the highest in history..." Zazie: "I truly don't comprehend. Turning Vash the Stampede into a villain?" Meryl: "You're from the Worms..." Zazie: "Thanks to the twins, a bridge was cast across the void." Zazie: "I'm here to give a warning. Very soon, they'll arrive, crossing over the wall of light. From Earth." Zazie: "We'll always be watching you." Meryl: "Wait, what..." Boss: "Where are you, Stryfe?!" Meryl: "Umm... JuLai." Boss: "Keep acting up like this, and they'll send you off to the Insurance Society!" Meryl: "The Insurance Society?" Boss: "Stop by headquarters. They're assigning you a newbie." Meryl: "To me?" Boss: "Some weirdo who wants to be under you, of all people." Meryl: "A newbie..." Boss: "I think her name's... Tom? Thompson? Milly Thompson or something like that." Meryl: "I see." Boss: "Hey, are you listening? Hey!" Boss: "Hey, Stryfe?" Meryl: "Heya, newbie!" Lina: "Remember anything yet?" Lina: "It's okay if you don't." Lina: "Seems like you've been through a lot." Lina: "It's all right. You're safe here. Okay..." Lina: "Eriks?" Male Voice: "Project Pieces of Earth now entering phase two. Drain gate deployment complete. Releasing experimental warp drive craft." Chronica: "Wait." Male Voice: "Suspending countdown. Locking command. Cutting power to spheres one through four." Chronica: "Place interface changes on the Z axis. Amplify 2.7 million times. I see a fluctuation in the gate." Male Voice: "A... fluctuation?" Chronica: "We're receiving something via subspace. Give me readings from the entire solar system." Male Voice: "Understood. Right away, Special Ops Lieutenant Colonel Independent Chronica." Chronica: "The noise is from..."

Young Vash: "Good morning, everyone." Ai: "This is a Level E-3 emergency. This ship is in free fall." Young Vash: "Nai! Rem!" Rem: "Get inside. And hurry." Young Vash: "Rem?" Rem: "Meeting you... ...has brought me so much joy!" Young Vash: "Rem!" Young Vash: "REM!" Young Naives: "A brilliant success! I finally did it!" Young Naives: "You're my accomplice..." Young Naives: "Vash." Radio Host: "There's nothing on this planet. No water. No food. Without plants, our ancestors would have gone straight to heaven. "We would've been better off that way"? Right on! Was surviving in this hellscape really a stroke of good fortune? Or should we be pitied for our bad luck? Anyway, here's a tune..." Op Lyrics: "My tears scattered like bits of paper Scared of the unknowable tomorrow I lived the same day over and over, back and forth But a new morning never came All the reasons to calm down Are just some moments until the crash I’m no longer the one that everyone knows Took off the fragile armor I don’t want to lose any more love I don’t want to lose any more love There’s still no line between today and tomorrow My waking nightmare doesn’t end And yet I won’t lose hope And yet there’s no night that doesn’t end Not here, not here" Radio Host: "Late last night, two dangerous criminals escaped the May City Prison! These criminals, known as the Nebraskas, were convicted of 69 counts of manslaughter and twelve counts of attempted murder." Bargoer 2-A: "That's nearby!" Bargoer 2-B: "How disturbing." Meryl: "So what you're saying is that... you're not the person running around stealing plants all over the planet." Meryl: "And the real culprit is your twin brother who looks exactly like you." Roberto: "A different man with the same face, huh? Sounds a bit too convenient." Meryl: "There's no proof, either." Roberto: "In other words, we can't just take you at your word." Meryl: "You can't cry your way out of this." Roberto: "So, this brother... "Knives" was it? What does he want with the plants anyway?" Meryl: "Is it about money? Or maybe honor?" Roberto: "Could it be revenge?" Roberto: "What's up, kiddo?" Vash: "Are those for me?" Vash: "Thanks, Tonis. I'll take good care of them." Meryl: "Oh, what a heartwarming scene..." Roberto: "Like you're even looking." Meryl: "Is he gone?" Roberto: "Not yet." Rosa: "Tonis! How many times do I have to tell you not to bring Worms into the diner?!" Rosa: "You stay outta here for a while!" Meryl: "You didn't have to go that far." Rosa: "Now then..." Rosa: "Real sorry about this, Vash." Title: "#02 The Running Man" Rosa: "Don't let him get away!" Townsperson 2-A: "This way!" Townsperson 2-B: "He's here!" Townsperson 2-C: "Over here!" Vash: "Oh dear." Townsperson 2-D: "Got him!" Meryl: "Vash!" Meryl: "Now!" Roberto: "Yeah, yeah." Roberto: "What the hell is going on?" Meryl: "You're heavy..." Vash: "That's what I'd like to know." ebraska: "What's wrong with this hunk of junk?!" Soldier 2-A: "All the cars out here are like this." ebraska: "For crying out loud! I can't have my son turning stupid on me!" Soldier 2-A: "If you wanted better stuff, you should've gone to a big city like JuLai." ebraska: "I think I will, thank you very much. Right after we catch this loser and get our six million! Seriously, what a dumb face..." ebraska: "He's got to be an easy catch, Gofsef!" Vash: "Why'd they use this photo?" Roberto: "Is that really the issue?" Townsperson 2-E: "So those journalists were part of his gang?" Townsperson 2-F: "Whatever. We'll just catch them all." Townsperson 2-G: "We can demand a higher bounty for 'em." Roberto: "Great idea, trying to save this guy." Meryl: "I'm sorry." Roberto: "If you could actually put up a fight, this would be a lot easier." Vash: "What? You wanna have a shoot-out? Come on..." Meryl: "Don't tell me you forgot to load up on ammo again." Vash: "No, I made sure I brought plenty today. But I'd rather not use them. Bullets are pretty pricey." Meryl: "You could get locked up!" Vash: "But one bullet is worth two whole slices of pizza!" Roberto: "We're as good as dead." Vash: "Hey, hey! Come on! We just have to get out of town, right?" Townsperson 2-H: "I see him!" Townsperson 2-I: "Hey, someone saw him!" Townsperson 2-J: "Found him!" Townsperson 2-K: "Come on!" Townsperson 2-L: "That's a dead end!" Townsperson 2-M: "Damn it, he got us." Townsperson 2-N: "Find him!" Rosa: "Vash." Rosa: "Don't make this any harder." ebraska: "I'm looking forward to this. Aren't you, Gofsef?" Soldier 2-A: "Looks like someone already caught him." ebraska: "What?!" ebraska: "Whatever! We'll steal him from them! Run them over!" Soldier 2-A: "For real? You promised you'd let me go before we hit town!" ebraska: "Shut him up, Gofsef." ebraska: "You idiot! Now who's going to drive this thing?!" Rosa: "With the plant in this state, all we have to rely on is money." Meryl: "How can you be so heartless?!" Meryl: "Who does this to someone who saved their town twice? It's unthinkable!" Rosa: "I know that." Rosa: "I wouldn't dare if were just adults here." Rosa: "But we're mothers." Rosa: "I won't stand by while our kids get sick and starve." Rosa: "Sorry, Vash. If you need to lay the blame somewhere, call it bad luck." Rosa: "Tonis!" Roberto: "You good?" Meryl: "Yeah." Rosa: "Tonis..." ebraska: "Power is justice! Power is truth!" Rosa: "Vash?" ebraska: "There's no future for those who can't fight! Get out here, Vash the Stampede! We, the Hard Puncher Nebraskas, challenge you to a duel!" ebraska: "Where are you, Vash the Stampede?!" Meryl: "Vash?" ebraska: "Stop! My six million!" Meryl: "Hurry! After them!" Roberto: "Wait... Hey!" Vash: "Go back to town!" Meryl: "What about you? They're going to mow you down!" ebraska: "Don't think you can get away!" ebraska: "Ugh, stop, you bastard! I can't have my son turning stupid!" ebraska: "Do it, Gofsef!" Vash: "Now that's a punch." ebraska: "I'll end you! Get flattened!" ebraska: "You piece of junk!" Roberto: "Did their engine stall?" Vash: "Beats me." Roberto: "Well..." ebraska: "Stop running and fight us!" Vash: "No thanks. I'm not a fan of pain." ebraska: "Have you no pride as a gunman?!" Vash: "Nope. None whatsoever." ebraska: "I hate cowards like you! This whole planet is fighting for survival! Anyone who runs is bound to die like a sorry loser!" ebraska: "But you, Stampede! How dare you?!" Vash: "That had to hurt." ebraska: "I can't have my son turning stupid!" Vash: "Take it easy!" ebraska: "You insult me!" Gofsef: "Gofsef." ebraska: "This is no laughing matter! You're turning into a coward like him. You shame the Nebraska name! Damn it, damn it! Without that cash, we're going back to prison! Oh, I know." Meryl: "I agree with that man. You think you're so clever, running away like this?" Meryl: "How totally lame." Meryl: "It's not an act of kindness. You're just running away from pain." Roberto: "That's enough, newbie." Meryl: "Fine." Vash: "You might be right that I'm too timid." Vash: "But is that such a terrible thing?" Vash: "Is fighting everything head-on so important?" Vash: "Even if it gets someone killed?" Townsperson 2-O: "Don't let them get in! Fire!" Tonis: "Mom!" ebraska: "How did we miss this? There's something much more valuable here." ebraska: "A real treasure!" Radio Voice: "Intruders at the factory! We need backup now! We need backup—" Meryl: "Vash?" Roberto: "Get in, newbie!" Meryl: "Okay!" ebraska: "Power is justice!" ebraska: "Power is truth!" ebraska: "There's no future for those who can't fight!" Woman 2-A: "Rosa! We can't shoot or we might hit the plant." Rosa: "You folks stay here." Woman 2-A: "Rosa!" Rosa: "You give back that plant!" ebraska: "Wha?!" ebraska: "Stampede!" ebraska: "What are you doing back here, you coward?" ebraska: "Don't tell me you did all that running to draw our attention away from the plant. Eh, who cares? Now we can finally fight head-on." ebraska: "Gofsef!" ebraska: "Why won't you draw your gun?! Draw!" ebraska: "What gives?!" ebraska: "Why won't you shoot?" Vash: "Right back at you!" ebraska: "A single round for this baby costs a boatload! I'm saving up! Don't make me say that out loud!" Vash: "I guess we've all got problems, huh?" ebraska: "Shut up! I'll show you. Gofsef!" ebraska: "Weapons..." ebraska: "are made for fighting!" Rosa: "Vash..." Meryl: "Vash!" ebraska: "Do you get it now?! There's no future for those who don't fight!" Vash: "That was close." ebraska: "Wha?!" Vash: "Come on, can you back off?" Vash: "I really don't want to fight anyone." ebraska: "That's the attitude that pisses me off!" Vash: "If you take the plant, this town won't make it." ebraska: "You remember they're after your head, right? They're worse than regular villains for pretending to befriend you. What value is there in trying to save them?" Vash: "There's no reason not to help them." ebraska: "They tricked you!" Vash: "I don't mind." ebraska: "Don't you have any pride?" Vash: "These people were kind to me." Vash: "So I want to save them. That's all." ebraska: "In that case..." ebraska: "Fight!" ebraska: "Seriously?" Vash: "I want to help." Vash: "That includes you." Roberto: "This guy..." Roberto: "Whose side are you on?" ebraska: "Oh no! Run, Gofsef!" ebraska: "Gofsef!" ebraska: "You idiot!" Gofsef: "Gof...sef..." Vash: "You're almost there!" Gofsef: "Gof!" ebraska: "Gofsef!" Vash: "I've... got you!" ebraska: "Gofsef! Gofsef!" Vash: "Rosa..." ebraska: "H-He's my darling son..." Vash: "Rosa! Please! I need your help!" Rosa: "You give back that plant." ebraska: "Yes, ma'am." Rosa: "Come on, everyone!" Rosa: "One, two! One, two!" Rosa: "One, two! One, two!" Rosa: "One, two!" ebraska: "Gofsef!" ebraska: "I'm so glad! I'm so, so glad!" ebraska: "Gofsef!" Meryl: "Vash the Stampede..." Meryl: "What a weirdo." ebraska: "Let's go, Gofsef." Vash: "Take it easy." Rosa: "Hold it." Rosa: "There's plenty of booze to go around. Just for today, knock yourselves out!" ebraska: "Drinking at this hour? These folks really are terrible." Rosa: "Don't be shy." ebraska: "I don't drink." Rosa: "What?" Meryl: "You know what? You gotta lay off the booze and smokes or that stuff's gonna get to you!" Meryl: "Hey, are you listenin' to me?" Roberto: "Not even a goodbye?" Roberto: "They'll miss you." Vash: "I don't like overstaying." Roberto: "No, that's not it. You couldn't stay in one place for long even if you wanted to." Roberto: "Just who are you running from? Wait... You told me his name this morning." Roberto: "Millions Knives." Meryl: "Vash! Roberto!" Roberto: "What's going on?" ebraska: "What is this stuff?!" Roberto: "Lost technology?!" ebraska: "Gofsef!"

Radio Host: "And now, the weather for the seven cities. Strong air currents have enlarged the large sandstorm that formed in the center of the continent. It's expected to reach the west soon." Radio Host: "Residents in the area are advised to take shelter." Vash: "To the main street! Hurry!" ebraska: "Gofsef! Where are you?!" Vash: "Hurry! This way!" ebraska: "Gofsef!" Radio Host: "There is risk of widespread plant disruption through the late afternoon." Soldier 3-A: "What's going on?!" Radio Host: "Please prepare as best you can!" ebraska: "He ran outside to make sure nobody else got hurt..." Meryl: "There are more of those things!" Rosa: "Meryl!" Roberto: "They're bombs! Be careful! Damn it!" Soldier 3-B: "Bombs?!" Rosa: "Tonis!" Vash: "I'm here to help!" Vash: "Damn! It won't come off!" Roberto: "Don't mess with it! This design... It's gotta be the work of E. G. Bomber. An amateur won't be able to dismantle it." Soldier 3-B: "Get back!" Soldier 3-B: "Please! Save the town!" Vash: ""E. G. Bomber"?" Roberto: "His real name is Ethan Gilbert Hamilton. He takes lives so easily that he earned himself the nickname "Easy Bomber." Worst bomb maniac ever." Meryl: "What does he want with this town?" Roberto: "Who knows?" Rosa: "How do we survive?" Roberto: "We'll have to ask the bomber himself how to disable these. Assuming there is a way." Vash: "Then I'll find him and capture him." Vash: "At any rate, don't lose heart." Rosa: "Vash..." Meryl: "But where is he?" Roberto: "His type likes to watch their "work" play out." Vash: "A place with a good view of the area..." ebraska: "There he is! Get him!" ebraska: "Land mines?!" E. G.: "This whole town is full of my creations." Vash: "E. G. Bomber?" E. G.: "I no longer go by that. Thanks to someone, I've been reborn." E. G.: "E. G. the Mine... That's my new name!" E. G.: "Now then, where's the treasure?" Op Lyrics: "My tears scattered like bits of paper Scared of the unknowable tomorrow I lived the same day over and over, back and forth But a new morning never came All the reasons to calm down Are just some moments until the crash I’m no longer the one that everyone knows Took off the fragile armor I don’t want to lose any more love I don’t want to lose any more love There’s still no line between today and tomorrow My waking nightmare doesn’t end And yet I won’t lose hope And yet there’s no night that doesn’t end Not here, not here" E. G.: "Now then, where's the treasure?" Vash: "He's after the plant, too!" E. G.: "That must be it." Meryl: "Vash!" Roberto: "I get it now. The moment you get involved with him, you get swept into trouble. The Humanoid Typhoon's a fitting name." Meryl: "What do you mean by that?" Roberto: "Whoa there. Stay back. Unless your idea of a good time is suicide with a drunk." Meryl: "This is no time for your trademark cynicism..." Meryl: "Suicide? That's it!" Soldier 3-C: "Stay back! The town's covered in explosives! You there!" Title: "#03 Bright Light, Shine through the Darkness" Rosa: "Don't worry. Vash will take care of it." E. G.: "So you're here." Vash: "Disable the bombs." Vash: "You can't get me with the same old trick!" Vash: "If it's the plant that you want, then your business here is done! Disable the bombs now!" E. G.: "You don't get it, do you? I'm not killing to steal... I'm stealing to kill!" E. G.: "Now suffer!" Vash: "Enough." E. G.: "Damn!" Meryl: "Vash!" E. G.: "I beat the one and only Vash the Stampede!" Roberto: "E. G. Bomber!" E. G.: "I told you it's the Mine! You! Wh-What the—" Roberto: "Tell us how to disable the bombs! Or else..." Meryl: "We'll all die together!" E. G.: "Damn you! Get off!" Vash: "Spit it out!" Vash: "Talk!" E. G.: "The red button on my back!" E. G.: "Push it! Push it already!" Townsfolk 3-A: "We're saved! We're saved!" Townsfolk 3-B: "Are you all right? Is anyone injured?" ebraska: "You killed my son!" Vash: "No, Nebraska." ebraska: "Out of my way, Vash! You'd protect this scoundrel?!" Vash: "There's no point in revenge." ebraska: "Whose side are you on?!" Vash: "Run..." Meryl: "Huh?" Vash: "Everyone, run! Get outside of town!" ebraska: "You're not getting away!" E. G.: "Whoopsies!" E. G.: "You suck!" Vash: "Hurry! Get outta here!" Roberto: "Let's beat it!" Meryl: "What about the Bomber?" Roberto: "Not now! Run!" Meryl: "Hurry, everyone!" E. G.: "It's him!" E. G.: "You grace me with your presence!" E. G.: "Master... Knives..." Knives: "Have you ever desired to converse with a god..." Knives: "Vash?" Knives: "It's been so long." Knives: "I see you still have that gun." Vash: "Why are you here?" Vash: "Is it the plant?" Knives: "I'm taking it back. It belongs to me. Or rather..." Knives: "It belongs to us." Vash: "I won't let you take it. It's what's keeping the people of this town alive!" Knives: "You won't let me? Who's side are you on?" Knives: "It must feel so nice. All those flashy moves to save those people, earning their thanks... A cure for your loneliness." Vash: "You haven't changed at all!" Knives: "The same..." Knives: "could be said of you." Knives: "You can't even control your gate yet?" Young Vash: "Nai?" Young Vash: "Nai?!" Knives: "Goodbye, Vash." ebraska: "Are you the boss?! Take this!" Vash: "Nai?" Vash: "Damn!" ebraska: "Where'd he go?!" Vash: "Run, Nebraska!" Vash: "Someone, Nebraska needs help! Don't die on me. Stop, Nai!" Vash: "Stop!" Conrad: "There." Rosa: "You're not taking our plant!" Rosa: "Do you hear me?!" Conrad: "You should step aside." Conrad: "You have no chance in a fight." Knives: "Oh, you decided to show up, Doctor." Knives: "Good timing. Go and recover the other one." Knives: "I'll handle this." Rosa: "Not on my watch!" Woman 2-A: "Rosa!" Knives: "Here you are..." Vash: "Nai!" Vash: "Get away from there! Put the plant down!" Knives: "Whose side are you on?" Meryl: "Are you sure it's this way?" Roberto: "Don't lose your step. I don't want to die in a splat." Meryl: "Like I said, this is no time for your—" Meryl: "Tonis? What are you doing here?" Tonis: "Mom said to hide..." Meryl: "So she's still in town." Meryl: "Is that..." Vash: "The plant..." Knives: "You never change." Knives: "Still a daydreamer full of empty words." Vash: "Stop!" Knives: "Just stand back and watch. Watch them all perish." Vash: "I'll say it again... Put the plant down!" Knives: "You'd shoot me?" Knives: "Your own big brother? In the past, God rained fire from the sky," Knives: "destroying the city of depraved fools." Vash: "Don't do it..." Knives: "To fix the world once and for all," Knives: "I'm moving ahead." Knives: "To bring everything back to even." Vash: "The whole town?" Vash: "Rosa, run!" Elendira: "Hurry." Vash: "Hurry!" Vash: "Why, Nai?!" Meryl: "Tonis!" Vash: "Why... Why?!" Vash: "Why, Nai?!" Roberto: "Good job. You're a tough one." Roberto: "Can't say you're looking good, but you lucked out. That, too, is a talent all good journalists need." Meryl: "Vash! Rosa!" Meryl: "Tonis..." Rosa: "They took everything. The plant, the people, the town..." Rosa: "There's no way we can survive now." Vash: "Rosa..." Rosa: "That monster is your brother, right?" Vash: "I promise I'll get your plant back! No matter how long it takes..." Rosa: "Go away." Rosa: "Get out of this town right now." Rosa: "If you hadn't come here, none of this would have happened." Rosa: "Don't you ever show your face here again..." Rosa: "Humanoid Typhoon." Meryl: "Vash!" Meryl: "Vash!" Meryl: "Vash!" Meryl: "Vash!" Meryl: "How?" Meryl: "How, after all they said to you..." Meryl: "How can you smile like that?" Vash: "I don't deserve to cry." Meryl: "Where are you going?" Vash: "East." Meryl: "East?" Vash: "Far east, to JuLai, the third city." Vash: "That's where he is."

Bandit A: "Fresh meat is the best meat!" Bandit B: "I'd love to try plant-based food before I die!" Bandit C: "How extravagant!" Bandit B: "Anyway, the Worms were awfully irritated today." Bandit A: "Hm?" Bandit A: "What's with that guy?" Bandit B: "He's in a suit in the middle of the desert!" Bandit C: "He's not long for this world." Bandit B: "No kidding! He's carrying his own tombstone!" Op Lyrics: "My tears scattered like bits of paper Scared of the unknowable tomorrow I lived the same day over and over, back and forth But a new morning never came All the reasons to calm down Are just some moments until the crash I’m no longer the one that everyone knows Took off the fragile armor I don’t want to lose any more love I don’t want to lose any more love There’s still no line between today and tomorrow My waking nightmare doesn’t end And yet I won’t lose hope And yet there’s no night that doesn’t end Not here, not here" Radio Host: "It's been three days since the tragedy in Jeneora Rock. The chain of incidents has been linked to the wanted criminal Vash the Stampede." Meryl: "I can't believe he's sleeping so soundly." Radio Host: "Additionally, a man and a woman have been identified as possible accomplices. The seven cities' military police are also searching for them as persons of interest." Meryl: "So now we're wanted, too?" Roberto: "If headquarters finds out, we'll be fired." Radio Host: "And now, the weather for the seven cities..." Roberto: "It's his. He doesn't want it." Meryl: "What? But yesterday..." Roberto: "He hasn't eaten. Not since that day." Roberto: "Only god really knows what goes on inside someone." Meryl: "A sandstorm?" Roberto: "No, those are..." Roberto: "Worms." Roberto: "In these parts, they're an important source of protein. If you can stomach the way they look, they're not bad." Meryl: "I think stomaching that would be the hard part." Meryl: "Are you all right?!" Meryl: "You're not dying on me!" Meryl: "Excuse me! This man is hurt..." Roberto: "It's too late for these folks." Meryl: "They came all the way out here?" Wolfwood: ""They"?" Wolfwood: "Okay... O father in heaven," Wolfwood: "forgive us our sins as we forgive our neighbors. May you accept our fallen brethren and welcome the departed to your..." Wolfwood: "What is it? Welcome them to your... dinner? No, that's a meal." Wolfwood: "Deliver them unto your... design? No, nobody's talking about fashion." Wolfwood: "Uh, give us a drive... He's not your chauffeur, you idiot." Meryl: "Are you really a priest?" Wolfwood: "I'm no priest. Just an undertaker. Now back off. You're ruining it." Meryl: "Anyway, what's this cross? It's way too huge." Wolfwood: "Hey, keep your mitts off of it." Meryl: "What?" Vash: "Hey, you two." Wolfwood: "Here. You're hungry, right?" Wolfwood: "It's good." Meryl: "Maybe you should leave him be—" Wolfwood: "I lost my parents, too. I grew up in an orphanage." Wolfwood: "Good, right? No matter how heavy a cross you carry, you still deserve to eat. You still deserve to laugh." Vash: "Twenty thousand?!" Meryl: "What a rip-off!" Wolfwood: "You should've asked my rates before asking me to work, dolts." Meryl: "You volunteered yourself before we even could!" Wolfwood: "Did not." Meryl: "You can't talk your way out of this!" Wolfwood: "Man, you're dogged." Roberto: "Are we done?" Meryl: "I won't brook this injustice!" Roberto: "Wait, what's this ridiculous price?" Wolfwood: "What? Stop blabbering and pay up!" Roberto: "By the way, aren't you hurt? You got hit by a car, but you look fine." Wolfwood: "Yeah, I'm tough. It's my saving grace." Meryl: "An earthquake?" Vash: "No, this is..." Vash: "A Grand Worm!" Roberto: "No way!" Vash: "Are you okay?" Meryl: "Yes, thank you." Meryl: "Ew, it's so damp." Wolfwood: "Watch your step." Meryl: "Come on!" Vash: "Wait, take a look." Meryl: "They're resonating?" Meryl: "So it's true. The Worms really are interconnected." Roberto: "That's their detached electron network. The bigger the Worm, the more detached electrons it holds." Roberto: "This guy must be the pillar of the Worms in the area." Meryl: "Meaning?" Roberto: "He's the boss around here." Meryl: "Oh, hey!" Meryl: "Wait!" Vash: "Which hole did he go into?" Wolfwood: "I envy kids and their light feet." Roberto: "Why don't you put down that cross, then?" Wolfwood: "It's the tool of my trade. How would I make a living if I offloaded it?" Meryl: "We need to hurry." Wolfwood: "Then we should split up. Needle-noggin, you take the farthest one." Vash: ""Needle-noggin"?" Wolfwood: "Little missy can take the next one." Meryl: "My name is Meryl Stryfe!" Wolfwood: "Uncle Downer can go there." Wolfwood: "And I'll take that one." Meryl: "Why're you calling the shots?" Wolfwood: "I thought you were in a hurry." Meryl: "I don't get it." Meryl: "Why split up when there's no telling what could happen?" Meryl: "N-No one's there, right?" Meryl: "Are you all right?!" Meryl: "Thank goodness." Vash: "No luck. I can't find them anywhere." Roberto: "Me neither." Wolfwood: "That's enough. You should find a way out unless you wanna die, too." Vash: "I'm sure they're both fine. We'll find and help them." Wolfwood: "So you'd risk your life for theirs?" Wolfwood: "Self-sacrifice on self-sacrifice... You're a weird one." Wolfwood: "You only get one life." Wolfwood: "You have to fight for it, no matter who you hurt in the process." Wolfwood: "There's no other way to survive." Roberto: "Watch out, Stampede. They take the first bite to get your guard down, then lace what they pass to their target with poison. Standard stuff for assassins." Wolfwood: "Huh?" Roberto: "Our news agency isn't much to be proud of, but one thing we do have is a good intel network. I've heard about humans who control Worms." Wolfwood: "Who, me? That makes no sense, you dolt. I'm stuck in here with you." Roberto: "In that case, let me check out that precious cross of yours." Wolfwood: "This isn't funny anymore." Roberto: "From the look of it, it's too heavy to be a mere cross. Give me a peek inside, why don't you?" Wolfwood: "Why don't you make me? With your derringer that looks too light to be a real gun, hmm?" Vash: "Come on, you two." Roberto: "Stampede, this is a man who can kill with a smile on his face." Vash: "No, I don't think so." Roberto: "Why's that?" Vash: "I can see it in his eyes." Wolfwood: "You really mess with me." Vash: "See?" Vash: "Roberto?" Vash: "Meryl!" Vash: "Roberto!" Wolfwood: "It's pointless. They've all been digested." Vash: "This place is covered in skeletons, so the Worms can't digest that much. Besides, I haven't seen a single one of their bones." Wolfwood: "What about it?" Vash: "It's too early to give up." Wolfwood: "So, how long do you want to keep wandering in circles?" Vash: "Um..." Wolfwood: "Maybe we're the lost ones, not them." Vash: "Come on... Stop trying to scare me." Wolfwood: "So we were in its nose..." Bandit A: "Hey, you guys! Are you all right?!" Bandit C: "It's a Worm spout!" Bandit B: "I've never seen such a big one before!" Bandit C: "Run! Hurry! Behind you!" Bandits: "Beat it! Hurry! Run! Come on!" Wolfwood: "Hey, hey! You just lucked out and you're gonna throw it all away?" Wolfwood: "There's no guarantee you'll get lucky again!" Vash: "You should run." Bandit A: "Don't do it!" Bandit B: "You'll die!" Bandit C: "Run! Hurry!" Wolfwood: "You fool..." Vash: "You're..." Vash: "You're all right now." Wolfwood: "A little too careless, aren't we?" Wolfwood: "We only met today. How many times have you let me out of your sight?" Vash: "Yet not once did you shoot me." Vash: "That unique mosquito sound..." Vash: "So you're the one controlling the Worms." Zazie: "That's odd. It should be inaudible to regular humans. Good job seeing through my disguise." Vash: "Did you kill that couple, too?" Zazie: "Humans always assume it's a family when they see a group of adults and children." Vash: "Where are Meryl and Roberto?" Zazie: "You came back for them?" Zazie: "I simply don't understand..." Zazie: "Didn't you realize returning for them would get you killed?" Vash: "Give them back!" Zazie: "If you must know what happened to them, then make me talk." Vash: "Damn it..." Wolfwood: "You're leaving yourself wide open again." Wolfwood: "Eat this." Wolfwood: "Pathetic Worm!" Vash: "Who are you?" Wolfwood: "Just an undertaker." Zazie: "I'll be seeing you. That is... assuming you get out of here alive." Vash: "Hey, wait!" Wolfwood: "You're not getting away, Worm." Wolfwood: "I'm a tough nut to crack." Wolfwood: "Fresh meat is definitely the best!" Wolfwood: "What, you still feeling sick?" Meryl: "No, I'm fine thanks to you... I appreciate you saving me—" Wolfwood: "Here, eat." Meryl: "I'm fine..." Wolfwood: "You're not going to survive like that. Come on! Eat up!" Meryl: "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Roberto: "I see now. The cross is actually a machine gun. No wonder it's so heavy." Roberto: "I told you he's bad news." Vash: "But we made it through thanks to him." Roberto: "You'd thank a villain for his vagaries? That's a little too generous." Vash: "I get that a lot." Roberto: "Then fix it already..." Wolfwood: "Just eat up already." Meryl: "I told you, I'm fine." Wolfwood: "Don't be picky with your food." Meryl: "That's not the deal." Wolfwood: "Then what is?" Meryl: "Vash..." Vash: "I still deserve to eat and laugh, right?" Wolfwood: "The name's Nicholas D. Wolfwood." Vash: "Vash the Stampede—" Wolfwood: "Needle-noggin." Vash: "N-Needle-noggin?" Wolfwood: "Welp, let's get going." Meryl: "Wait, you're coming with us?" Wolfwood: "You need someone like me, don't you? Seems you're dealing with some unsavory types." Meryl: "Thank you, but no." Wolfwood: "I won't be too expensive." Meryl: "No, thanks." Roberto: "You should be asking why he thinks he can charge us." Meryl: "Please say something, Roberto!" Roberto: "Well, we're just tagging along without permission, too." Meryl: "It's totally different!" Wolfwood: "Huh, I didn't expect him to be the reasonable one." Wolfwood: "Gimme one." Roberto: "I didn't say you could have one." Wolfwood: "Don't be so cheap." Meryl: "No! We can't afford any more expenditure!" Vash: "Look! Check out the sky." Meryl: "What now? This is important..." Meryl: "How pretty." Roberto: "Those are all Worms." Meryl: "Thanks for ruining it." Wolfwood: "You overdid it. You almost got me killed, too..." Wolfwood: "Zazie the Beast." Zazie: "But you earned their trust, right?" Zazie: "Besides, killing "friends" is your favorite." Zazie: "You honestly couldn't care less about human lives, could you?" Zazie: "I can see it in your eyes." Wolfwood: "Hah, I don't care. I just do my job," Wolfwood: "no matter who I'm up against." Conrad: "What Vash the Stampede manifested at that moment must be the gate that allows access to the higher dimension." Conrad: "But it's still locked. His morality and ethics are functioning as a defensive measure." Conrad: "Your little brother is more human than anyone." Knives: "Then we'll just have to pry it open." Knives: "We'll destroy him if we have to."

Religious Radio Host: "We Sinners were cast upon this land when the ark crashed." Religious Radio Host: "Now pray, and God shall send the angel of salvation our way." Religious Radio Host: "Praise the angel. Honor the angel. Become the angel's eyes." Religious Radio Host: "May God bless you." Rollo: "Dear God... Please let the wind blow." Rollo: "Otherwise... I..." Religious Radio Host: "When the two angels descend, a bridge of light will cross the sky and we will be led to the land of God." Meryl: "Ugh, it's so hot... Say, can I change the radio?" Radio Host: "Heed the words of Missionary Michael and Priest William." Roberto: "Yeah." Radio Host: "The west is in for a strong, windless heat," Meryl: "What was that, anyway?" Roberto: "What?" Radio Host: "raising the maximum temperature to around fifty degrees." Roberto: "A religious program." Roberto: "The church of plant worshippers." Roberto: "You could say they're a newly established sect." Roberto: "I hear they've got a headquarters in JuLai." Meryl: "Ugh, yikes. I'm so sick of this heat." Roberto: "Originally..." Meryl: "Huh?" Roberto: "This stretch of desert was a normal color." Meryl: "Huh." Roberto: "Until one night!" Roberto: "Out of nowhere, it appeared." Roberto: "Was it man or beast? To this day, nobody really knows. Because all who laid eyes on it..." Roberto: "All who laid eyes on it were massacred! Every last one of them! Overnight, the blood of its victims painted the whole desert the deep crimson that you see now." Roberto: "There. Was that chilling enough for you?" Meryl: "Y-You just startled me. That's all." Roberto: "What's the matter?" Meryl: "Over there." Meryl: "It's dead, right?" Wolfwood: "One strike. Bare-handed." Roberto: "Bare-handed?" Meryl: "Did one of Millions Knives's gang kill it?" Roberto: "Maybe it was the monster I just told you about." Meryl: "No way." Wolfwood: "This thing's been dead for a while. Even if it Knives did it, he's long gone. Right, Needle-noggin?" Wolfwood: "What's up?" Wolfwood: "Wuh... Hey." Title: "#05 Child of Blessing" Religious Radio Host: "Now pray, and God shall send the angel of salvation our way." Religious Radio Host: "Praise the angel. Honor the angel." Rollo: "Hey, Mom..." Religious Radio Host: "Become the angel's eyes." Rollo: "Why does God eat the sacrificed children?" Rollo'S Mother: "To bring blessings." Rollo: "But those who get eaten die." Rollo'S Mother: "Death is not the end. It's the beginning." Rollo'S Mother: "Going to heaven is a wonderful thing." Roberto: "Doesn't look like anyone lives here anymore." Meryl: "It's weirdly quiet." Wolfwood: "Check it out. They've got no plant." Meryl: "Could it have been stolen?" Roberto: "No, I think..." Roberto: "They used to spin that to make power." Meryl: "A windmill?" Wolfwood: "It's not moving." Roberto: "Obviously, there's no wind." Wolfwood: "So what do you do if there's, like, never any wind?" Meryl: "It would mean a prolonged power outage." Wolfwood: "Huh? What kind of stupid system is that?" Meryl: "That's just how wind power works." Wolfwood: "Sounds dumb." Meryl: "Vash!" Vash: "Get back!" Roberto: "Idiot! Don't just jump in!" Meryl: "O-Okay." Monev: "Vash the Stampede!" Wolfwood: "Idiot! What're you doing just sitting around?!" Vash: "Right." Roberto: "This fella knows Vash?" Meryl: "Seems so." Monev: "Vash... the... Stampede!" Meryl: "Vash!" Vash: "Hide inside a house! He's only after me!" Wolfwood: "Stubborn grunt." Monev: "Vash the..." Vash: "Wolfwood!" Monev: "Vash..." Monev: "Vash the Stampede..." Woman 5-A: "Hey, did you already talk to Rollo?" Rollo'S Mother: "No, it's too hard for me." Woman 5-B: "I understand. But we all got over it." Woman 5-C: "Think of it this way. Your child born on a windless day is finally getting his blessing." Woman 5-A: "It's a wonderful thing." Rollo'S Mother: "Yes, you're right. When Rollo comes home, I'll let him know that he's been chosen as the sacrifice." Woman 5-B: "Yes, yes, good." Woman 5-C: "That'd be best." Monev: "Vash the Stampede!" Vash: "Are you okay?" Vash: "Thank goodness. You're still alive." Monev: "Vash the Stam—" Wolfwood: "You dolt! You tryin' to get killed!?" Wolfwood: "We run for now!" Vash: "Y-Yeah!" Meryl: "U-Um..." Roberto: "Yeah?" Meryl: "Are Vash and Wolfwood all right?" Roberto: "Who knows?" Roberto: "You stay out of this, newbie. There's nothing we can do here." Monev: "Vash... the... Stampede..." Wolfwood: "You dumbass." Wolfwood: "I've had it with your insufferable do-gooder routine." Vash: "I mean... I was worried that might've been the end of him." Wolfwood: "Someone oughta end you." Vash: "That's savage, man." Wolfwood: "Well?" Vash: "Huh?" Wolfwood: "Stop playing dumb." Wolfwood: "You knew about this village, didn't you?" Wolfwood: "What happened here?" Vash: "I don't know, either. Just that..." Vash: "Are you all right?" Vash: "Finally found you. Are you Rollo?" Vash: "Your mother asked me to find you. You ran away from home, huh?" Rollo: "No, it's not that..." Rollo: "You must be Vash the Stampede, right?" Vash: "You know about me?" Rollo: "Yeah, you're famous. They call you the Humanoid Typhoon." Vash: "Er, where did you hear that?" Rollo: "There was more. You're a walking natural disaster. A demon that causes mayhem." Rollo: "I'm sick. They say I'll die before I grow up." Rollo: "Maybe God won't save me because I don't believe in him." Rollo: "There's no wind, and everyone's suffering because of it." Vash: "It must be rough without a plant." Rollo: "That's why I'm next..." Vash: "Huh?" Rollo: "Was my mom worried?" Vash: "Yes, very much." Vash: "If you need help, remember me! I promise I'll be there for you." Vash: "If God won't save you, I will!" Vash: "Yet by the time I got my hands on some medicine and returned, Rollo was..." Wolfwood: "So you talked a big game about saving him but couldn't follow through." Wolfwood: "Here it comes." Religious Radio Host: "For those who believe in God, death is not the end." Religious Radio Host: "Only those who believe find salvation and love." Religious Radio Host: "Rejoice in death. Praise death." Religious Radio Host: "May God bless you." Rollo: "Who are you?" Rollo: "Are you God?" Conrad: "The man you praise as God is not here right now." Rollo: "Please let go..." Rollo: "Are you... a sacrifice, too?" Elendira: "Me? Think again." Elendira: "I'm an angel." Conrad: "This drug will rebuild and strengthen your body at the cellular level, as well as accelerate your metabolism to the extreme." Conrad: "If you can adapt to it, it should cure your illness. Of course, there will be some side effects, but at the very least, it won't be the illness that kills you." Rollo: "I... don't want to die... Help me, Vash..." Monev: "Vash the Stampede!" Wolfwood: "You're wide open!" Vash: "Wolfwood!" Monev: "Vash the Stampede!" Conrad: "The implant in his brain will heighten his emotions, leading to accelerated development of athletic abilities." Conrad: "Hatred is a poison to the soul. It's a toxin more potent than the venom glands of Worms." Conrad: "He's the first to survive for five whole years." Conrad: "Finally, a success..." Elendira: "He'll just be another failure." Rollo'S Mother: "Who is it?" Rollo/Monev: "Mom? It's me." Rollo'S Mother: "Rollo?" Rollo/Monev: "Yes, it's me." Monev: "Mom." Monev: "I'm home." Rollo'S Mother: "You monster..." Monev: "No, I'm... I am..." Vash: "Rollo!" Religious Radio Host: "God shall send the angel of salvation our way." Meryl: "What is this place?" Religious Radio Host: "When the angel descends, we will be led to the land of God." Roberto: "Looks like it's been this way for a while. Maybe twenty years." Religious Radio Host: "Rejoice in death. Praise death." Religious Radio Host: "Death is not the end." Meryl: "Wh-What is this?" Roberto: "What'd you find, newbie?" Meryl: "Um, this is..." Meryl: "Isn't this Vash?" Vash: "You're Rollo! Don't you remember?!" Wolfwood: "It's no use. He's..." Wolfwood: "just a monster now." Vash: "Listen to me, Rollo! I'm—" Vash: "Rollo..." Vash: "I'm sorry... Back then..." Vash: "Back then..." Vash: "I promised you, but I..." Wolfwood: "You insufferable fool." Vash: "I'm so sorry I'm late. I'm here to keep my word." Vash: "You won't be alone anymore..." Wolfwood: "You dumbass!" Vash: "Rollo!" Vash: "Wake up, Rollo." Vash: "Please wake up, Rollo!" Vash: "Rollo... Come on, Rollo... Come on!" Wolfwood: "Enough already." Wolfwood: "He's dead." Vash: "Why'd you shoot?" Vash: "Why?! Why shoot Rollo?!" Wolfwood: "Mercy." Wolfwood: "There's no way to return his humanity. Keeping him alive is torture." Vash: "That's not for you to decide." Wolfwood: "Your hypocrisy is showing." Wolfwood: "You're the one saying things you can't even make good on." Wolfwood: "At best, it's all talk." Meryl: "The wind..." Conrad: "I see. So he's dead." Elendira: "How convenient. Saves you the trouble of getting rid of a failure." Zazie: "Well, it was another of the doctor's creations that did the job." Elendira: "Oh, right. Nicholas, was it?" Conrad: "No... the Punisher."

ugitive: "Forgive me!" ugitive: "Ha! So that's all for you, executioner." ugitive: "Y-You monster..." Radio Host: "The authorities have not yet been able to track down the plant thief terrorizing the region. Even red plants scheduled for disposal are being taken, suggesting the culprit behind the spree isn't well-versed in plant technology." Meryl: "You guys fight over candy or something?" Radio Host: "The JuLai government continues its search for the key witnesses. The man named Vash—" Roberto: "You can take the Sand Steamer from the port up ahead to get to JuLai." Meryl: "Are we leaving the car behind?" Roberto: "This is where we check out." Meryl: "What?" Roberto: "We need to return to headquarters. Gotta write up our article." Meryl: "But..." Roberto: "You're fine with that, right?" Humpback Pa: "Last call for boarding. All passengers, please complete boarding procedures and head to the boarding gate. If you have not yet completed boarding procedures, please speak to an attendant immediately. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping us on schedule." Wolfwood: "I thought you guys were buddies." Humpback Pa: "Please note that this is both a cargo and passenger ship." Vash: "No way." Wolfwood: "No? How cold." Humpback Pa: "Thank you for traveling via Sand Steamer today." Meryl: "I don't understand!" Roberto: "Didn't think you would." Meryl: "How can we let the Humanoid Typhoon get away?" Roberto: "He's too much trouble. What kind of monster looks the same for twenty years?" Meryl: "Are you scared?" Roberto: "Say what you will. We're writing for a tabloid. Nothing worth risking our lives over." Meryl: "Then it's okay if we're not risking our lives?" Roberto: "You're such a..." Humpback Pa: "Thank you for boarding the Humpback, bound to cross the Great Sand Ocean. This ship is one of the largest Sand Steamers on Noman's Land. Our plant is one of the most powerful in the world, meaning safety and peace of mind for our passengers. Our destination is the third city of JuLai on the other side of the Great Sand Ocean. Please sit back and enjoy the voyage." Vash: "What's your endgame?" Wolfwood: "Huh?" Vash: "You're following me around." Wolfwood: "I'm your babysitter. You're a spoiled brat who can't even kill bad guys." Wolfwood: "You should be thanking me." Vash: "You don't get to choose who lives and dies." Wolfwood: "Still going on about that?" Male Passenger: "Let's have tea over there." emale Passenger: "Sure." Vash: "Don't you have something you want to protect more than anything else, too?" Wolfwood: "Enough already." Wolfwood: "The only reason you've survived this long is because other people died instead." Vash: "That's not what I mean, and you know it." Wolfwood: "What? I don't get you at all." Wolfwood: "All I hear is more talk." Wolfwood: "If you can't even wipe your own ass, any point you try to make is..." Wolfwood: "Run, Needle-noggin!" Wolfwood: "What gives?" Wolfwood: "What are you doing here..." Title: "#06 Once Upon a Time in Hopeland" Wolfwood: "Livio?" Text: "Everyone! Here's a new friend!" Text: "His name is Livio." Text: "Mommy... Daddy..." Text: "Oh, here you are." Text: "The name's Nicholas D. Wolfwood." Text: "You're finally smiling, crybaby Livio." Text: "What are you brats doing?!" Wolfwood: "Stop, Livio! Don't kill him!" Soldier 6-A: "Is this the reported location?" Soldier 6-G: "Don't move!" Soldier 6-A: "Drop your weapon!" Soldier 6-B: "What are you doing?! Resist and we'll shoot!" Vash: "Don't come over here!" Soldier 6-A: "Hey! You, too! Drop your weapons!" Soldier 6-A: "What are you doing?!" Soldier 6-A: "Answer me!" Roberto: "Wh-Wh-Whoa! Watch it! You trying to get fired in your first year?" Meryl: "I get it." Roberto: "The repair costs alone would—" Meryl: "I get it. I'll drive safely." Roberto: "No, you don't. I'm saying to let this go." Meryl: "I get it." Roberto: "Fine! Just remember that this is an undercover report." Meryl: "I get it!" Roberto: "Pull out at the first sign of trouble, you hear?" Meryl: "I get it!" Roberto: "Do you really?" Roberto: "Man, this is just the worst." Text: "You must be Nicholas." Text: "You've passed the selection test." Text: "Congratulations, child of blessing. Test Subject HL1-06 Chemical Aptitude: S+" Conrad: "In addition to repairing any damage done to your body, this drug rebuilds and strengthens your cells." Conrad: "It can heal any wound." Conrad: "Sounds like a dream, right?" Livio: "Nico! Nico!" Orphans: "Nico! Nico!" Conrad: "The accelerated growth comes at a price, but..." Black Suit A: "He's grown so much in just a few months." Black Suit C: "An unavoidable side effect." Black Suit B: "How terrible..." Black Suit C: "What a monster." Black Suit A: "We've got a runner!" Black Suit A: "Is that..." Black Suit A: "Hey! Don't move!" Black Suit B: "Hold it!" Black Suit C: "Stop!" Conrad: "What are you doing?! Don't hurt him! He's a test subject!" Conrad: "How splendid..." Wolfwood: "I'm going back to the orphanage!" Legato: "How is he maintaining his own will?" Legato: "S+ boy..." Legato: "You have a gift." Legato: "Starting today, you shall join the Eye of Michael." Legato: "I'm sure you'll like it. We worship a beautiful angel." Wolfwood: "I don't believe in any god." Legato: "Punishment..." Legato: "You will eliminate all abnormalities in Master Knives's noble plan." Legato: "Rebels." Legato: "Fugitives." Legato: "Losers." Wolfwood: "What a gross religion." Legato: "I'm sure you'll like it." Wolfwood: "That's a hard pass from me, idiot!" Legato: "This is your little brother, no?" Wolfwood: "Livio..." Legato: "I hear he volunteered himself to follow after you." Legato: "What beautiful fraternal love." Legato: "If you won't join us, he says he'll work for us instead. So what will it be?" Wolfwood: "Damn you and your freaky blue hair!" Legato: "Don't talk about my hair." Legato: "It's futile. My power isn't mere nerve control or electrical impulse." Wolfwood: "Livio... R-Run!" Legato: "Love, attachment... I simply don't get it." Legato: "There's no need for emotion." Legato: "Sacrifice everything to devotion, body and spirit." Legato: "Now come." Wolfwood: "No way, you creepy blue freak!" Conrad: "Bluesummers!" Legato: "Oh. You're here already." Conrad: "Please be gentle with him." Legato: "He's just a stray." Conrad: "He has S+ drug compatibility, the highest class." Legato: "Oh, dear, I'm so sorry..." Legato: "Priest William." Conrad: "You mustn't defile life!" Conrad: "Forgive us, boy." Wolfwood: "I'm sorry, Livio..." Wolfwood: "Please! Don't make me kill you!" Soldier 6-C: "There he is! Fire!" Soldier 6-C: "Fire!" Soldier 6-D: "He's still alive? But how?" Wolfwood: "Without the meds?" Vash: "Who is that guy?!" Wolfwood: "None of your business! Hurry and hide before he finds you." Vash: "Someone's gonna get killed!" Wolfwood: "You shouldn't be worrying about other people!" Vash: "You know him, don't you?! You have to help him!" Wolfwood: "It's too late." Wolfwood: "Hey! Don't go, Needle-noggin!" Vash: "Stop this! It's me you want, right?!" Livio: "I have to catch up..." Soldier 6-E: "Drop your weapons and surrender!" Vash: "Listen, you soldiers need to run!" Soldier 6-F: "Engaged on the lower deck. Need backup immediately." Soldier 6-E: "Put your hands up!" Wolfwood: "Idiots should stand back!" Vash: "Wolfwood?!" Wolfwood: "I told you to stand back, Needle-noggin!" Wolfwood: "I can't let you two kill each other!" Zazie: "The Punisher is in a bit of a bind, it seems!" Legato: "It is indeed a tough choice." Legato: "If his brother dies, other children at the orphanage will be next..." Legato: "until they find one with good drug compatibility." Zazie: "Humans have such bad taste." Legato: "He's purely trying to protect too much." Wolfwood: "Damn it!" Wolfwood: "Just hide already!" Vash: "But—" Wolfwood: "I'll beat your ass myself!" Humpback Pa: "We are currently assessing the situation. Please follow the attendants' instructions. Emergency deployment in progress." Wolfwood: "Hurry!" Legato: "There's no need for emotion." Legato: "Love, attachment... I simply don't get it." Legato: "Still can't give up on your little brother?" Legato: "Shouldn't you just accept reality already?" Wolfwood: "The ship's going off course?" Bad Lads: "All that glitters is ours! The most gorgeous and terrifying bandits you'll ever see! Here we go! Raiders of the desert!" Bad Lads: "Go, go, go!" Wolfwood: "The Bad Lads Gang? Now of all times?" Legato: "So... what's your next move, Punisher?" Legato: "Who will you kill?" Legato: "Who will you save?"

Humpback Bridge Crew: "Bridge to all hands! We've lost control of the helm! Cause unknown!" Humpback Bridge Crew: "We're off course!" Humpback Bridge Crew: "At this rate, we'll ram into Hopeland!" Wolfwood: "Oh, no..." Wolfwood: "That's where the orphanage is!" Bad Lads: "Find the goods! We're taking this ship, gang!" Wolfwood: "Damn it! We're busy here!" Bad Lads: "Crap! Run! Get back! What's with this guy?!" Bad Lads: "Don't hesitate! Push on!" Bad Lads: "It's open! We're taking over!" Wolfwood: "Damn, how many of these goons are there?" Wolfwood: "Move it, Needle-noggin! If you stay here, we'll just die together!" Bad Lads: "Grab anything that glitters!" Wolfwood: "Get going already!" Bad Lads: "Report to the boss!" Vash: "I'll be right back!" Wolfwood: "That idiot just won't listen! And neither do you!" Wolfwood: "You're staying here!" Wolfwood: "This is my responsibility. So I'll handle it... I'll kill you myself." Bad Lads: "Let's go!" Bad Lad 7-B: "Come on! Take a good one!" Meryl: "O-Of course... Well, here we go!" Meryl & Bad Lads 7-B Through 7-E: "Okay! Nice! Good!" Bad Lad 7-C: "I can't believe we're gonna be on the cover of an outlaw magazine!" Bad Lad 7-D: "Man, we've come so far!" Bad Lad 7-E: "Hey, you'd better not use any bad pictures! I'll gut you and feed your innards to the Worms!" Bad Lad 7-D: "Don't scare the kid, you idiot! That was just a joke, okay, little lady?" Bad Lad 7-B: "Hey, laugh more." Bad Lad 7-B: "Yeah, that's the spirit! Gotta keep smiling in life, right?" Meryl: "Roberto..." Roberto: "I don't even know." Bad Lad 7-B: "Who are you?!" Meryl: "Vash?!" Vash: "What are you guys doing here?" Meryl: "Er, gee, I wonder..." Roberto: "Where's the undertaker?" Vash: "He's..." Meryl: "More of them!" Vash: "Stand back." Vash: "Sorry. I'm in a hurry." Soldier 7-A: "Monsters..." Soldier 7-B: "H-H-Hey!" Soldiers: "Run! They'll kill us all!" Meryl: "Who is Vash, really?" Roberto: "Not human, that's for sure." Livio: "Catch up..." Livio: "I have to catch up." Young Livio: "I have to catch up. I have to be like Nico one day..." Livio: "I have to catch up to him..." Wolfwood: "Livio, you were always following me around." Wolfwood: "You're such a pain. You... need to stop chasing after me." Wolfwood: "You... Things would've been better off without you around." Wolfwood: "Wait for me in hell." Wolfwood: "Needle-noggin?!" Zazie: "Aww, it got shot." Legato: "Hurry up and prepare the next eye." Zazie: "Ooh, so scary." Wolfwood: "Why'd you come back?!" Vash: "He's important to you, right?" Vash: "I'll help." Wolfwood: "What? Enough already!" Wolfwood: "If I could do it, I would have by now!" Vash: "Bring back his real self!" Vash: "There has to be something he'd never forget!" Wolfwood: "Needle-noggin!" Wolfwood: "That blabbermouth... Who's behind this?" Wolfwood: "Something he'd never forget. Right." Meryl: "Undertaker?" Wolfwood: "This ends..." Wolfwood: "right now." Wolfwood: "Wake up already. You've always been like this. Whenever something bad happens, you hide under the blankets." Young Wolfwood: "Livio." Livio: "Nico..." Wolfwood: "Livio?" Master Chapel: "Remember this. Remember who you are. Kill all who stand in our way. Based on absolute veneration, fueled by complete self-sacrifice... The perfect executor. We are the Eye of Michael." Wolfwood: "Livio!" Wolfwood: "Livio!" Sailor A: "Stop this ship already!" Sailor B: "It's no use! The rudder won't respond! Damn it! What's going on?!" Sailor C: "This is bad. If we don't do something... we'll ram straight into Hopeland! We'll take out the whole town!" Meryl: "Something's wrong with the ship." Roberto: "What's going on?" Wolfwood: "Who did this?!" Zazie: "Is this what you wanted?" Legato: "Lack of faith is the real problem." Legato: "There's no need for emotion." Legato: "Without his little brother, without the orphanage, he can be the perfect believer." Zazie: "So that's why you sent the brother in." Legato: "I just want to spread the good word. That's all." Legato: "Why is that so hard?" Zazie: "I think it's a misunderstanding." Legato: "I've had enough. I'll take out the orphanage by force." Legato: "With his brother and the orphanage gone, I'm sure he'll change his mind." Legato: "This is my version of love..." Legato: "Punisher." Sailor D: "What's going on?! The upper deck is moving!" Sailor E: "We don't know!" Vash: "That's... an ion cannon." Meryl: "Ion cannon?!" Roberto: "C'mon, you gotta be kidding me. Not only is the ship going berserk, there's also a huge cannon?" Roberto: "Welp, I say it's time to throw in the towel." Meryl: "Roberto!" Roberto: "I don't know who orchestrated this, but we're done." Wolfwood: "That car... What are they doing here?" Zazie: "Hi!" Wolfwood: "We're stopping both the ion cannon and the ship." Roberto: "Seriously?" Meryl: "Do you know how?" Wolfwood: "Of course I frickin' don't!" Meryl: "Huh?" Wolfwood: "But we'll make it happen with guts and grit!" Meryl: "Huh? That's nonsense." Vash: "Follow me!" Roberto: "H-Hang on!" Meryl: "Why does this ship even have an ion cannon?" Vash: "It was originally for destroying obstacles. The ship uses parts from the Spacefaring Age." Vash: "And this is..." Meryl: "The control room?" Roberto: "Well, damn, it's actually a spaceship." Meryl: "I've never seen machines like this before." Vash: "Please work..." Meryl: "You did it!" Vash: "No, not yet." Vash: "It's not working... I can't move the shaft." Meryl: "So you can't stop it?" Vash: "The only way now is to turn the ship or the cannon manually." Roberto: "What? This huge thing? You can't be serious. That's—" Wolfwood: "Fine. I'll do it." Wolfwood: "It's the only way, right?!" Zazie: "Just be careful with the plant, okay?" Legato: "But of course. We'll bring it home without so much as a scratch." Vash: "There's no time." Wolfwood: "That's obvious!" Vash: "Take care of the cannon!" Wolfwood: "Ugh, damn it!" Wolfwood: "Okay." Wolfwood: "Hey! Watch what you're doing!" Humpback Ai: "Main cannon energy charging. Forty percent charged and rising." Vash: "Once we move the cannon, I want you to activate the trigger mechanism!" Humpback Ai: "Initiating firing sequence shortly." Roberto: "Let's go, newbie." Roberto: "I found a lifeboat. We can still make it." Meryl: "What? What are you talking about?" Roberto: "We're not risking our lives. That was our deal." Roberto: "What's your job? It's to survive and write an article about this. Stop trying to be a hero. We're both just normal people." Meryl: "You don't believe they can move the cannon?" Roberto: "Or stop the ship. Now let's go." Bad Lads: "Time to get out of here!" Wolfwood: "Damn it all to hell..." Wolfwood: "There's no way!" Wolfwood: "Any idiot would know this is impossible." Vash: "Buy us some time!" Roberto: "Come on, newbie, that's an order!" Humpback Ai: "Sixty percent charged and rising." Meryl: "I'm sorry, Roberto. Please go on without me. I'm staying put." Roberto: "You fool! You'll die here!" Meryl: "I know this is stupid!" Meryl: "So I won't blame anyone for running away." Meryl: "But me? I'm sick of it!" Meryl: "I regret what happened in Jeneora Rock. If only I had held on to Tonis," Meryl: "he wouldn't have lost his arm." Meryl: "I've regretted it all this time." Meryl: "And if I run away now, I'll feel the same way." Meryl: "So..." Meryl: "I'm staying right here!" Humpback Ai: "Eighty percent charged." Vash: "I'm sorry, Wolfwood." Wolfwood: "What're you going on about now?" Vash: "There was something you wanted to protect more than anything else." Wolfwood: "Enough already! This isn't the time!" Humpback Ai: "Main cannon firing sequence 90 percent complete. Ninety-one. Ninety-two." Wolfwood: "Save it for after everything works out!" Humpback Ai: "Ninety-three. Ninety-four." Humpback Ai: "Ninety-six. Ninety-seven." Humpback Ai: "Ninety-eight. Ninety-nine." Humpback Ai: "One hundred percent. Plant output at maximum." Vash & Wolfwood: "Now!" Meryl: "Right!" Wolfwood: "No time to rest. I'll stop this ship by making it self-destruct." Vash: "What about the people on board?" Wolfwood: "This isn't the time for that!" Vash: "I'll save both the town and the ship!" Wolfwood: "If you can't kill anyone, you can't save anyone!" Vash: "There's a way!" Wolfwood: "Have it your way. Just for today! I do owe you one. But if the orphanage doesn't survive this, I'll hurt you so bad you'll wish you were dead before I kill you." Vash: "Wolfwood..." Wolfwood: "Shut up! I'm the Punisher." Wolfwood: "I'm not like you." Wolfwood: "I'm Nicholas the Punisher." Meryl: "Huh?" Humpback Ai: "Warning. Settlement ahead. Emergency evasion advised." Meryl: "Wh-What should I do?!" Humpback Ai: "Repeat: Settlement ahead." Vash: "You go to the engine room!" Wolfwood: "What about you?!" Vash: "Take care of the engine room!" Vash: "I'm so sorry for this." Vash: "I need your help." Humpback Ai: "Warning. Approaching settlement. Please take evasive action." Sailor: "Who are you?!" Wolfwood: "Out of the way!" Humpback Ai: "Repeat: Please take evasive action." Wolfwood: "Stop already!" Sailor: "W-We stopped..." Legato: "A sandstorm?" Legato: "Is that your doing?" Zazie: "Of course not. Can I go home now?" Legato: "Not yet. Go pick up Double Fang." Legato: "He's still of use." Meryl: "Vash?!" Wolfwood: "Where'd Needle-noggin go?" Meryl: "The only place we haven't checked is the plant room." Meryl: "Vash!" Meryl: "Vash..." Meryl: "That pattern..."

Rem: "There! We're rolling. Today is the twins' first birthday!" Rem: "It's already been a year, huh? It really went by in a flash." Young Knives: "You made food for me again." Young Vash: "Come on! Let's eat already!" Young Knives: "I don't have to eat like Vash does." Young Vash: "Hey, I'm a plant, too." Young Knives: "This is such a waste." Rem: "It doesn't matter whether you eat it or not. It's about making sure everyone gets a share. It's not a waste at all." Young Knives: "Rem, the recording light's off." Young Vash: "Oh, you're right." Rem: "What?!" Rem: "Hey, you two!" Young Vash: "You're watching that again?" Young Knives: "You're such a doting parent." Rem: "Oh, you didn't know? I'm the most doting parent in the universe... of the cutest twins in the universe." Young Vash: "Let's do a birthday party again next year." Young Knives: "You must be joking." Rem: "We will. For sure." Young Vash: "Nai? Where'd you go?" Young Knives: "A brilliant success! I finally did it!" Young Vash: "But you killed even Rem!" Young Knives: "Don't you scold me." Young Knives: "You're my accomplice." Young Knives: "You're the one who gave me the program access code!" Young Knives: "Right, Vash?" Young Vash: "I have to find Rem... Our ship..." Young Vash: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I never imagined anything like this would happen!" Young Vash: "I want this all to end..." Young Vash: "I want to disappear..." Brad: "Hey, it's a kid! He's still alive!" Luida: "I knew it..." Luida: "There's no mistaking it. That's a plant reaction." Brad: "He looks human to me." Luida: ""Independents."" Brad: "Inde... whatsits?" Luida: "Plants are usually cloned from an original cell. But on rare occasion, plants can actually give birth." Brad: "You're telling me this plant was born from another? Seriously?" Brad: "What risks does he pose? Shouldn't we toss him in a case like the other normal plants?" Luida: "No... I don't think so." Brad: "You're not sure? Who knows better, then?" Luida: "One of the Sinners in molecular plant studies. Or maybe Conrad, the team leader." Brad: "Conrad? From Ship Five?" Young Vash: "Where am I?" Brad: "Hey, he talks!" Luida: "Well, his genetic makeup is very human." Brad: "That's not what I meant!" Luida: "What did you mean, then? You're too rattled." Brad: "Ugh! Whatever." Luida: "Do you remember which ship you were on?" Young Vash: "Ship Five." Young Vash: "Do you know what happened to the ship? To Rem?" Luida: "Officer Rem Saverem, on duty at the time of the crash..." Luida: "Do you know her?" Young Vash: "She raised us." Brad: ""Us"?" Luida: "Were there other Independents?" Young Vash: "Just one more... But he's probably dead." Brad: "So you ditched everyone and ran on your own? What a shit." Luida: "Come on, Brad!" Brad: "He's hiding something." Luida: "You think he's suspicious? He's just a kid." Brad: "I'll go find Ship Five." Luida: "It's been over eighty hours since the crash. There's very little chance anyone survived." Brad: "Maybe they activated their gravity plant in the nick of time like we did." Young Vash: "Why did you save me?" Luida: "Huh?" Young Vash: "I wanted to die there." Luida: "We're only here because we got lucky. So we survivors can't talk like that, even if we don't mean it." Luida: "Let's think about what we can do starting now." Luida: "What's your name?" Young Vash: "Vash." Luida: "I'm Luida Leitner. I wound up in charge of this ship, Ship Three." Luida: "Can I ask you a few questions?" Luida: "What do you produce as a generator? Electricity? Chemical compounds? Or maybe amino acids?" Young Vash: "Nothing." Young Vash: "Unlike normal plants, I can't make anything." Young Vash: "The other one wasn't like me. All I do is eat, drink, and sleep." Luida: "Right. Like a human." Young Vash: "You told me to think about what I can do starting now... But I can't do anything. Nothing at all." Luida: "Brad called in. He rescued survivors from Ship Five, but Rem wasn't there." Luida: "The ship was in ruins, so I'm sorry. She probably..." Luida: "Rem stayed aboard until the bitter end, trying to stop the crash. The survivors told us." Luida: "This is all you could find of Rem's?" Brad: "We spent two weeks in the rubble to find this. I don't want to hear any complaints." Luida: "I'm sorry. Did you find anything else?" Brad: "We recovered the black box. It's badly damaged, though. Not sure if we can analyze it. There's also this, but it's no good." Luida: "Ship Five was destroyed, and ours is in pretty bad shape... We're stuck." Brad: "So, how long are you going to keep that kid around?" Luida: "Didn't like the food?" Young Vash: "I'm not going to eat it. You should stop bringing it to me. It's a waste." Luida: "It doesn't matter whether you eat it or not." Luida: "We found this in the ruins of Ship Five." Luida: "She really cared for you." Luida: "Believe in yourself. There has to be something that only you can do." Young Vash: "I can't do anything..." Crew A: "Is that the monster?" Crew B: "Look at him! So grotesque." Crew C: "Just kill him already." Rem: "Meeting you has brought me so much joy..." Brad: "There's no point keeping him alive. Like he said, he's a plant that doesn't produce anything. Luida, are you listening?" Luida: "Hold on. I'm almost done reconstructing this." Luida: "Got it!" Rem: "Critical error in navigation settings. Time to emergency cryosleep recovery is... One hour?! They won't make it in time at this rate... The injection data was replaced?! Who did this...?" Luida: "Wait, is this..." Rem: "Manually repairing trajectory control system. Control thrusters at maximum. Please hurry!" Brad: "It's the electricity plant!" Luida: "The flower... is opening up?" Luida: "What is this? Its vitals are all over the place." Brad: "What's causing it?" Luida: "I don't know." Luida: "If, let's say, the plants aren't compatible with this planet's environment..." Brad: "We all die out here?" Brad: "After all we've been through to survive... Isn't there anything we can do?" Civilian A: "Hey! Come to the cell!" Luida: "What's wrong?" Civilian A: "It's the kid!" Young Vash: "Hey! Did something happen to the plant?!" Luida: "How did you know?" Brad: "Must have overheard it somehow." Luida: "I'm sorry, but we're busy. I have to get back there..." Young Vash: "Its voice! I can hear it! The plant is calling out for help!" Brad: "Don't trust him. He's just making stuff up to get out." Young Vash: "Let me meet the plant! Its voice is fading!" Brad: "He's gotta be lying!" Young Vash: "At this rate, the plant..." Brad: "Luida." Luida: "You heard the reconstruction earlier, right?" Brad: "Huh?" Luida: "I don't know who Rem was, but..." Brad: "Whoa, whoa." Luida: "She sacrificed herself trying to stop that great crash. I'm sure it's safe." Brad: "Hey!" Luida: "Rem trusted him. I do, too!" Rem: "Do you remember that story I told you before?" Rem: "We all have a blank ticket with no listed destination. What you put there is up to you. No matter the darkness you find yourself in, you'll always have that ticket waiting for you to write in where to go." Rem: "Nai, Vash... The two of you will be just fine." Young Vash: "I can hear you. Don't worry." Young Vash: "I'm right here." Luida: "Thank you, Vash. You saved a lot of lives today." Young Vash: "It was nothing. I just did what I could." Luida: "Come with me." Young Vash: "What's this?" Luida: "Your room! Starting today, you're officially a resident of Ship Three." Luida: "I'm sorry for how we treated you before now." Young Vash: "Thank you, Luida!" Luida: "Thank Brad, too. I wouldn't have been able to convince everyone on my own." Young Vash: "Brad?" Brad: "Hey, I told you not to tell him." Luida: "He's nicer than he looks." Luida: "Instead of handcuffs, you'll have a guard from now on. Bear with us for a little while. We won't need that before long either." Brad: "Who knows? I still don't trust him. One wrong move, and I'll let you have it." Luida: "Sure, sure." Luida: "Oh, and Vash, about what we do starting now..." Luida: "Could you take a look at the other plants as well?" Brad: "Are you tired?" Teenage Vash: "Yeah." Brad: "This is our fifth trip this year." Teenage Vash: "Thanks for coming along, Brad." Brad: "Like I said, my mission's just to keep an eye on you." Brad: "Besides, this is heaven compared to how things were after the crash." Brad: "Have a drink. It's a long ways back." Teenage Vash: "You're a nice guy, Brad." Teenage Vash: "Though you look scary." Brad: "Give that back." Teenage Vash: "No way!" Brad: "You little... Jeez." Luida: "Vash." Teenage Vash: "What's up?" Luida: "Ta-da! This is for you, Vash! It's from everyone on Ship Three." Teenage Vash: "Wow, it's brand new! Clothes are so hard to get." Teenage Vash: "What a pretty shade of red." Luida: "Is it too flashy?" Teenage Vash: "No, I like red. Rem did, too. She raised lots of red geraniums." Luida: "Geraniums?" Teenage Vash: "Yeah." Teenage Vash: "Thank you. I'm so glad I get to live with you all. This is my home." Luida: "Your home, huh? I love that! I've been thinking for a while now that "Ship Three" is a little bland. Starting today, we'll call this place home!" Luida: "Yours and ours." Teenage Vash: "This is still a bit big for me." Teenage Vash: "Home, huh..." Luida: "You're getting along with Vash better than I thought." Brad: "Not really. I'm just making sure he doesn't do anything bad." Luida: "You just can't be honest." Luida: "That's... the black box. I thought you couldn't repair it." Brad: "Not back then. But it's been five years. Things change. The tech, my skills... Lots of people are still blaming themselves because we don't know what caused the crash." Brad: "I did it!" Brad: "Hey, is that..." Young Knives: "A brilliant success! I finally did it!" Young Vash: "But you killed even Rem!" Young Knives: "Don't you scold me. You're my accomplice." Young Knives: "You're the one who gave me the program access code." Luida: "Who's that with Vash?" Brad: "It has to be the other Independent. He didn't die in the crash after all." Luida: "Why would he lie about that?" Brad: "Because they're working together, that's why! He's never been on the side of us humans!" Brad: "He's been betraying us this whole time!" Luida: "He heard us." Brad: "There has to be a clue here about the other Independent." Brad: "Find something?" Vash: "Thanks to everyone, I was able to get back on my feet again. I consider all of you as family," Vash: "so I couldn't continue to lie." Vash: "I'm so sorry." Vash: "No matter how much you want to forget the past, there is no escape. It's time for me to face" Vash: "that an Independent will make up for what an Independent did." Luida: ""This is my atonement."" Luida: "We have to go after him." Luida: "Don't stop me." Brad: "I won't. When you see Vash, please apologize for me. I said some terrible things." Luida: "Tell him yourself. I'm bringing him back!" Vash: "Home..." Vash: "Did they save me?"

Younger Conrad: "I got what you asked for." Younger Conrad: "What are you trying to do?" Younger Conrad: "What's that?" Teenage Nai: "What is this?" Younger Conrad: "We've hit the production limit." Younger Conrad: "They put too great a load on the plants." Younger Conrad: "It cut them off from the higher dimension." Younger Conrad: "They can't maintain their bodies." Younger Conrad: "They're already in the terminal stage..." Researcher A: "What are you doing? This area is off-limits." Younger Conrad: "What are you doing?! Why did you continue to overload them beyond the threshold? As if they're disposable?!" Researcher A: "Isn't it obvious? To speed up the reconstruction." Researcher B: "It's the only way we can hope to prosper on this planet." Researcher A: "Now leave. Their Last Run will start soon." Teenage Nai: ""Last Run"?" Younger Conrad: "Let's go." Teenage Nai: "Heal them. Heal them now, Doctor!" Younger Conrad: "It's too late..." Researcher A: "This is it." Researcher A: "The Last Run... When you force a plant that's reached its production limit to go out of control, it uses up all of its remaining energy. One final harvest." Younger Conrad: "I'm sorry. Please forgive us..." Younger Conrad: "Forgive us humans." Teenage Vash: "Nai..." Teenage Vash: "I knew you were alive." Teenage Nai: "Vash, you must have heard them. Their screams." Teenage Nai: "Now you know. This is the true nature of humanity." Researcher A: "They're born to serve us humans. I'm sure they were happy to be useful." Researcher A: "Now, we're busy here. I'll have to ask you outsiders to leave." Researcher E: "Hurry it up." Younger Conrad: "Stop! Don't touch him!" Teenage Nai: "Didn't you hear them? Their dying cries?!" Teenage Nai: "If so, there's no need for words..." Teenage Nai: "Just let me hear your screams." Researcher C: "Shit!" Teenage Vash: "Stop this, Nai!" Teenage Nai: ""Nai," huh?" Teenage Nai: "I haven't heard that name in a long time." Teenage Nai: "I now represent my myriad of brethren spread across the planet. I shall cut down humanity in their stead." Teenage Nai: "I am Millions Knives." Teenage Vash: "Why? Why did you kill them?" Teenage Vash: "Rem sacrificed herself to save these people!" Teenage Nai: "That's right. If it weren't for her meddling," Teenage Nai: "every ship other than the plant carriers would've been rubble." Teenage Nai: "After all the work I did to swap out the navigation data for every single ship..." Researcher A: "Get them!" Researcher F: "Don't move!" Teenage Nai: "Vash... Let's build a paradise together." Teenage Nai: "Free our brethren from the foul humans." Teenage Vash: "Plants can't survive without humans to take care of them. Remember what Rem said?" Teenage Vash: "Outside of human control, plants use up all their energy in one burst and die." Teenage Nai: "So you bought into that nonsense..." Teenage Nai: "No matter how comfortable, chains are still chains. But we're different. You and I have our own will, and we walk freely. This is power!" Researcher A: "We had to do this to survive—" Teenage Nai: "An evil weapon of the Sinners, taking lives easily from afar with the twitch of a finger..." Teenage Nai: "A fitting arm for a human-lover like you." Teenage Nai: "The plants are the ones who need power." Teenage Nai: "I have what we need. Now all you and I need to do is proceed." Teenage Vash: "What are you planning?" Luida: "Vash!" Younger Conrad: "Luida!" Teenage Vash: "What are you doing here?" Luida: "I came to get you. Let's go home together." Teenage Nai: "What a great opportunity. Take aim, Vash." Teenage Nai: "Kill her as your first step." Luida: "Everyone's waiting for you." Luida: "Vash!" Teenage Nai: "What's wrong? Do it already." Teenage Nai: "You really can't do anything without me." Teenage Vash: "Nai!" Teenage Vash: "Until the bitter end, all I did was let Rem protect me!" Teenage Vash: "Because of that, I lost her!" Teenage Vash: "So I won't let you take anyone else away from me!" Teenage Nai: "Vash!" Teenage Nai: "You witch..." Teenage Nai: "How many times?" Teenage Nai: "How many times will you steal him from me?" Teenage Vash: "Stop..." Teenage Vash: "Stop this." Younger Conrad: "Wh-What's that?!" Teenage Vash: "What..." Teenage Vash: "is this?" Teenage Nai: "You fool!" Younger Conrad: "Is that... a gate?" Luida: "Vash!" Teenage Nai: "Don't touch him!" Teenage Nai: "Don't touch Vash!" Teenage Nai: "Just wait for a short while... A mere century or so." Teenage Nai: "I promise I'll build a world of plants." Luida: "Vash! Vash!" Luida: "Vash!" Brad: "Hey, Vash. Heard you busted your arm again." Vash: "Brad..." Brad: "Every time you come back, you've messed up my masterpiece." Vash: "I, uh... don't have anything to say for myself." Brad: "Come on. Show it to me." Vash: "You never change, Brad." Brad: "Look who's talking. Forever young... I'm jealous." Brad: "Come on. Stay still." Luida: "Welcome back." Vash: "I'm home." Vash: "What about the others?" Luida: "They're safe. Everyone from the Sand Steamer, the orphanage, and your friends." Vash: "My friends?" Meryl: "Vash!" Roberto: "Sheesh." Wolfwood: "Who said anything about being friends?" Vash: "Thank you. You're the reason we managed to stop the ship." Wolfwood: "Who'd've thought there was a spaceship hiding here in the sandstorm, though?" Roberto: "Think of it as a form of camouflage." Meryl: "You folks really saved us." Meryl: "Have you two known Vash for a long time?" Brad: "Yeah, you could say that. About 150 years, I guess." Meryl: "What?!" Roberto: "A century and a half?!" Luida: "Cold sleep." Brad: "We don't age during that time." Luida: "We have to maintain this ship for as long as possible." Luida: "To that end, many of the passengers are still asleep." Wolfwood: "Oh. So it's not eternal life." Luida: "Of course not. We're only human. Although we have a little help from technology." Meryl: "And from plants?" Luida: "Let me show you something." Meryl: "Wow!" Meryl: "Incredible... What is this place?" Meryl: "So much beautiful green!" Roberto: "Well, color me surprised." Meryl: "Roberto! Come here, come here!" Roberto: "Now, now..." Meryl: "Ouch..." Meryl: "What are these?" Luida: "These are flora." Meryl: "Flora?" Luida: "They grow using photosynthesis and multiply. They're a life-form that is neither human nor Worm." Meryl: "They're alive?" Luida: "They're made of not just water, but nutrients as well." Meryl: "So if we just make more of these..." Roberto: "Is it that simple?" Roberto: "This dome must be supported by plants." Roberto: "And not just one or two." Luida: "But the flora can lessen the load on the plants." Luida: "Given time, we can spread the greenery across the entire planet." Roberto: "Yeah? And how long is that going to take? Decades? Centuries?" Luida: "No matter how long it takes, I want to follow the right path." Luida: "I don't want to justify wrongdoing just to survive." Roberto: "You sound like Vash. "The right path"? Jeez..." Roberto: "There's no place for niceties on this planet." Roberto: "I don't care for your way of thinking." Roberto: "But you're free to go your own way. And I'll go mine. I just hope we're headed for the same goal." Luida: "There's one thing I need to tell you." Roberto: "What?" Luida: "No smoking on the ship." Meryl: "Right after he sounded so cool for once..." Roberto: "Meryl! Go find somewhere I can smoke!" Meryl: "Yeah, yeah. Or you could do it yourself—" Meryl: "Roberto! Did you just call me "Meryl"? You finally said my name!" Roberto: "Huh? Did I?" Meryl: "You did!" Roberto: "I don't believe it." Meryl: "What do you mean? You just said it!" Roberto: "Didn't happen." Meryl: "Come on! Say it again!" Roberto: "Didn't happen! Didn't happen! Didn't happen!" Wolfwood: "Okay, Needle-noggin... I got something to ask you." Vash: "Hm?" Wolfwood: "You don't, by any chance, think you can make up with Millions Knives, do you?" Wolfwood: "C'mon, Needle-noggin..." Vash: "I won't kill." Vash: "I will never kill anyone again." Vash: "I'll find a way to save them all..." Vash: "The humans, the plants, and Nai." Wolfwood: "More empty words." Wolfwood: "I swear to you the day will come when you have to pick between them." Brad: "You're just like how I used to be." Wolfwood: "Huh?" Brad: "Trying to bite Vash's head off, thinking everything's all black and white. I was like that as a young one." Wolfwood: "Big talk, old man." Brad: "Vash is tough. You'll learn that yourself if you hang around." Vash: "Luida!" Luida: "A swarm of Worms..." Vash: "Is this..." Luida: "Look." Wolfwood: "It's Zazie. No doubt about it." Meryl: "Where are we?" Meryl: "Roberto! Wake up, Roberto!" Roberto: "Hm? It's night already?" Meryl: "Are you okay?" Roberto: "Hey there, newbie. You good?" Roberto: "So... where are we?" Meryl: "I don't know." Roberto: "A smoking area, maybe?" Meryl: "Keep dreaming." Zazie: "Welcome to the third of the seven cities." Zazie: "This is JuLai, a crashed plant carrier." Meryl: "You there... Have we met?" Zazie: "Oh, right, you haven't seen me in this outfit before." Roberto: "Did Knives send you?" Meryl: "Huh?" Zazie: "Let's talk about something more interesting." Zazie: "This planet you call Noman's Land now stands at a crossroads." Zazie: "So I want to find out... Who do we Worms side with? You humans? Or the plants?" Zazie: "It's no use." Zazie: "This body is just a conduit." Roberto: "Who are you to make such a grand judgment?" Zazie: "This is our planet." Zazie: "We were here long before you came." Zazie: "Besides, you're repeat offenders." Meryl: ""Repeat offenders"?" Zazie: "You humans messed up your home planet, Earth, right?" Zazie: "That's why you sent colony ships to this new planet." Meryl: "What? That can't be..." Zazie: "It's true." Zazie: "Earth used to be a lush place of bountiful resources." Zazie: "It was full of life, and not just human." Zazie: "But..." Zazie: "You humans gobbled it all up." Meryl: "That's a lie." Zazie: "Why do you think the colony ships crashed?" Zazie: "Those twins did it." Meryl: "Twins?" Roberto: "That's crazy talk." Meryl: "Do you mean Vash? What has he been doing in the century and a half since the crash?" Zazie: "Maybe for plants, a century and a half is nothing." Meryl: "These are..." Zazie: "Knives brought them here from all over." Roberto: "Knives did?" Conrad: "What are you doing?" Zazie: "Whoops, he's discovered us." Conrad: "So it's you, the Beast." Conrad: "Why did you bring them here?" Zazie: "I don't take orders from you." Zazie: "Knives accepted me as a guest." Meryl: "Please tell me! Why collect the red plants?" Conrad: "You don't need to know." Zazie: "I'll tell you. But you have to tell me in return..." Zazie: "Who will benefit this planet more? Humans?" Zazie: "Or plants?"

Arata: "Everything was shrouded in total black." Arata: "I have to take her hand." Arata: "And in order to take her hand..." Arata: "Just for that purpose..." Arata: "I will..." Arata: "Oh, Hijiri..." Arata: "Good morning. Breakfast?" Arata: "Don't you "Breakfast?" me!" Arata: "Come on... Are you still mad?" Hijiri: "Don't you have something to say to me?" Arata: "Like, "I guess you've gotten a little bigger"?" Hijiri: "No!" Arata: "Why? Being bigger is a good thing." Hijiri: "That's not the issue here!" Arata: "Look at that." Arata: "You were such a sweet little girl when you drew that." Hijiri: "Why do you have a drawing from that long ago?! That's just embarrassing..." Arata: "It's too late." Arata: "I've already set your drawing as the background on my phone!" Arata: "W-Wait! Time out!" Hijiri: "Wait!" Arata: "My name is Arata Kasuga," Arata: "and this is my cousin and childhood friend, Hijiri Kasuga. There are some annoyances here and there, but honestly, I don't dislike this uneventful sort of life." Hijiri: "The weather's great again today. I'm glad it's sunny out. Aren't you, Arata-san?" Arata: "Huh?" Arata: "Is the sun..." Arata: "I guess I'm just imagining things." Lilith: "Awaken now, Arata Kasuga." Lilith: "If you do not, I will have to kill you." Lilith: "Awaken now, Arata Kasuga." Hijiri: "Arata-san." Hijiri: "This is where you've been?" Hijiri: "What's the matter? You look as if you're deep in thought." Arata: "Hey, Hijiri..." Arata: "Has the sun always been black?" Hijiri: "Huh?" Hijiri: "The sun has always been black." Hijiri: "It was black when you were born, and before you were born, too." Arata: "Are you being serious?" Hijiri: "I am. That's the sort of world you lived in, and the sort of world you wished for." Arata: "The world I wished for?" Hijiri: "Yes. A world where I'm there, and you're there, and where having fun every day is our way of life. So," Hijiri: "If you stay with me forever, your own Hijiri will do whatever you want." Hijiri: "Now, Arata-san..." Hijiri: "Don't forget me." Hijiri: "What's wrong?" Arata: "Are you..." Hijiri: "Wh-What are you saying? I'm Hijiri. I am. I'm your cousin and childhood friend." Arata: "When is my birthday?" Hijiri: "June 18th." Arata: "What's my favorite food?" Hijiri: "Fried chicken." Arata: "Where do I hide my dirty magazines?" Hijiri: "Under your bed." Hijiri: "You still don't believe me? You know I would never lie to you, Arata-san." Arata: "Then..." Hijiri: "Huh? I-It's black, of course—" Arata: "That's a lie." Arata: "Then why did you draw the sun red when you were little?" Arata: "Hijiri wouldn't lie to me." Arata: "Who are you?" Arata: "Where's the real Hijiri?" Hijiri: "Oh, man, you got me." Hijiri: "I see. I see. I didn't see that coming at all." Hijiri: "I never thought you'd figure it out from that child's drawing." Hijiri: "That was quite the vicious greeting, mage." Lilith: "So you've finally revealed your true colors, cracker!" Arata: "You're the girl from this morning with the outrageous boobs!" Lilith: "My name's Lilith Asami." Arata: "Wh-Why do you look like you're dressed to kill?!" Lilith: "It should be obvious that this is a mage combat uniform." Arata: "Mage?!" Hijiri: "You have a vague idea of what's happening, don't you?" Arata: "Wh-What is this place?" Hijiri: "This is the world you lived in before." Lilith: "It happened about three days ago." Lilith: "A large-scale gravitational fluctuation of unknown origin was detected in this area." Lilith: "We call it a breakdown phenomenon. Swallowed up by the gravitational quake, this whole town..." Hijiri: "You remember now?" Arata: "That's right..." Arata: "A black sun... Its black light swallowed" Hijiri: "Arata-san, take this." Hijiri: "Please." Hijiri: "Save Arata-san." Hijiri: "Grant his wish." Arata: "H-Hey, who are you talking to?" Arata: "What's going on?" Hijiri: "Try to wake up on time in the mornings after I'm gone." Hijiri: "Make sure you eat three meals a day." Hijiri: "And keep the place clean, too." Hijiri: "And..." Hijiri: "And... Don't" Arata: "Hijiri!" Arata: "Hijiri!" Arata: "What's going on?" Arata: "There's nothing here." Arata: "Where is everyone?!" Arata: "This is worse than a bad joke! Hey. If you can really grant my wish," Arata: "then give me my normal life back right now!" Arata: "I created this..." Hijiri: "That's right. I was told to grant your wish, so I created this world exactly as you wished." Lilith: "I was surprised, as well. I was dispatched here by the school to investigate this breakdown phenomenon, and I found..." Lilith: "There was a city here, where there was supposed to be nothing." Hijiri: "A simple feat for the likes of me." Lilith: "A dangerous grimoire... If you had failed," Lilith: "And you created another world..." Lilith: "That's not something a normal grimoire could do!" Lilith: "Make your choice, Arata Kasuga. You can have that grimoire dispel this fabricated world right now," Lilith: "and I promise that you will be able to live out your days peacefully. However, we will dispose of the grimoire, and erase all your memories of Hijiri Kasuga and the others. And your other option: if you won't hand over the grimoire, I will have to kill you here. After all, it was you who wished for this world to be created," Lilith: "not anyone else." Arata: "So if I want to live, I have to forget everything?" Arata: "And Hijiri..." Arata: "Hijiri?" Arata: "Hey! What happened to Hijiri?" Arata: "Where is she?" Hijiri: "She's alive." Hijiri: "This form of mine is a shadow projection of her." Hijiri: "A rift in space-time.... Somewhere in this world..." Hijiri: "At any rate, she is, without a doubt, alive." Arata: "Hijiri's alive..." Arata: "I see..." Arata: "I've decided." Arata: "I won't hand over the grimoire." Lilith: "What? You're..." Arata: "But I won't die, either." Arata: "I'm going to pick the third option." Arata: "So this is it..." Arata: "Royal Biblia Academy..." Arata: "This magic school sure is in the middle of nowhere." Lilith: "I can't believe you were allowed to get away with that. This has never happened before." Arata: "What's the problem?" Arata: "Good to know you, Lilith Asami." Lilith: "You're going to become a mage?!" Lilith: "Are you serious?!" Arata: "I am." Arata: "Mages have grimoires, right? Which means I can become one, too, right?" Lilith: "I've never heard of that happening! B-But it's true you were able to create a world like this..." Arata: "Then I'll become one, no matter how small that possibility is." Arata: "Anyway... So you're a teacher here, huh?" Arata: "How old are you?" Lilith: "The same age as you." Lilith: "Also, call me by my name, Lilith. You're really rude, you know that?" Arata: "Oh, right. Sorry about that." Lilith: "This is your classroom. Make sure you greet everyone properly." Arata: "R-Right." Lilith: "So this is the new transfer student, Arata Kasuga." Arata: "My name is Arata Kasuga." Arata: "Nice to meet you all." Selina: "Over here! Question!" Lilith: "Go ahead, Selina-san." Selina: "What type of girls do you like?" Arata: "Girls with big boobs." Selina: "Wow, that was straightforward." Arata: "Though, I could probably love a girl without boobs, too." Selina: "And that doesn't do much to smooth it over!" Arata: "Also, she's gotta have a pretty face." Selina: "So, to be blunt, you're every girl's enemy." Selina: "Got it." Lilith: "Do you feel better now? Then..." Selina: "Excuse me... Is it true that you constructed a new world, something that only someone of the demon lord class could do?" Arata: "Yeah." Arata: "Can't anyone do that?" Lilith: "Hey, Arata..." A: "He's the real deal!" B: "We've got a demon lord candidate here!" Selina: "Extra!" Selina: "The new transfer student possesses magic on the level of a demon lord! He supposedly constructed a world on his own, too!" G: "Getting called a demon lord the day you transfer here, huh?" Lilith: "It's nothing to laugh at, Headmaster." Lilith: "We couldn't even hold class today because of this." Arata: "Hey, it sounds cool, so who cares?" Lilith: "You be quiet." G: "No, this is interesting." G: "I welcome you on behalf of the school, Arata Kasuga." G: "Royal Biblia Academy is a super-secret organization that educates mages. We receive funds from nations and governments worldwide, and we investigate unsolved and potentially magic-related cases... That is what we mages do." G: "We're also called Magus." Arata: "So if I become one of those, then I can get Hijiri back?" G: "Who knows?" G: "Magic allows for all possibilities." G: "In other words, whether it's possible or not is up to you." Arata: "Is there a shortcut?" Lilith: "Of course not. Only your effort and discipline can—" Arata: "But... He said magic allows for all possibilities." Lilith: "That was..." G: "Yes, I certainly did." Lilith: "Headmaster!" G: "What's the problem?" G: "This school has seven students who are like boss characters in a game." Arata: "Boss characters?" G: "The Trinity Seven." G: "That's what they're called. Seven girl mages who excel in their own fields." G: "Lilith-chan is one of them." Arata: "Is she? She does have a nice figure." Lilith: "Wha—" Lilith: "H-How I look is irrelevant." G: "Anyway, if you get to know the Trinity Seven and make some of them your pawns," G: "you might just figure out what mages are pretty quickly." Arata: "I get it." Lilith: "Don't agree with him!" Lilith: "For goodness' sake... Don't take him seriously, okay?" Arata: "Seriously, huh?" Levi: "Oh, so you noticed my presence." Arata: "Amazing. You're a ninja." Levi: "Cool, right?" Levi: "Nice to meet you, Arata-san. I'm a ninja. The name's Levi Kazama." Arata: "Huh? You're not a mage?" Levi: "Ninja arts, arts of astrology, arts of the bedroom... They all fall under magic arts." Arata: "Arts of the bedroom?" Lilith: "Th-That's none of your business!" Levi: "You're as pure as ever, Lilith-sensei." Lilith: "A-Anyway," Lilith: "Levi-san is one of the Trinity Seven." Arata: "Oh, then you're pretty awesome, or something, right?" Levi: "Oh, yeah, really awesome. I am a ninja, after all." Levi: "I know everything from assassination to really sexy ninja techniques." Lilith: "H-Hey! Hey! Hey!" Levi: "I was just kidding." Levi: "You're a pretty up-front guy. I find that fun." Arata: "I'm just acting normal, as far as I can tell..." Lilith: "No, you're definitely weird, Arata." Arata: "By the way, what are the other Trinity Seven like?" Lilith: "Huh?" Levi: "Oh, as it happens, they're right there." Levi: "Looks like they're heading out for an information control mission." Levi: "Akio Fudo-san and Mira Yamana-san. In terms of pure ability, Mira-san is said to be more capable than Lilith-sensei." Levi: "And Akio-san is unrivaled in terms of attack capabilities." Arata: "They're all girls..." Levi: "Magic is the research of the mind and emotions." Levi: "So girls are more suited towards it." Arata: "So it's better to be more emotional? Like being honest with your desires?" Lilith: "Th-That's not right." Lilith: "You need to show restraint with such things..." Levi: "Look, she's blushing. Turns you on, doesn't it?" Arata: "You know it." Levi: "Lilith-sensei just loves to learn more about things." Arata: "Oh-ho-ho-ho!" Lilith: "Arata!" Arata: "Ow... She's pretty emotional, all right." Levi: "No, I've never seen Lilith-sensei having so much fun." Arata: "Really?" Levi: "She's usually a total ice princess." Arata: "Really?" Levi: "If she's different with you, then I guess you might just be special." Arata: "That was a long day." Arata: "Oh, so that's where you were." Sora: "You're not surprised?" Arata: "Well, not after everything that's happened." Sora: "Hey, you wanna take a bath?" Arata: "A bath?" Sora: "There's nothing like a bath when you're tired." Arata: "That's true." Arata: "Hello." Arin: "Hello." Arin: "That's not the shampoo." Arin: "That's the shampoo." Arin: "Did it get in your eyes?" Arata: "Not that! You're supposed to go "Eek!" or something!" Arin: "Oh." Arin: "Eeeeek." Arata: "Talk about monotone!" Arata: "Huh?" Arata: "You..." Arin: "My bust size is 82C." Arata: "Thank you for the feast!" Lilith: "Hey, what's the matter, Ara—" Lilith: "Wait... Put on some clothes!" Arata: "Yes! That's the right reaction!" Arata: "Lilith, you're spot on." Arata: "B-But forget that! Hijiri's in there!" Lilith: "Oh, you mean Arin-san, right?" Arata: "You knew about her?" Lilith: "Yes, Arin Kannazuki-san." Lilith: "She's one of the Trinity Seven, as well." Arata: "So it's not her, then..." Lilith: "Right. To me, it's Hijiri-san who looks like Arin-san... Huh?" Lilith: "Arin-san!" Lilith: "This is the men's bath!" Arin: "I thought it'd be okay, since there are no men here." Lilith: "Well, there's one here now!" Arin: "I don't mind." Lilith: "You should!" Arin: "Oh." Lilith: "Your timing is all wrong!" Arin: "This is pretty difficult." Arata: "Hey, grimoire." Sora: "That was quite a treat, huh?" Arata: "Even I ended up taking the straight man's role." Sora: "She has the same face, but what's inside is completely different. Isn't it good you figured that out, at least?" Arata: "Yeah," Arata: "And the Trinity Seven..." Arata: "They're going to be important to me." Arata: "I get that feeling, too." Lilith: "Put on some pants!" Arata: "Oh, I forgot." Arata: "The dormant power within me is about to awaken." Arata: "Is a demon lord candidate that dangerous?"

Ilia: "Arata-san?" Sora: "The Demon Lord, Astral Trinity." Arata: "Yes," Arata: "that's correct." Arata: "Watch closely." Arata: "This is what true control looks like." Mira: "Are you okay?" Sora: "Yeah. It got me out of there, anyway." Mira: "Is this..." Mira: "He's creating a breakdown phenomenon to exercise control?" Sora: "That's the manifestation of my master's Thema, Control. It's basically the true consciousness of a demon lord." Ilia: "This can't be..." Ilia: "Arata-san..." Mira: "My magic is back." Sora: "Because my master... No, the demon lord is controlling this world, effectively taking Ilia's reign over it." Mira: "The demon lord..." Mira: "I can't allow that to happen." Mira: "Connect to Superbia Archive." Mira: "Execute Thema." Sora: "I guess it's do or die." Sora: "Sorry, but we're coming at you with full power!" Mira: "Anti-magic?!" Sora: "He even got me, a grimoire!" Arata: "You have potential, Magus." Mira: "Potential?" Arata: "The potential to be well-suited to me." Arata: "Be mine." Mira: "Y-You're not Arata-san! You're not him, so I have nothing to give you!" Sora: "You did it, you tsundere!" Sora: "Go to sleep, Demon Lord." Mira: "A-Arata-san..." Sora: "I like you better when you're a big dummy, Master." Mira: "Is he okay now?" Sora: "Yeah, he's fine." Sora: "You're awake, Master?" Arata: "Y-Yeah." Arata: "Thank you, Mira. That was a nice slap." Mira: "You remember?" Arata: "Yeah. It brought me back to my senses. Wait... This is no time to be getting all emotional, is it?" Sora: "True." Arata: "So what do we do about this?" Sora: "The fastest way to end this is to defeat that grimoire girl over there." Arata: "Ilia..." Mira: "Well, it's true that she is the core propping up this world." Arata: "I see. But... I have no intention of defeating her to end this." Arata: "Ilia, tell us how to get out of here." Ilia: "Huh?" Arata: "I wouldn't mind spending eternity here with you, but I'd like to see Hijiri for myself." Arata: "Also..." Ilia: "Hm?" Arata: "If we don't get out of here, I won't be able to thank you." Ilia: "Huh? Thank me?" Sora(Bg): "Not again..." Arata: "Well, you took Hijiri's place by taking her form while she was gone, right?" Ilia: "Yes, that's right." Arata: "That means you've really helped me out a lot, then..." Arata: "So let me thank you, Ilia." Sora: "She tried to lock you in here. Is that really what you want, Master?" Arata: "I prefer to get along with someone if I can, even if they tried to kill me." Mira: "Honestly... Once we get back, there are many things I'll have you answer for." Mira: "You're so impure, Arata-san..." Arata: "Sure." Ilia: "But... I'm sorry, Arata-san." Arata: "Hm?" Ilia: "This space is no longer under my control. I can't do anything." Sora: "I thought so. It probably has to do with that black sun you made, Master." Arata: "I didn't know I could do that." Sora: "The true demon lord has some pretty impressive powers." Arata: "I must've been a pretty awesome demon lord, then." Mira: "You're always the one causing trouble." Arata: "Don't say that." Ilia: "How?" Ilia: "How can you laugh when we're in such a dire situation? There's no way to get out of this space I created." Ilia: "You might all disappear here!" Arata: "Well, we've always managed somehow." Sora: "Yeah. Master has good luck." Mira: "It's always a lot of trouble, though." Ilia: "You can manage this?" Arata: "We'll manage, if we all work together." Arata: "Realize." Arata: "Conception." Sora: "What, you've already learned how to use the two at the same time since turning into the demon lord?" Mira: "Your impure power is much higher, too." Sora: "Then I guess I'll have to show you what I'm made of." Mira: "I won't be a pushover now that I have my magic back, either." Arata: "Come on, Ilia." Ilia: "Arata-san." Arata: "Let's be friends when we get back to the other world." Ilia: "Okay, Arata-san!" Arata: "I feel like my power has really calmed and stabilized." Ilia: "Yes, I gave you all of my magic. My specialty is support magic." Arata: "I see." Arata: "All right. Lend me your power, everyone." Arata: "Take this!" Arata: "Meteo Dragonar!" Sora: "Scarlet Gevurah!" Mira: "White Universe!" Lilith: "Arata!" Akio: "Boss!" Lilith: "Thank goodness you're both okay." Lilith: "I had no idea where you..." Mira: "He can't help it. He turned into a demon lord, and then used more magic after that. Even though it's Arata-san we're talking about, I'm sure he's almost out of magic." Lilith: "Turned into a demon lord?" Mira: "Let's talk about that after we get some time to rest. For now, let's carry Arata-san out of here." Akio: "What's this? When did you start calling him by his name, Boss?" Mira: "W-Well... You know! He's our temporary 2nd and all..." Akio: "Well, I guess I'll leave it at that." Lilith: "Anyway, we found the two of you. Let's return to the school quickly." Akio: "Yeah." Mira: "A-Akio!" Akio: "Brings back memories, doesn't it? I was worried about you." Mira: "I'm sorry..." Akio: "It's fine. I'm just glad you're okay." Lilith: "Yeah, but now he has two grimoires..." Lilith: "I just had the feeling someone was watching us..." Hijiri: "Arata-san, it looks like you and I" Lilith: "Let's rest here for today." Mira: "Yeah." Akio: "He's completely out of magic. I don't feel any magic from the grimoires, either." Mira: "I guess turning into a demon lord is that dangerous, then." Lilith: "Arata turned into a demon lord, huh?" Mira: "Yes. The demon lord, Astral Trinity." Mira: "He was really dangerous." Mira: "The essence of the demon lord that sleeps within Arata-san... If he had gone out of control like that," Mira: "we wouldn't have been able to do anything to stop him." Lilith: "Mira-san..." Akio: "If you think he's that dangerous," Akio: "it might be better to just kill him now." Mira: "A-Akio!" Akio: "I know, Boss. I won't kill him. I'm fond of him, myself." Akio: "Besides, Yui and Arin would get mad at me if I did." Mira: "Y-You're right." Akio: "You and Lilith-sensei would get pretty mad at me, too." Lilith: "I-I wouldn't really..." Mira: "Yeah, I don't care about this impure boy at all!" Lilith: "Anyway, we need to report this to the headmaster." Mira: "Yes. And we need to work out a plan for what to do next." Akio: "So who destroyed Liber Academy, anyway?" Mira: "The grimoire," Mira: "I believe that its former owner, Hijiri Kasuga, the girl that Arata-san has been searching for, is the culprit." Lilith: "Hijiri-san, huh..." Mira: "It seems that she was a Magus, and a high-level mage, one capable of contracting with a legendary grimoire." Lilith: "And if she was with Arata, a demon lord candidate..." Akio: "It can't be a coincidence." Arata: "Hijiri..." Arata: "Hijiri..." Arata: "Is that you, Hijiri?" Hijiri: "You got it, Arata-san." Arata: "There's no way I'd mistake you for someone else." Hijiri: "That makes me a little happy." Arata: "I'm sorry, Hijiri." Hijiri: "Huh?" Arata: "I wasn't able to grab your hand..." Arata: "I couldn't save you." Hijiri: "It's okay, Arata-san. You became a mage just to save me. I'm really happy." Arata: "I'll do whatever it takes to save you. That's why I'm going to get stronger and get you back." Hijiri: "You know that we're enemies, and that I'm stronger than you now, right?" Arata: "Yeah, I had an inkling. But I'm apparently a pretty powerful demon lord candidate." Hijiri: "That's right. The Arata-san who means so much to me is a demon lord candidate." Arata: "Yeah. That's why I'm going to make sure my hand reaches you, Hijiri." Hijiri: "Yes, I'll be waiting for you to reach me." Hijiri: "That's why I'm going to take you out now, Arata-san." Arata: "Yeah, I thought so." Lilith: "Are you okay, Arata?" Arata: "I was just getting to the good part..." Arata: "Though, this isn't all that bad, either." Arata: "That's Hijiri." Lilith: "It does seem that way. And I hate to say it, but she seems to be unharmed." Hijiri: "Lilith Asami, the prodigy of Royal Biblia Academy. The genius mage who was the youngest to become one of the Trinity Seven." Lilith: "That magic... You also have a demon lord element, just like Liese-san, don't you?" Hijiri: "I do. I got it from the "ruined world" that I was sent to on that day. And this is a high-level change that surpasses the Magus mode, using that element. These clothes are a manifestation of the Ira Archive," Lilith: "If the clothes you're wearing are a manifestation, then..." Hijiri: "That's correct, Lilith-san." Hijiri: "Collapse. The Ruina Thema." Hijiri: "Creation. The Partum Thema." Hijiri: "Disassembly. The Analysis Thema. I have reached the height of these three Themas, and have earned the right to be called a Trinity." Lilith: "Arata!" Arata: "H-Hey, Lilith!" Lilith: "You're out of magic, so if you get hit by that, you're toast." Hijiri: "So you insist on protecting Arata-san to the end..." Hijiri: "I see." Hijiri: "I'll take Arata-san's magic and grimoires. If I do that, I'll be able to recreate you someday." Arata: "I'd rather you didn't kill me, if possible." Hijiri: "Then try to withstand this. Try to withstand a blast from Ira..." Hijiri: "Black Azazel!" Arata: "Hijiri!" Arata: "A-Arin!" Arin: "I heard your voice, so I collapsed space and time to come here." Lilith: "You can teleport through space?" Arin: "I think it's because my husband was calling for me." Arata: "I was calling for you?" Arin: "That's right. It may also be because I was able to manifest this spear, which was used by Sgathaich, the progenitor of the Chaosic Rune." Hijiri: "The demon spear, Gáe Bulg. It's true that you could neutralize my magic with that." Akio: "Arata, sorry we're late. We're here to save you." Mira: "Arata-san, are you still alive?" Arata: "Arata... "san"?" Arin: "You're in "dere" mode?" Mira: "Huh? No, that's not it at all!" Arata: "Thank you. I'm still alive. Lilith and Arin saved me." Lilith: "Yeah." Hijiri: "You summoned the very hinges of this world to overcome space itself. You keep becoming more and more of a demon lord, don't you?" Arata: "Hijiri..." Hijiri: "But if Arin-san is here," Hijiri: "they must be having an even worse time." Arata: "At the school?" Hijiri: "I can seal all of you in darkness, but since we're all here, I'd like to play with all of you a bit longer." Hijiri: "We, Iscariot, will head to your school first, Arata-san." Arata: "Iscariot?" Hijiri: "If you don't come back soon, you're going to lose another home, Arata-san." Arata: "W-Wait! Hijiri!" Lilith: "Do you think she teleported to the school?" Arin: "Probably. I felt the same magic as when I was called here. Mine seems to be a magic that takes me wherever my husband is, which I can use only after he summons me." Arata: "I'm still not sure what the logic is behind all this, but you saved me by coming here, Arin. Thank you." Arin: "Yeah." Arin: "I'm glad I was able to save you." Mira: "So it seems that girl and her friends destroyed Liber Academy. It had to be Iscariot." Mira: "And now she's probably heading to our school." Mira: "They must be planning to destroy it just like they did with Liber Academy." Akio: "They're a real pain." Lilith: "But we can't get back very fast with Arata like this." Arata: "No, let's go back now." Lilith: "But your magic has decreased so much that your life is at risk." Arata: "I'm fine. More importantly, things aren't going to go well if you and the Trinity Seven don't head back now, right?" Akio: "Yeah... Right now only Yui and the ninja are at the school." Arata: "We don't have time to sit around here. Go back now." Lilith: "Arata..." Arata: "Hijiri... I'm going to catch up to you, and do something about all of this." Hijiri: "I'm going to take out all of the Trinity Seven while Arata-san isn't here. Why? Because the future is already..."

R: "Everyone, please stay calm." Selina: "What's going on?" Yui: "L-Levi-chan..." Levi: "I'll go." H: "My, my..." Lugh: "You're good." Levi: "To hear that from someone like you, Lugh, who uses Ildánach to fight at high speeds," Levi: "is a real honor." Lugh: "Is it? Then I will commend you more. You're quite impressive." Levi: "Well, thanks. I am around the third strongest in the world, actually." Lugh: "Then I must be around the second." Levi: "Seems that way." Levi: "I don't think I'll be able to fight that well without the use of my left hand." Lugh: "Of course. I'll fight you using only one of my hands, as well." Levi: "Yeah, you don't seem like you'd have a problem with that." H: "Hooray! Hooray! Levi-chan!" H: "Hooray! Hooray! Levi-chan! Hooray! Hooray! Levi-chan!" Levi: "I'd really like you to help me out if you could, Headmaster..." H: "Oh, I'd love to, but..." H: "It seems the one I have a date with is that girl back there." Levi: "I see. I do feel strong magic emanating from her." Yui: "Levi-chan." Yui: "I evacuated all of the students into my dream." Selina: "They're all safe." Levi: "You heard her." H: "That's great. We can rebuild the school, but if a mage dies, they can never come back." Levi: "Yeah." Yui: "You can do it, Levi-chan. I'll help you, too." Levi: "Okay, Yui-san. I'll do what I can." Lugh: "What are you doing with that?" Levi: "If I can buy a little time, some help will be coming for me." Levi: "That's what I'm expecting." Lugh: "You don't look like you're expecting that to happen at all." Lugh: "It's more like you're expecting them not to come." Levi: "Yeah. That's why I can believe it." Levi: "That's my research theme, after all!" Lugh: "This is..." Lugh: "A type of illusionary magic, I imagine." Levi: "It's a combination magic of friendship!" Lugh: "What does that mean?" Levi: "It means this!" H: "You were so close, Levi-chan." Lugh: "Close?" Lugh: "This is a surprise. You wounded me without my realizing..." Levi: "Illusion Conceal's purpose is to create those opportunities." Lugh: "That's impressive, but how are you able to keep up with me when I'm moving at such high speeds?" Levi: "That's a secret." Lugh: "I see. So basically, the reason is unknown. In that case, I'll just have to disregard it," Lugh: "and strike you down." Yui: "Levi-chan!" Selina: "You can't lose your composure, Yui-san." Selina: "You won't be able to maintain this dream any longer." Yui: "Y-Yeah..." Lugh: "It appears a ninja technique won't work against my two sparks, which travel at the speed of light." Levi: "It seems that way." H: "Levi-chan!" Levi: "I can keep going." Levi: "I'm a ninja, after all." Levi: "I have good endurance." Legh: "No matter what technique you use, it won't work. I'm practically light itself." Legh: "Nothing in the world can travel faster than light." Levi: "That's true. No matter what trick I use, I'm powerless to resist if you move at speeds like that to strike me." Levi: "But... I'll show you just how much" H: "You can't, Levi-chan!" Levi: "That's right. Just watch. I'll show you what a ninja can do." Levi: "Reconnect to Invidia Archive!" Selina: "She can't be doing the same thing as my sister..." Yui: "Levi-chan, stop!" Levi: "Execute Thema!" Lugh: "So you're prepared to die?" Levi: "Here I come..." Levi: "This is Invidia's Last Crest!" Lugh: "If you're going to use a master magic technique against me, then I will attack you with the same resolve." Levi: "Leviathan!" Lugh: "I see... Even if I can move at the speed of light, you could attack me from all directions simultaneously." Lugh: "That's an extremely destructive magic. A power with no equal, a force of nature so strong, it could be called demonic." Lugh: "The height of the Shamanic Spell." Lugh: "However, I'm disappointed. You said this was the Last Crest of my Archive, Invidia, so I thought it would be more impressive. Do you really think a spell that focuses only on overwhelming destructive strength could defeat me, Light Goddess Lugh?" Lugh: "This is my victory." Lugh: "Huh?" Liber: "Lugh, she really took you for a ride." Lugh: "A ride? Did she carry me somewhere?" Liber: "She pretended to use her Last Crest," Liber: "when in reality, she ran away." Lugh: "Seriously?" H: "That was a success." H: "I think. I put up a barrier, but if they're serious, it's just a matter of time before we're found." Levi: "Well, it did work to buy us some time." H: "Who knew there'd be a mage who'd use their Last Crest like that?" Levi: "I had Yui-san use her Archsymphony to enchant the area ahead of time. That's why I made it out." Yui: "Hi, Levi-chan?" Yui: "Are you okay?" Levi: "Well, I'm not in the best shape. I wish I had someone else to help me out." Yui: "Yeah... You're right." Yui: "I hope Onii-san and the rest get back soon." Arata: "Wh-What happened here?" Arin: "The teleportation device has been destroyed." Arin: "This is probably a Ruina spell." Lilith: "Does that mean Hijiri-san did this?" Arata: "Can't we do anything?" Mira: "The teleportation device was created using high-ancient technology. It's a complex and difficult macro." Akio: "So we'd need dozens of specialists to help fix it." Arata: "Then we need to use a different teleporter." Arin: "It'll take a full day to reach the nearest one, my husband." Arata: "But we don't have time, right? What should we do?" Lilith: "We'll do it." Arata: "Lilith... Can you?" Lilith: "It won't be easy," Lilith: "but if everyone helps me out..." Mira: "Well, we've been making you do a lot lately." Akio: "We need to show them just how awesome the Trinity Seven are." Arin: "Lilith-sensei's been getting caught off-guard a lot lately, in particular." Lilith: "W-Well, then..." Lilith: "Let's go, everyone." Lugh: "I'm sure I felt her presence..." Lugh: "Your movements are sharper than last time." Levi: "That's because I was healed with the headmaster's magic while we were hiding." H: "Yes." Levi: "I can move my left arm a bit now." Levi: "I'm not done yet!" ja Technique: "No matter how fast you are, make the slightest move and these will cut you." Lugh: "I see. Things get trickier when you're able to use both hands, huh?" Lugh: "Very well." Lugh: "Connect to Invidia Archive." Lugh: "Execute Thema. Virtus Arm: Light Piercing Lance, Brionac! Faith Arm: Light Slicing Sword, Fragarach! Solvo Arm: Light Blade Wings, Claíomh Solais!" Levi: "I didn't know someone who's earned the title of "Trinity" could do that." H: "They're all legendary treasures... Treasures that one couldn't obtain unless they've mastered their Thema. And she's using three of these ultimate treasures..." Lugh: "I've become a demon lord candidate as well, after receiving a demon lord element." Lugh: "I have determined it is unnecessary to use my Last Crest, as it poses danger to me." Yui: "Levi-chan!" Yui: "Levi-chan!" Yui: "Now I have to go..." Selina: "You can't, Yui-san! If you go, then everyone here will..." Yui: "But... But..." Yui: "I can't leave Levi-chan by herself any longer!" Selina: "But you're far too upset right now, Yui-san!" Yui: "But... But..." Selina: "I'll go." Yui: "Selina-chan..." Selina: "I'm the sister of one of the Trinity Seven, Lieselotte Sherlock." Selina: "I've studied with her. I know the material well!" Yui: "But... But..." Selina: "I'll be back." Selina: "Here I go!" Selina: "G-Gotcha!" Lugh: "I suspected it'd be something like this..." Lugh: "I can't move." Selina: "Levi-san, are you okay?" Selina: "I'll stop the blood with a healing macro." Lugh: "It's a well-made, thoroughly thought-out macro. I can tell you've studied hard. However..." Lugh: "It won't be able to stand against a mage who has achieved Trinity. I'm sorry, but you are going to die with your reinforcement, Trinity Seven of Invidia." Selina: "Onee-chan..." H: "Th-This is..." Lugh: "I'm unable to restrain my power when I take this form. It's unfortunate." Lugh: "Now, it's your turn, Headmaster of Biblia Academy." Lugh: "I still have power to spare." H: "You think so? Then the one you're directing that power at is..." Liese: "His next date is with me." Lugh: "That voice..." Liese: "It's been a while since I've been to this world." Liese: "I didn't expect things to be like this. But this might be a perfect chance to repay a debt." Levi: "Oh, you came back quickly." Liese: "The evil mage of the Trinity Seven, Liese, is on the scene. I see you've been playing with my ninja friend and my darling sister." Liese: "Lugh, you're not getting away with this." Selina: "Yep!" Lugh: "You are Lieselotte Sherlock?" Liese: "Yep. The body is Selina's, though." Lugh: "I heard you used your Last Crest, and had become trapped for eternity in stopped time." Liese: "Yeah, that's what I thought, too." Liese: "The nurse's office... I see. That's why she was able to make a connection with me." Liese: "Good job, Selina. You were able to freeze the stopped world I was in with your camera," Liese: "and now you're keeping my consciousness bound to this body." Liese: "That's a great idea." Selina: "I was thinking you'd be able to do better with my body." Levi: "It looks like you're bigger than you were before in all the right places." Liese: "Of course. I'm matching this body to my magic. If you get a little bit better, Selina, you'll be about as big as me." Selina: "R-Really? I'll try hard!" Liese: "My magic isn't compatible with yours at all, Lugh." Liese: "Selina, bind her!" Selina: "Okay, Onee-chan!" Lugh: "What's going on?" Liese: "I'm improving Selina's binding with my magic." Liese: "A camera takes the light from one moment and burns it onto film, right? You've been burned into this world by Selina's camera and bound here." Lugh: "I can see why you said we're incompatible." Lugh: "However..." Virtus Arm: "Virtus Arm: Light Piercing Lance, Brionac. Limit Break." Selina: "Wow. That was a rather drastic move." Lugh: "I decided it was more prudent to lose one of my weapons than to lose my mobility." Liese: "You caused one of your mythical armaments to go out of control, and used that power to get out of the spell." Liese: "That was pretty cool." Liese: "Thank you very much. But what will happen if I use the same technique two more times?" Lugh: "I'll defeat you before you get the chance," Lugh: "so it will cause no problems for me." Lugh: "I have a plan in case you try the same thing against me." Liese: "She's not there?" Lugh: "I won't let you get away." Lugh: "Light Slicing Sword, Fragarach!" Liese: "Just kidding." Levi: "I'm here, too." Lugh: "You were able to move?" Levi: "Secret Technique: Avidya Slash!" Liese: "I was trying to heal the ninja, not take your picture." Selina: "We bound her pain and blood to stop the bleeding, speeding up her recovery." Levi: "You twins do work well together." Lugh: "I've lost two mythical armaments... It will take time to re-summon them." Lugh: "Now I have less than a fifteen percent chance of winning this." Levi: "We'd like it if you could take your leave now." Lugh: "However..." Lugh: "When the two of us work together, it will be a different story." Hijiri: "Sorry for the wait, Lugh-san. Ah, so you've decided to be one of the good mages, Liese-san." Liese: "Well, I did lose to your precious demon lord candidate." Hijiri: "But are you sure? This world has no future." Hijiri: "That's why you decided to have your current form frozen." Liese: "Yeah. I don't want to leave Selina in a world like this forever, but I have someone who saved me, and who gave me a good scolding." Liese: "And there are people who want me to come back. I like things better this way." Hijiri: "Liese-san, we're evil mages, so we don't just let traitors go." Liese: "I'm an evil mage, so I have no problem betraying my kind." Levi: "Well, you just came back to us. I'm going to help you out, Liese-san." Yui: "I recovered a bit, so I'm going to help out, too." Hijiri: "Understood. In that case, I'm going to kill the three of you before the demon lord takes control over the Trinity Seven." Hijiri: "Liese-san, you're sure about this, right?" Liese: "Wha—" Hijiri: "Looks like things won't go my way so easily." Hijiri: "Lugh-san." Lugh: "Yes?" Hijiri: "It's dangerous to stand there." Arata: "This soft sensation..." Levi: "Oh, welcome back, everyone." Akio: "Yeah, we're back." Yui: "Onii-san, welcome back!" Arata: "Yeah." Mira: "Impure boy." Arata: "Huh?" Mira: "I see you're doing something impure to yet another girl you're meeting for the first time." Arata: "Huh?" Arata: "It's not like I'm doing this because I enjoy it! I mean, I do, but..." Liese: "You really are the best, Arata-kun. Hijiri, thanks for all the warnings, but I think I'm going to stay on this side," Liese: "with my friends, the Trinity Seven." Arata: "So, Hijiri..." Arata: "It's time for us to fight back." Lilith: "In order to fight Hijiri-san, now in the form of "Satan," the rest of the Trinity Seven start to work together. Arata, put all you have into this moment!"

Arata: "This soft sensation..." Levi: "Oh, welcome back, everyone." Akio: "Yeah, we're back." Liese: "You really are the best, Arata-kun. Hijiri, thanks for all the warnings, but I think I'm going to stay on this side," Liese: "with my friends, the Trinity Seven." Arata: "So, Hijiri..." Arata: "It's time for us to fight back. Everyone, I know I'm just asking a favor for myself here," Arata: "but please, help me out." Arata: "I want to get Hijiri back." Liese: "Hey, there." Liese: "Hi! It's been a while, Arata-kun." Arata: "Huh? Are you Selina?" Arata: "No, those boobs are definitely Liese's." Selina: "Jerk! Don't use my boobs to figure that out!" Arata: "Wait. Are you really Liese?" Liese: "Yep. I really am Lieselotte Sherlock." Arata: "That aura of sexiness... You're Liese, all right." Selina: "I feel like he basically told me I'm not sexy." Lugh: "I would like all of you to wait a moment." Lugh: "He touched my boobs, but now he's completely ignoring me." Levi: "It's okay, Lugh-san." Levi: "Arata-san's goal is to do pervy things to all mages." Arata: "That again?" Levi: "But you want to, right?" Arata: "You have to ask?" Lilith: "Arata!" Lugh: "I'm surprised. I didn't think Hijiri's demon lord would try to turn even me into one of his mistresses." Hijiri: "Well, Arata-san was one of those really lucky perverts." All: "Stare..." Arata: "Anyway, let's do this, Hijiri!" Hijiri: "It looks like your magic hasn't recovered very much, but I'm not going to hold back." Arata: "Yeah. We're all going to take you on together." Arata: "Let's do this, everyone." Arata: "Connect to Superbia Archive. Execute Thema!" Hijiri: "Reconnect to Ira Archive." Hijiri: "Execute Thema!" Arin: "Connect to Ira Archive." Arin: "Execute Thema." Lilith: "Connect to Luxuria Archive." Lilith: "Execute Thema." Levi: "Connect to Invidia Archive." Levi: "Execute Thema!" Mira: "Connect to Superbia Archive." Mira: "Execute Thema." Akio: "Connect to Gula Archive. Execute Theme!" Yui: "Connect to Avaritia Archive." Yui: "Execute Thema!" Liese: "Connect to Acedia Archive." Liese: "Execute Thema." G: "Looks like it's begun." Master Liber: "It seems that way." Master Liber: "What should we do?" G: "If the headmaster of Liber Academy, Master Liber, a paladin, and I, also a paladin, ended up fighting, that alone could collapse the entire world." Liber: "Very true." Liber: "We may as well just sit back and watch." G: "Yeah, it's obvious who's going to win." Liber: "I guess even a great maverick such as yourself can't be completely confident given the situation." G: "No, Master Liber-chan. You still don't understand just how interesting Arata-kun really is." Liber: "Oh?" Liber: "Then our contest will be to see which demon lord candidate wins, boy." G: "I hope you won't be too hard on me, Master Liber-chan." Hijiri: "Here I come." Hijiri: "Vegtamskviða!" Mira: "White Universe!" Mira: "I have already finished analyzing your Ruina, Partam, and Analysis Themas." Hijiri: "I expected no less. It's true that the Chaosic Rune Arin-san and I use" Akio: "We're not giving you any time to relax." Lugh: "I won't let you do that." Lugh: "I was outclassed?" Akio: "Take this! Sorry, but my kick, reinforced with Mantra Enchant and enhanced with Archsymphony, just isn't fair." Yui: "My Archsymphony works extremely well with Akio-chan's Mantra Enchant." Lugh: "My last armament has been destroyed..." Levi: "In any event..." Liese: "We're not giving up this chance!" Hijiri: "Actually, the spell I just used, Vegtamskviða, has another name: Baldur's Blessing, an offensive and defensive technique." Arin: "Baldur's Blessing?" Levi: "Have you heard of it, Arin-san?" Liese: "What's going on?" Liese: "I can't analyze those magic circles at all." Arin: "It's a legend regarding the god, Baldur." Arin: "I'm the only one who can collapse its protection." Levi: "We'll leave the support to you, then." Liese: "Yeah. We're counting on you!" Hijiri: "Both of you are a diversion so that Arin-san can destroy my magic circles." Hijiri: "I won't..." Levi: "I call that my Body Replacement Technique: Warp Version." Liese: "Call it "Teleportation Version," would you?" Hijiri: "Levi-san and Liese-san, you changed locations with Arin-san?" Arin: "That's right." Arin: "Do it now, husband! Lilith-sensei!" Arata: "Okay. Thanks, everyone!" Arata: "I'm putting all of my magic into this. Let's do it, Lilith!" Lilith: "Yes! We're not going to miss this chance that everyone has given us!" Arata: "Let 'er rip!" Hijiri: "This is..." Hijiri: "I see..." Hijiri: "That's how the demon lord is going to..." Arata: "Hijiri!" Arata: "Wake up, Hijiri!" Hijiri: "Arata-san..." Hijiri: "That was quite the surprise attack. Your magic was already depleted, so I underestimated you." Hijiri: "But Lilith Asami... She's..." Hijiri: "Arata-san, hear me." Hijiri: "I will tell you the truth of this world." Arata: "The truth?" Hijiri: "Yes. When I was sucked up into the collapse phenomenon you created," Hijiri: "I was thrown outside this world." Hijiri: "It was a world of emptiness, of nothing." Hijiri: "Enough to make this world look fake." Hijiri: "I realized just how sweet a slumber I had been living in." Hijiri: "But part of me was satisfied. Your parents were missing, so I pretended to be your cousin and took care of you. I wasn't able to stay by your side until the end," Hijiri: "but I was really thankful for the time we spent together. That's what went through my mind." Hijiri: "And then..." Hijiri: "and was about to disappear myself." Hijiri: "Then, suddenly, I was able to see the world from the outside. And what I saw" Hijiri: "Look for yourself. The world is destroyed by the one who becomes the demon lord, and the Trinity Seven. It becomes nothingness, and then, another world is born. However, the demon lord and the Trinity Seven still find each other, and the world is destroyed again. I've seen the demon lord destroy the world over and over again, with the Trinity Seven." Hijiri: "The place I went to was this world's future. This is a world where everything repeats." Hijiri: "A completely closed loop." Hijiri: "That will eventually happen to this world, too. A demon lord candidate will become the demon lord, and the demon lord will destroy the world with all of you. That's why I can't forgive a world that thinks of you as nothing but a tool for the reincarnation of the entire world." Hijiri: "We're going to destroy this world and remake it." Hijiri: "That is our goal as Iscariot." Arata: "So it was all for me, huh?" Hijiri: "You realized?" Arata: "You wouldn't get that upset over something that happened to you." Arata: "You're the opposite of your Thema." Hijiri: "Yeah." Hijiri: "I don't want you to become the Impel Demon Lord. That's why I will collapse this world," Hijiri: "and make a world where you can live happily." Arata: "Don't worry, Hijiri. My Thema is control." Arata: "I'll control even the demon lord. And if the world is what has determined all of this," Arata: "then I'll control the world itself." Hijiri: "That's just like you, Arata-san. I think that's a wonderful goal." Arata: "Hijiri?" Hijiri: "I can't stay in this world very long." Hijiri: "The truth is, my body itself is already gone." Hijiri: "I'm no more than something drifting about a rift in spacetime." Arata: "Wait! I finally got to see you again!" Liber: "We of Iscariot cannot lose the girl capable of combating the demon lord." Arata: "So Hijiri won't die yet?" Liber: "That's right. She's our trump card to take you down." Arata: "Then take care of Hijiri for me. I'll be coming to save her." Liber: "You're going to save a girl who might kill you?" Liber: "Very well." Liber: "I'm going to make her the perfect anti-demon lord weapon." Arata: "Hijiri..." Lilith: "Arata..." Arin: "Husband..." Arata: "Looks like we have more to do." Arata: "Help me, everyone." Lilith: "Arata!" Arata: "Hijiri..." Lilith: "Were you taking a nap, Arata?" Arata: "Lilith, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Lilith: "Do you have time to come with me for a bit?" Arata: "I guess this is my first time coming to town since I transferred in." Lilith: "Yes, that's why I invited you." Lilith: "Where would you like to go, Arata?" Arata: "I'm not sure..." Arata: "What about you? Is there anything you want, or anyplace you want to go?" Lilith: "Huh?" Arata: "I mean, you've been taking care of me since I got here. So I wondered if I could do anything to thank you." Lilith: "N-No, I'm a teacher, so it only makes sense that I'd help you out..." Arata: "You're always giving me a lot to look at, anyway." Lilith: "Hey, Arata!" Lilith: "I'm the one who brought you here. It wouldn't be right to let you do something for me." Arata: "You think so?" Lilith: "If you insist, then how about getting me something to eat?" Arata: "Oh. I didn't think of that." Lilith: "Shall we get going, then?" Mira: "Welcome." Arata: "Oh, hey, Mira. You work here?" Lilith: "H-Hello, Mira-san." Mira: "Why are you two here?!" Arata: "We're just here to get something to eat..." Arata: "Yeah, that's excellent. Thanks for the treat!" Mira: "What do you mean, "treat"?!" Akio: "Hey, good to see you, Nii-chan, Sensei." Arata: "Oh, you're here, too, Akio?" Akio: "My Archive is Gula, after all." Akio: "I'll give you something good to eat!" Akio: "It's on me this time." Arata: "Seriously?!" Arata: "I couldn't do anything back at Liber Academy." Yui: "Lucky..." Arin: "Shh. They'll notice us." Arata: "Sorry for making you show me around and walk all over the place." Lilith: "Not at all." Lilith: "I had a nice, peaceful time myself." Arata: "Th-Thanks." Lilith: "Huh? For what?" Arata: "You're being nice because you suspect I feel down about Hijiri, right?" Lilith: "You figured it out, huh?" Arata: "I wonder what I can do for you, since you've always looked out for me, including that sort of thing." Lilith: "It's true you're a dangerous demon lord candidate, and your power is immense, but you treat us mages" Arata: "Lilith..." Lilith: "That's why I..." Lilith: "No, I'm sure that's why all the Trinity Seven, we..." Arata: "That's why you..." Lilith: "We don't like how perverted you are, though." Arata: "What, you don't?" Lilith: "That's right, we don't." Lilith: "But I believe everyone loves you a lot." Arata: "E-Er..." Arata: "Damn, I don't know what to say." Selina: "What are we doing?" Yui: "I'm getting tired." Levi: "If you fall asleep, I'll carry you back." Arin: "Husband..." Arata: "If that's how it is... I'm kind of embarrassed to say this, but..." Lilith: "Yes?" Arata: "There's something I want you to have." Arata: "Could you close your eyes?" Lilith: "Huh?" Lilith: "A-Arata... Uh, that's not what I meant when I said "love"..." Lilith: "Y-You're supposed to find out how I feel first before you..." Lilith: "Um..." Lilith: "A-Arata?" Lilith: "What's this?" Arata: "I bought it at one of the shops earlier. They said it protects against evil magic." Lilith: "Yes, it's an anti-magic amulet." Arata: "I did kind of think that a mage as good as you might not need it... But I didn't want you to end up getting hurt by enemy magic. S-So... I want you to keep being the teacher who always tells me I'm wrong, who's always happy, and there for me." Arata: "Wh-What?" Lilith: "Nothing. I will. I'm happy, Arata." Lilith: "Thank you, Arata. I'll always treasure it." Arata: "I'm just glad it made you happy." Yui: "I can't take this anymore, Onii-san!" Arin: "I was watching, too. It's hard playing the wife who's being cheated on." Lilith: "That's not what's going on!" Levi: "Also, Selina-san and I are using the pretense of making sure no enemies are around to spy on you." Arata: "So you were spying, then." Yui: "I'm hungry." Selina: "So am I." Levi: "My stomach is growling, too." Arata: "Why don't we all get some food, then?" Yui: "Yay!" Levi: "I recommend Mira-san's place." Selina: "Let's go party with Mira-san, then!" Arata: "Hey, Hijiri." Arata: "I think I'm really happy right now." Arata: "So don't worry." Arata: "I'm not going to let you or any of these girls be sad." Arata: "Just wait. The day you can laugh with all of us is coming."

Lilith: "The one credited with the idea of viewing" Arin: "Stare..." Arata: "Hey, Lilith, what's this all about?" Lilith: "Uh..." Lilith: "I'm not sure myself." Arin: "Stare." Arata: "No, no, no! You can't come in here!" Arin: "I don't mind." Arata: "Well, I do!" Arin: "This is pretty difficult." Arata: "Look, why have you been following me around since this morning?" Arin: "Following you around?" Arata: "Yeah, you've been watching me all day." Arin: "You're just self-conscious?" Arata: "It's obvious you were doing it!" Arin: "You don't like jokes?" Arata: "No, I do, but there's a limit." Arin: "This is pretty difficult." Arin: "The demon lord candidate..." Arin: "is who I was watching. I'll always be watching you," Arin: "because I'm going to be the demon lord's spouse, supposedly." Arata: "Spouse?" Arin: "Wife, new bride, young bride, really young bride. Which do you like best?" Arata: "I'll take the really young bride! Wait, no! What are you talki—" Arin: "You'll understand eventually." Arin: "Probably." Arata: "So..." Arata: "Why are you all in my room?" Selina: "I want to interview you." Levi: "I'm here to watch." Lilith: "I-I can't leave girls in a boy's room unattended at this hour. I am a teacher, after all." Arata: "You're the same age as me." Lilith: "I'm still a teacher!" Arata: "Well, whatever." Arata: "So?" Selina: "Interview time! The demon lord candidate is the center of everyone's attention at school!" Arata: "I have to deal with this here, too?" Arata: "Well, let's see..." Arata: "My favorite food is fried chicken." Selina: "You heard him, Lilith-sensei!" Lilith: "Why are you telling me, Selina-san?!" Levi: "Want to try my special ninja fried chicken? There's love potion in it, though." Arata: "I'd love to." Lilith: "Arata!" Selina: "You don't mind that there's love potion in it?!" Arata: "Well, it's not something you get to eat often." Selina: "So if the love potion turned you into a wild beast," Arata: "Let's see..." Arata: "I guess I'd start with whoever had the biggest breasts." Lilith: "Arata!" Arata: "Hey, relax. Everyone's just kidding around." Arata: "Oh, yeah." Arata: "Since everyone's here, tell me about magic." Lilith: "Huh?" Lilith: "Oh... Okay, then..." Selina: "Lilith-sensei is a teacher through and through, huh?" Levi: "Turn something into lesson material, and she just can't say no." Lilith: "We can't do this..." Lilith: "I'm your teacher." Arata: "I want to know more about you." Lilith: "Arata..." Levi: "Which then leads to nighttime lessons..." Lilith: "It does not!" Selina: "Lilith-sensei's so cute when you tease her!" Levi: "Moe-Lilith is more like it." Lilith: "You two!" Arata: "Hey, Lilith." Arata: "What is this thing, anyway?" Lilith: "The Astil Codex." Selina: "The Astil Codex?!" Levi: "Is that true?" Lilith: "Yes, according to the headmaster, anyway." Lilith: "A famous grimoire that's said to house the knowledge of another world." Arata: "You're that important?" Arata: "And she's asleep..." Arata: "The Codex..." Arata: "The reason why I came to this school—the start of it all." Arata: "And my only clue to finding Hijiri..." Lilith: "We don't know very much about that codex." Lilith: "Its very existence was sort of a legend until now." Lilith: "The first thing a mage needs is a research theme, called a Thema." Lilith: "And the seven deadly sins are their Archives." Arata: "The seven deadly sins?" Selina: "What's going on?" Arata: "A blackout?" Lilith: "Hey... Where are you touching?!" Levi: "Not there..." Selina: "You're so heavy..." Sora: "Looks like we're trapped in a barrier. Tch... All right, here." Arata: "The knob won't even turn." Levi: "The windows won't open, either." Arata: "What's this "barrier" thing?" Sora: "It's a much smaller version of the other world you created." Arata: "Oh, like a miniature garden, or something?" Selina: "Y-You say that as if it were nothing..." Arata: "I don't even get what's going on." Levi: "Nothing gets to you, does it?" Lilith: "The space we're in has been cut off by the barrier, I'm guessing. I've been here at this school for a long time," Sora: "I imagine the point of this game is to think that through, and use it to escape." Arata: "Game? Wait... Does that mean you actually know the way out of here?" Sora: "Just look around a little, and you can figure this one out pretty fast." Sora: "So, let me know once you've solved it. Goodnight." Arata: "You're going back to sleep?!" Arata: "Can you at least leave the light on?" Sora: "Sure." Levi: "You don't seem too worried, even though we're trapped in here." Arata: "Well, there's no use in panicking. We've just gotta try what we can." Lilith: "Arata, what are you doing?!" Arata: "My chair broke, but that's not too big of a problem." Selina: "It is a problem! What'd you do that for?! Oh." Selina: "You wanted to try doing something "irrational," right?" Arata: "Yeah." Arata: "The Codex told us to think that through, so... Assuming magic is all about not limiting oneself to what is rational, I thought doing something irrational might be the key to getting us out of here, but... I guess not." Selina: "Who's doing this, anyway? And why?" Levi: "I'd say they're mainly after Arata-san." Arata: "Yeah, probably." Arata: "They're seeing what I'm made of. Something like that, anyway." Selina: "Pretty cool!" Arata: "The problem is that it's hard to prove I can't do anything." Selina: "And that was not cool." Arata: "Well, I have a vague idea of who's behind this... But I guess I'll play along for now." Arata: "Nope, nothing here... Maybe we should just give up and sleep." Selina: "No, we can't give up." Selina: "Besides, Arata-san, you're forgetting something important." Levi: "Something important?" Levi: "There's no bathroom in here." Arata: "Don't worry. If something happens," Selina: "That doesn't help anything!" Levi: "Hm? What's wrong, Lilith-sensei?" Lilith: "Huh?" Lilith: "Uh, it's nothing..." Arata: "You don't have to go to the bathroom, do you?" Lilith: "No, I... um..." Selina: "We don't have a moment to waste!" Levi: "Hurry!" Arata: "This is bad... If a pretty teacher like Lilith were to..." Arata: "The bizarre appeal of it is just plain dangerous!" Lilith: "I wouldn't do that!" Levi: "You know, I kind of want to see this." Selina: "Y-You have to hold it in!" Levi: "Also, I have something to announce." All: "Huh?" Levi: "I-I kind of have the same problem." Selina: "Are you trying to be heroines whose biggest appeal is pee?!" Levi: "Here..." Levi: "Look closely at the coin." Selina: "S-Stop it!" Arata: "This is not good..." Arata: "If we don't do something, we'll be in a real mess." Arata: "Oh, well." Arata: "Guess I'll have to give up and use the grimoire." Arata: "Hey, grimoire." Sora: "What is it? I'm still tired." Arata: "She's half asleep?" Arata: "Oh! So this is the way out! All right!" Selina: "Wow, that was really easy." Levi: "We sure ninja'd our way out of that one." Arata: "You heard them, grimoire." Arata: "We didn't need your help, after all." Lilith: "I-I don't think a cliché trick like that" Sora: "Hm? What? You already figured out that there's something odd about the bottom of the bed?" Arata: "All right!" Arata: "Check the bottom of the bed!" Levi: "Table Flipping:" Levi: "Bed Version!" Selina: "Magic Search!" Selina: "Magic source detected!" Lilith: "Destroying the barrier!" Arata: "Now, go pee!" Sora: "You have good sense, Arata. I didn't think you'd try to trick me, a grimoire. That definitely wasn't a rational means of solving that." Arata: "Well, thanks." Sora: "I can't wait to see what Thema you pick." Arata: "Speaking of that, does researching a Thema help in some way?" Sora: "Huh? You didn't even know about that?" Arata: "Well, I was going to ask, but then the barrier went up." Arin: "A Thema..." Arin: "A Thema is something a mage spends their whole life researching. By executing what they learn through their research," Arata: "Your timing is too perfect." Arata: "Was that barrier yours, Arin?" Arin: "I didn't think you'd be able to break it with a thoughtless trick like that." Arata: "No," Arin: "Are you angry?" Arata: "I got to see the bizarrely appealing sight" Arata: "I think I came out on top in that one." Arata: "Thank you." Arin: "You like peeing?" Arin: "Want me to do it here, then?" Arata: "That's a little too bizarre!" Arin: "This is pretty difficult." Sora: "You always turn into the straight man when she's around." Arata: "Yeah, she just throws me off." Sora: "Is it because she looks like Hijiri?" Arata: "Maybe." Arin: "Grimoire?" Sora: "Nice to meet you. I'm the Astil Codex. I don't have a name yet." Arin: "I'm Arin Kannazuki." Sora: "I see. Arin-chan, huh?" Arin: "Yep." Arata: "You're already acting chummy with her..." Arin: "Let me see her for a sec." Arata: "S-Sure." Arata: "She really does look like Hijiri..." Sora: "My master's checking you out." Arin: "In a perverted way?" Sora: "I'd say so." Arata: "Well, that aside..." Arata: "Why did you seal off my room?" Arin: "Because you're the demon lord candidate?" Arata: "People keep calling me that," Arata: "but what is a demon lord candidate, anyway?" Arin: "The boss of the bad guys?" Arata: "Well, yeah, considering the "demon lord" part..." Arin: "And you're him." Arata: "Aren't you supposed to give a little more explanation?" Arin: "But the headmaster said you were." Arata: "The headmaster?" G: "You called, so I'm here!" Arata: "Let's get an actual straight man to join us and continue this discussion elsewhere." Arin: "Right." G: "You're just going to ignore that?! I just used this awesome technique to violate the spatial continuum," Arata: "At any rate..." Arin: "You want to have sex before marriage?" Arata: "A highly enticing suggestion." Lilith: "What are you saying?!" Arata: "It really eases my mind to have you around, Lilith. Please stay with me forever." Lilith: "Huh?" Arin: "Cheating on your wife already..." Arata: "Well, I wouldn't mind having both of you at once." Arata: "So, Arin-san, could you start explaining things now?" Arin: "About why I trapped you in there?" Lilith: "So, that was you, Arin-san?!" Arin: "I didn't mean to trap the others in there. I didn't feel like waiting, so I just kinda..." Lilith: "I went through all that because you didn't feel like waiting?" Arin: "The headmaster told me that if I put all of you in a dilemma, the demon lord candidate might cause a breakdown phenomenon." Arata: "I see." Arata: "Okay. Let's take him out." Arata: "Where's the headmaster?" Lilith: "No need to worry." Lilith: "He seemed like he'd be a pest, so I tied him up and tossed him in the incinerator." Lilith: "But, why a breakdown phenomenon?" Arin: "This is probably why..." Arin: "Place your hand to mine." Arata: "Right." Arata: "What's going on?" Lilith: "What— Arin-san?" Arin: "Connect to Ira Archive." Arin: "Execute Thema." Lilith: "The Ira Archive? She went into Magus mode?" Arin: "My Thema is Ruina: destruction." Arin: "So, you see?" Lilith: "Arata!" Arin: "I destroyed the grimoire's control over his magic so it can no longer hold him back." Sora: "Hey! Are you trying to cause his magic to go out of control?!" Lilith: "If you do that, the school will..." Arin: "That's right. It will be engulfed in a breakdown phenomenon." Arata: "A breakdown phenomenon?!" Lilith: "All the matter is being turned into elementary particles." Lilith: "At this rate... This is too dangerous, Arin-san!" Arin: "Yes, but this is my Thema. The closest one could get to "Ruina."" Arin: "No matter how immoral the act, it is a mage's duty to study it." Arin: "Isn't that correct, Sensei?" Lilith: "Yes, but..." Arin: "But I never expected it to be this powerful." Selina: "Levi-san, what's going on?!" Levi: "It looks like a breakdown phenomenon is occurring." Levi: "Look outside." Selina: "A b-black sun!" G: "My, my. Arin-chan really did a number on us this time. It'd be lots of fun if the school would just collapse on us now," Arin: "I didn't know the power of a demon lord candidate would be this great..." Lilith: "At this rate, the whole school will be..." Lilith: "No, the entire planet might be engulfed." Lilith: "I have no choice." Lilith: "Now that it's come to this, I can at least... Wha—" Lilith: "Move out of the way!" Arin: "I won't let you, Sensei. He's my husband." Lilith: "But if we don't stop Arata," Arin: "I just want to know what's beyond this destruction." Arin: "That's what it means to pursue the study of magic, is it not?" Akio: "I get it!" Akio: "So I just have to stop him." Akio: "This was a surprise." Akio: "We traveled far, stopped a breakdown phenomenon, and when we get back..." Lilith: "Mira Yamana, the Grimoire Security Top," Lilith: "and Akio Fudo, the Security 3rd..." Lilith: "You're still supposed to be out on your inspection mission." Akio: "We finished that up in a heartbeat." Arin: "The breakdown is being suspended." Mira: "I'm using my magic to neutralize it with equally powerful destructive power. In the name of Iustitia, a Thema which is part of Superbia, the Pride Archive," Mira: "I will allow no impurity before me." Arata: "Superbia..." Arata: "Pride, huh?" Mira: "Akio, kill him." Mira: "This man is the source of the breakdown phenomenon." Akio: "No hesitation at all from you..." Lilith: "You can't do this, Akio-san!" Arin: "I can't move." Akio: "Don't hold this against me." Akio: "It's my job to exterminate evil." Lilith: "Arata!" Arin: "The school's in trouble," Arin: "There's a mixed-gender outdoor bath, too?"

Arata: "Why did this happen?" Lilith: "This is what you get." Lilith: "You guys did destroy the school, you know." Arata: "Yeah, but..." Arin: "That's right." Arin: "It's my husband's fault." Arata: "It's your fault, too!" Arin: "So, a cooperative effort by husband and wife?" Arata: "Yeah, you could call it that." Lilith: "Anyway, you guys are forbidden from any experimentation that could destroy the school again!" Arata: "G-Got it..." Arin: "This is pretty difficult." Arata: "I understand making us do work as punishment," Arata: "but why are we on a southern island?" Lilith: "Oh, well," Lilith: "and since the school isn't usable now, he decided this would be a good time for it." Arata: "And where is the headmaster now?" Lilith: "He's working hard to repair the school." Arata: "What?!" Arata: "So the old guy's actually pretty incredible..." Levi: "Well, yeah. He might not seem like it, but he's one of the top five mages in the world." Arata: "Hey! Those are some pretty cute swimsuits." Levi: "They're for bewitching guys who like flat-chested girls." Selina: "Hey! I'm not that flat!" Levi: "Flat girls are awesome. They get all the guys. Right, Arata-san?" Arata: "I love all boobs, as long as they're attached to a cute girl." Arin: "You do, huh? Hmph." Selina: "Well, if you want boobs... Here!" Arata: "100 points!" Selina: "I can't believe she's wearing a bikini." Levi: "It's obviously to try to seduce Arata-san so he'll fall in love with her." Selina: "Wow!" Arata: "Seriously?" Lilith: "Arata..." Lilith: "Could you put some suntan lotion on me?" Lilith: "You can't touch me there, Arata..." Arata: "All right. Let's get married." Lilith: "Marri—" Arin: "You're into harems, aren't you, my husband?" Arata: "Whoops, that just slipped out." Lilith: "P-Please stop joking around." Arata: "It's weird, though. I get the feeling I saw something far better than a swimsuit just now..." Lilith: "You're going to forget that, Arata." Arata: "R-Right." Mira: "Akio, kill him." Mira: "This man is the source of the breakdown phenomenon." Akio: "No hesitation at all from you..." Lilith: "You can't do this, Akio-san!" Arin: "I can't move." Akio: "Don't hold this against me." Akio: "It's my job to exterminate evil." Mira: "Thank you, Akio." Akio: "Well, I guess that ends that." Arin: "His magic has disappeared." Lilith: "Th-That can't be..." Mira: "Our work is done. Let's go home, Akio." Mira: "The breakdown phenomenon!" Akio: "What's going on, Boss?! Wasn't he the source of the breakdown phenomenon?" Mira: "I was certain he was..." Mira: "There's only one simple answer I can think of." Lilith: "It can't be..." Lilith: "Arata!" Arata: "Where am I?" Arata: "Nothing's going to happen if I don't go in, I guess." Yui: "Welcome to Yui's Room," Yui: "I wonder if "oniisan" is correct... You do seem older than me." Arata: "Yui... Is this your world? It doesn't feel like heaven." Yui: "You were almost smashed to pieces by Akio-chan's kick." Yui: "I pulled you in here at the last second, but it looks like it left a mess out there." Arata: "You've got to be kidding." Yui: "Nope. At this rate, the school will be destroyed." Arata: "Don't say that like it's no big deal." Yui: "Well, you did this, you know." R1: "No!" R2: "I'm going to disappear!" Levi: "It looks like the people with weaker magic are being absorbed first." Selina: "You're pretty calm about this, Levi-san." Levi: "Not really." Selina: "You're actually really scared?" Lilith: "At this rate..." Mira: "That accursed demon lord candidate!" Akio: "We might really be in trouble here..." Arata: "I need to get back there and stop this." Yui: "Even if you do, do you know how to stop the breakdown phenomenon?" Arata: "I don't..." Arata: "But if I did this, then I have to stop it, right?" Yui: "I see. You're pretty passionate, aren't you?" Arata: "No." Yui: "Then you need to think about how to control it." Arata: "Th-That's possible?" Yui: "Yes, it is. You need to find your own Thema and use magic to control that power." Arata: "The "Thema" thing again?" Yui: "That's right. If you want to be a mage," Yui: "Everything starts with that, and ends there. Superbia, Invidia, Ira," Yui: "These sins are the Archives in which you'll find" Yui: "I think that's the shortcut to figuring out how to control that power of yours." Arata: "Control, huh..." Mira: "In the name of Iustitia, a Thema which is part of Superbia, the Pride Archive," Mira: "I will allow no impurity before me." Arata: "Superbia..." Yui: "Oh, the Archive that contains Mira-chan's Thema." Yui: "Her Thema is Iustitia—Justice, I believe." Arata: "Justice, huh..." Arata: "All right." Arata: "I think I got a hint into how this magic thing works. If her Thema is justice," Yui: "I see. I'm glad." Arata: "Thank you, cutie." Yui: "It's Yui. Yui Kurata. You're going back now?" Arata: "I need to take care of that." Arata: "If I don't, this space will be in danger, too, right?" Yui: "True. Think you can do it?" Arata: "Yeah. I'll show you that I can control it, so send me back." Yui: "Okay. See you later, Onii-san." Arata: "Right. Thank you, Yui." Lilith: "At this rate..." Akio: "Yeah. I'm nearly at my limit." Arata: "And there!" Lilith: "Arata? You're alive?" Arata: "Yeah, somehow. If I can control this breakdown phenomenon, there's no problem, right?" Mira: "Just when I wondered what you'd say..." Lilith: "She's right, Arata. That's just not possible." Mira: "Fine." Akio: "Let's have him show us, Boss." Akio: "If he can't do it, we can kill him then." Arata: "You heard them, grimoire." Sora: "Hm?" Sora: "Oh, so you've decided?" Arata: "Yeah, my Thema is..." Sora: "Yes, your heart, your existence, the substance that defines you, your soul. They are all defined by control—Impel, Master!" Sora: "That can be found within the Superbia Archive. I, the Astil Codex," Arata: "Right." Arata: "Connect to Superbia Archive. Execute Thema!" Lilith: "It can't be..." Lilith: "Arata's Magus mode..." Arata: "We're going to control all of the magic overflowing here" Arata: "Astil Codex!" Sora: "Sure thing, Master." Arata: "I don't care if you're a breakdown phenomenon or not. I want all the magic coursing here to disappear!" Arata: "H-Huh?" Arin: "Well, this is a surprise. My Magus mode was forcefully dispelled." Akio: "Hey, Mira! Why are you the only one clothed?!" Mira: "I used my crystal to reflect his magic. This will not happen again, you impure demon lord candidate." Akio: "H-Hey, wait!" Arata: "So I used my new super technique to save the day." Selina: "Your new super technique? What's your new super technique?!" Arin: "It was my husband's new technique that got rid of the breakdown phenomenon." Selina: "Really?" Arata: "Yeah, I don't know much about it... What's it called, Magus mode? I was able to go into that." Selina: "So you've finally made your debut as a mage!" Lilith: "Hey, wait. You shouldn't just go around showing people that." Levi: "I see... Kind of like your boobs, huh, Lilith-sensei?" Levi: "Th-This is pretty impressive." Levi: "The elasticity, softness, size... Absolutely exquisite!" Lilith: "S-Stop it, Levi-san!" Lilith: "Knock it..." Lilith: "...off already!" Arata: "That was close." Arata: "We nearly died there." Selina: "I think we overdid it a bit." Arata: "So you really want to see, huh?" Selina: "Yes, I do!" Arata: "You want to see me in trunks?" Selina: "N-No!" Arata: "That's too bad. The only other thing I have to show you" Selina: "No, no, no! Your Magus mode! I want to see your Magus mode!" Arata: "Huh?" Arata: "That's it?" Selina: "Why do you look so disappointed?!" Sora: "She sure knows how to call you out, doesn't she?" Arata: "I guess." Selina: "That voice... Are you that grimoire?" Sora: "Yep. Haven't seen you since you almost peed yourself." Selina: "Wha—" Selina: "I don't want to be remembered for that!" Selina: "Anyway, show me your mage power!" Arata: "Should I?" Sora: "Why not? There isn't anyone around." Arata: "All right..." Arata: "Connect to Superbia Archive. Execute Thema!" Selina: "What incredible magic!" Selina: "I'm going to try something out." Selina: "I did it! This is a scoop! My magic, Logos Art," Sora: "You should show her your super technique while you're at it." Arata: "Okay, let's see..." Arata: "Magic, be gone!" Akio: "Are you sure that's okay?" Mira: "It seems that he truly is an impure man, in many ways." Akio: "Well, magic that turns people naked is definitely pretty impure." Selina: "That was terrible." Levi: "Arata-san seems quite interesting." Selina: "What's wrong, Levi-san?" Lilith: "We can't, Arata." Arata: "Why not?" Selina: "Isn't this..." Levi: "Yeah, it's Lilith-sensei's room." Lilith: "We can't." Lilith: "We can't do this. No means no." Arata: "Come on, please?" Lilith: "No... There's a proper order to these things..." Arata: "It's okay." Levi: "They're finally getting into a forbidden..." Selina: "A forbidden..." Lilith: "A forbidden what, exactly?" Selina: "So you weren't about to have sex?" Arata: "I wouldn't have minded, personally." Lilith: "You be quiet, Arata!" Arin: "My husband is such a cheater." Levi: "So what were you guys talking about?" Arata: "Well," Arata: "So that makes me a mage now." Arata: "Now I can go get Hijiri back! Well, since you're all here, how about we talk for a while?" Levi: "Okay, then... Shall we all hang out together in the mixed-gender bath?" Arata: "Hell yeah!" Lilith: "Not happening! So Arata become a mage to save his cousin, Hijiri-san, who disappeared in a breakdown phenomenon." Selina: "Is there no way for him to get Hijiri-san back?" Lilith: "Well, there is, I imagine... The headmaster said he had to meet the Trinity Seven, though." Arata: "Oh, yeah. He did say something like that." Arata: "What was it? Something about making you guys my pawns..." Lilith: "Don't keep just that part in your head!" Arata: "So the Trinity Seven is Lilith, Arin, the ninja..." Selina: "Also Mira-san and Akio-san." Arata: "So who are the remaining two?" Selina: "There's a girl named Yui-san, but we rarely see her at school." Arata: "I've met Yui." Selina: "What? Really? Yui-san is a special type of mage, so you can normally only talk to her in dreams." Arata: "Really? Who's the last one?" Lilith: "She went missing before you got here, Arata." Lilith: "Her whereabouts are unknown." Arata: "So I can't meet all of you, then..." Levi: "How about meeting with the ones you can meet with right now?" Arata: "Makes sense. Okay!" Arata: "This really is the only way to go!" Arata: "I knew it..." Arata: "I knew this would happen." Arata: "But why are you in your swimsuits?! Aren't you supposed to let it all out?!" Arata: "You guys don't understand anything, do you?" Mira: "You really are an impure man, aren't you?" Akio: "Yeah, he's definitely a pervert. No question about that. You'll have to let me punch you senseless now that you've seen me naked!" Arata: "No, please don't joke about that." Mira: "Let's go, Akio." Mira: "I'm not sharing a bath with this man." Akio: "Wait, Mira!" Arata: "As scary as she is, she does look cute in a swimsuit." Lilith: "You're not scared of anything, are you, Arata?" Arata: "I'm eventually going to have to do something about those two, huh?" Lilith: "If you need to get in touch with all members of Trinity Seven, then yes, I suppose." Levi: "Akio-san's really strong. And there's no magic that can affect Mira-san." Arata: "That's right, she did reflect it that one time..." Selina: "I have an idea!" Selina: "How about seeing if you can properly master that "turning people naked" magic of yours?" Selina: "Right now, you just make everyone in your vicinity naked, right?" Arata: "Quite useful, if you ask me." Selina: "Not that. It'd be impressive if you could target it to only one person or thing." Arin: "To pinpoint one person to undress?" Selina: "No, it's not magic just to undress people!" Arin: "This is pretty difficult." Levi: "It's actually magic that lets you erase other magic, right?" Arata: "But targeting it, huh?" Selina: "Since you're a guy, why not make it a gun or sword?" Arata: "That's a good idea. So, Lilith, give me your gun." Lilith: "I can't give you that." Lilith: "My gun uses my magic to materialize." Arata: "So can I just copy you and use the same magic, then?" Lilith: "My Thema and Archive are completely different from yours." Arata: "Really?" Selina: "It might be good for everyone to show him the magic they're good with." Levi: "It's true that Arata-san's basically like a level 1 demon lord candidate." Arata: "I see. I did come up with my Thema by seeing Mira." Arata: "So there you go. Show me what you've got, Lilith." Lilith: "Don't make it sound so easy!" Arata: "Huh?" Lilith: "M-Magic isn't something" Arata: "Please! Just show me a little bit. Just for a second." Arin: "The way you said that sounded a little perverted." Arata: "Come on, okay?" Lilith: "I will not. You need to study first." Arata: "Please, Lilith. You can keep asking me, but—" Lilith: "A-Arata..." Arata: "I'll do anything to save Hijiri." Arata: "I could be doing something to help her right now." Arata: "I can't stand that." Arata: "I'll do whatever I can. So please..." Lilith: "Oh, all right... I guess I'll have to." Arata: "Then..." Lilith: "You owe me one." Arata: "I owe you one, Lilith!" Lilith: "Hey, Arata..." Lilith: "Here I go." Lilith: "My magic is Outer Alchemic. It's basically alchemy. I say alchemy," Arata: "All right, grimoire. See if you can turn into a gun." Sora: "Outer Alchemic, huh? I guess I'll give it a try." Sora: "Process 1: clear." Sora: "Process 2: clear. Process 3: clear." Arata: "This is so cool!" Lilith: "Th-That can't be." Lilith: "That can't be possible!" Lilith: "You shouldn't be able to use it so easily." Sora: "Well, it's not perfect. I just copied your magic" Selina: "S-So he..." Arin: "My husband..." Lilith: "He might be able to use the magic of other mages?" All: "Is that what's going on?!" Arata: "Huh?" Levi: "Arata-san has brought another crisis to the school. Something came out of the mysterious underground dungeon." ext Time: "Next time: "Labyrinth and Magic Gunner.""

Arata: "So I wake up," Arata: "and there's a cute, naked loli next to me." Arin: "My husband..." Yui: "Onii-san..." Lilith: "Arata!" Lilith: "Wake up already. You're going to be late!" Lilith: "Honestly... You could at least wake up on your own." Lilith: "Uh..." Lilith: "Wha..." Lilith: "Wha..." Arata: "Okay, Lilith! Come on!" Lilith: "I'm not going to "come on"!" Yui: "What do you think, Onii-san?" Arata: "Yep... Not bad." Yui: "You're such a perv, Onii-san." Arin: "Are you happy?" Arata: "Yes. Of course." Yui: "Arin-chan, don't worry." Arin: "Hm?" Yui: "I'm fine with being a mistress." Arin: "That's okay, then." Arata: "You sure that's okay?" Arata: "I never thought mages would have to take PE classes, though." Arata: "Can't get enough of those bouncing boobs." Arin: "So just bouncing them is good enough?" Arata: "No. Lilith's great because she has a sexy figure, but acts embarrassed about it." Arin: "This is pretty difficult." Yui: "Silly Onii-san." Mira: "Akio, please get rid of this impure piece of trash." Akio: "You got it, Boss." Arata: "Whoa! Hold on, hold on!" Mira: "Yui-san." Yui: "Hm?" Mira: "Things worked out fine last time, but both you and that boy are still dangerous. If something happens, I will have to deal with you, in the name of Grimoire Security. Please keep that in mind. Understood?" Yui: "Okay!" Selina: "Th-This is..." Selina: "A battle among the strongest of mages, the Trinity Seven, over Arata-san!" Arata: "What? They're fighting over me?!" Lilith: "Come on, everyone. Endurance training is essential for every mage." Lilith: "What are you doing over here? Supposedly, they're going to start fighting over me. No, they're not." Lilith: "For crying out loud..." Levi: "I see." Levi: "So we can settle things here, then." Lilith: "Huh?" Akio: "That's right. We got interrupted last time." Lilith: "Wai—" Levi: "Connect to Invidia Archive." Levi: "Execute Thema." Akio: "Connect to Gula Archive." Akio: "Execute Thema!" Arin: "I have to prove myself as his wife." Lilith: "Hey, wait— Arin-san?!" Arin: "Connect to Ira Archive." Arin: "Execute Thema." Lilith: "Everyone, don't use your magic here!" Selina: "W-Wow. It's Levi-san's Shamanic Spell, Akio-san's Mantra Enchant," Selina: "and Arin-san's Chaosic Rune!" Selina: "I can't believe I got to see all these great spells at once!" Selina: "This is a huge scoop! Are you sure you don't want to join in, Sensei? Arata-san's going to get taken away from you." Lilith: "H-He isn't... I-I don't..." Arin: "This is all because your bouncing boobs caused my husband to get turned on." Lilith: "Huh?" Lilith: "What?" Yui: "I can't just sit around after hearing that we're fighting over Onii-san." Yui: "Connect to Avaritia Archive!" Yui: "Execute Thema!" Selina: "Here it is! Yui-san's Magus mode, which no one in the school has seen before!" Selina: "And I even get to see her Archsymphony, no less!" Arata: "Is it really that impressive?" Lilith: "Yes. Yui-san's magic is cardinal class. If she uses it here..." Yui: "Starry Night Serenade." Yui: "You're all invited to my world!" Arata: "Where..." Yui: "Welcome, Arata-oniisan." Arata: "Oh, it's the bigger Yui." Yui: "That's right. I'm the dream Yui." Yui: "Do you like me better this way?" Arata: "I like your big-boobed loli form, too." Yui: "You really say just what you're thinking, don't you?" Arata: "Where's everyone else?" Yui: "I'm having them dream something else. See?" Mira: "What on earth is going on?" Arata: "Huh? Why are you not sleeping?" Mira: "I used my Gehenna Scope at the last second" Yui: "Mira-chan can reflect almost any spell." Arata: "Oh, yeah. You're the one who made me naked, too." Mira: "All I did was reflect that impure magic of yours." Mira: "A-Anyway, you're far too impure. I'm never going to let this go." Mira: "Bye." Arata: "She's so cute, but scary at the same time." Yui: "You're targeting Mira-chan, too, huh?" Arata: "Why wouldn't I want to be friends with a cute girl?" Yui: "You really say just what you're thinking, don't you?" Arata: "We should get to know each other a little better first." Yui: "Aww, that's no fun!" Arata: "So you're friends with the ninja because you don't understand friendship, right?" Arata: "The ninja can't expect anything from anyone, so expectation is her Thema. You don't care about friends," Yui: "That's not exactly right," Yui: "I've been asleep by myself this whole time." Yui: "I couldn't have woken up without that jolt from you. So I'm glad I didn't have anyone." Arata: "So my magic undid your power and woke you up, right?" Yui: "That's right." Arata: "I see." Arata: "Okay, then be my friend." Yui: "Really?" Arata: "Yeah. Not just with the ninja. I'll research that Thema of yours with you." Yui: "Yay! Yay! I'm friends with Onii-san!" Yui: "Since we're friends, you can do whatever you want to me." Arata: "Do whatever I want..." Lilith: "You can't, Arata!" Arata: "I'm sorry!" Lilith: "You can't..." Arata: "Sh-She stopped me, even in her dream?" Yui: "Lilith-sensei really is dedicated." Arata: "Well, I guess we should get back." Yui: "Yeah." Yui: "Oh, hold on a second." Arata: "Hm?" Yui: "Thank you for saving me." Arata: "Sure!" Lilith: "Neither of them are waking up." Arin: "So this is the sixth member of the Trinity Seven that he's run into." Levi: "Yeah." Levi: "We don't know where the last one is." Selina: "Yeah." Selina: "Arata-san saved Yui-san, so it's possible..." Selina: "He just might..." Akio: "Why do you look so lost in thought, Boss?" Akio: "Ow..." Akio: "Sorry about that." Akio: "Today sure was peaceful." Akio: "What's wrong? You still lost in thought?" Mira: "I-It's nothing." Akio: "Come on. What's wrong?" Mira: "I said it's nothing." Akio: "You don't have to be the head of Grimoire Security all the time." Akio: "You can be the real Yamana Mira sometimes, too." Mira: "Recently..." Mira: "There have been more breakdown phenomena..." Mira: "And some people have lost control of their magic and become demons. With all those things happening, maybe I'm just feeling a little defeated." Akio: "Yeah, there have been more of those." Mira: "Do you think it has something to do with" Mira: "I must purify and destroy" Akio: "Don't worry so much." Akio: "Impure beings are my enemy, too." Akio: "I'll get rid of them all. You just be the boss" Mira: "Senpai..." Akio: "I'll always be with you." Akio: "No matter what." Mira: "Right." Arata: "This is terrible. Did something happen?" Lilith: "Yes, it seems someone came into the school last night." Arata: "Someone?" Mira: "It wasn't you?" Mira: "There are faint traces of a breakdown phenomenon here." Arata: "Wh-What? I haven't done anything." Lilith: "W-Well, since there are traces of a breakdown phenomenon, the most likely suspects are you and Yui-san..." Arata: "Huh? What are you talking about?" Yui: "You're right. Those are some serious traces of magic." Lilith: "Hey, Yui-san..." Lilith: "Your face is too close to Arata's." Yui: "Smooch." Lilith: "A... A girl just..." Yui: "You're so cute, Lilith-sensei." Arata: "So, Yui, were you up to no good again?" Yui: "Hey, don't be mean. It wasn't me. Besides, if my magic went out of control, this school would have been turned into a dungeon." Mira: "Unfortunately, it appears this magic didn't come from either of you." Mira: "Actually, Lilith-sensei..." Mira: "This magic feels like what we experienced in that library." Lilith: "That library?" Lilith: "I see... I knew it..." Arin: "Library?" Arata: "Yeah, Lilith and Mira seemed pretty serious when they were talking about it." Yui: "A library, huh? I don't really get it..." Arin: "You were asleep, so it's not surprising you don't know." Yui: "Oh, yeah!" Levi: "A ghost has been here!" Arata: "This is pretty nice." Levi: "Oh? You're not scared of ghosts, Arata-san?" Arata: "Well, they're pretty much the same as demons and dragons, right?" Yui: "N-No! Demons are cute, but ghosts are scary!" Arata: "What are you even..." Yui: "A-Anyway, I can't stand ghosts!" Arin: "You can't resist girls with big boobs, can you, husband?" Arata: "If they don't attack, what's the problem?" Levi: "There have been victims, actually." Arata: "Victims of ghosts?" Arin: "Yes." Arin: "It was raining pretty heavily that day, just like it was yesterday... The weather was bad after school, so everyone returned to their rooms to study on their own. But a certain pair of twin sisters" Arin: "and that's when it happened. The windows suddenly broke, and many books came crashing down on them. And then..." Arin: "The next thing they knew, the older of the twins was gone. No matter how much we searched, she couldn't be found. She's still missing." Levi: "This happened about half a year before you came here, Arata-san." Arata: "I see... So what does that have to do with ghosts?" Levi: "Even now, on rainy days like this, people sometimes see the girl who went missing." Arata: "So basically... If we're looking into this, we've gotta check out the scene ourselves!" Lilith: "Oh, Arata." Lilith: "What's up?" Arata: "This ghost thing sounded interesting, so I came to take a look." Mira: "If you came to interfere, I'm going to get rid of you right now." Lilith: "Calm down, Mira-san." Arata: "If something like a breakdown phenomenon happened here, it's probably better if I'm around, right?" Levi: "Well, Akio-san's sleeping, anyway." Mira: "Just don't get in the way." Arata: "Sure. You got it. So are there any hints around?" Arata: "Selina?" Arata: "Hey, Selina." Selina: "Arata-san." Arata: "What's wrong? Did you come to get a story?" Selina: "No... I..." Arata: "Hm?" Selina: "You see..." Arata: "What's going on?" Mira: "This phenomenon..." Arata: "I'm sure we were in the library until a moment ago..." Arin: "We were teleported along with the entire space around us." Mira: "We're in the Eternal Library." Lilith: "That can't be... Are you saying we were forcefully transported here by someone?" Akio: "Looks like things got interesting while I was sleeping." Akio: "You guys should huddle together in a corner." Arata: "I see..." Selina: "Uh, Arata-san." Arata: "What's wrong?" Selina: "I'd appreciate it if you'd let go of my breast before things get serious here." Arata: "Oh, I'm sorry. It just fit so well in my hand..." Selina: "That doesn't help!" Yui: "Onii-san!" Yui: "If it's boobs you like, you can do whatever you want with mine!" Arata: "Wh-Whatever I want..." Yui: "Be careful!" Selina: "Watch out!" Arata: "What are you doing, Selina?" Arata: "Huh? Knee socks?" Lieselotte: "You're the demon lord candidate?" Arata: "You're not Selina... Who are..." Lilith: "Liese-san..." Mira: "What? Why are you..." Liese: "Lilith-sensei and Mira-senpai. It's been a while. Also, I'll be taking your magic." Levi: "You haven't said hi to us yet." Liese: "Akio and the ninja. Looks like you've been doing well." Akio: "Yeah." Akio: "You seem to have turned into quite the evil mage, though." Selina: "Arata-san, are you okay?" Arata: "Yeah... What's going on?" Selina: "Well, she's..." Selina: "my older twin sister." Arata: "Twin sister?" Arata: "Wait... So the girl who turned into a ghost..." Liese: "A ghost? So that's what people think now?" Lilith: "She's the one who went forward with the experiments to connect to the Eternal Library, even though it was banned." Mira: "The former 2nd in Grimoire Security." Selina: "The Trinity Seven of Acedia... Lieselotte Sherlock." Arata: "A Trinity Seven..." Liese: "I didn't expect to see you all here, along with the demon lord candidate. This is a great chance, so I'll be taking all of your magic." Mira: "Why did you leave us to commit such a taboo?" Lieselotte: "Well... It was all..." Lieselotte: "To study magic. I even entered Grimoire Security so I could experience lots of breakdown phenomena personally." Selina: "Watch out!" Liese: "You figured it out again." Selina: "I can use Logos Art, too. I can calculate where you're going to appear." Liese: "That makes me so happy. You really are my baby twin sister. You've been researching, making your magic stronger." Akio: "I think you're taking your mischief too far." Levi: "I'm going to help this time." Lilith: "Me, too. I have to stop any student going down the wrong path." Liese: "Well, I'm at a disadvantage here." Arata: "Those are some great legs." Arin: "You like legs, too, huh?" Arata: "I like just about every part of a pretty girl." Yui: "That's my Onii-san for you." Lilith: "You're missing the gravity of the situation!" Liese: "So the rumored demon lord candidate has only just become a mage." Arata: "Yeah. That's why when people say things are taboo or impure, I don't get why." Liese: "Well, to begin with, magic is inhuman. So calling any of it taboo is simply nonsense." Arata: "That makes sense." Lilith: "A-Arata!" Liese: "Getting your hands on a demon lord's power" Selina: "Huh?" Mira: "No!" Liese: "Like this." Arata: "S-Selina!" Lieselotte: "She really was doing her best to amass magic. What a good girl." Mira: "Impure magic is increasing." Liese: "Yes, this is taboo!" Liese: "There was a demon lord element sealed in the Eternal Library." Akio: "This is bad!" Liese: "Now that I've acquired its magic..." Liese: "I'm a demon lord candidate." Liese: "You know, evil mages aren't that bad. Why not join me, demon lord candidate?" ext Time: "Next time, "Dark Mage and Big Event.""

Akio: "A demon lord candidate?" Lilith: "Liese-san, you couldn't have..." Arata: "Hey, Selina!" Arata: "Selina!" Mira: "A demon lord seal..." Mira: "Liese-san..." Mira: "You really have turned into an impure demon lord candidate." Liese: "It is the ultimate desire of every mage to be a demon lord." Liese: "So isn't it natural for any mage to want to become a candidate?" Lilith: "Yes, but you're supposed to study and research first..." Liese: "I can't be bothered to do that. I'd rather leap straight to the finish line," Liese: "Skip the process and get to the results." Liese: "That's my research." Arata: "Well, shortcuts are always good." Liese: "I know, right?" Lilith: "A-Arata!" Arata: "I don't like anything that's a pain, either. If there's an easier way, nothing can beat that." Arata: "But..." Arata: "I don't like the idea of stealing a friend's magic." Liese: "Oh?" Sora: "What? You're gonna fight her?" Sora: "She's many times stronger than the guys we've fought so far." Arata: "Well, being a demon lord candidate is kind of my thing." Sora: "That's true." Arata: "Connect to Superbia Archive." Arata: "Execute Thema." Arata: "Huh?" Liese: "Let's see... An ability that can eliminate all magic, so strong that it can erase a breakdown phenomenon." Liese: "It was even able to erase Yui Karata's enormous magic, eh? Looks like I can't underestimate you," Liese: "according to Selina's research." Arata: "Selina's research?" Selina: "I can steal the research of any mage whose magic I take. And your ability allows you to copy other people's magic, right?" Arata: "I guess so." Liese: "So how about it, demon lord candidate? Why don't you come to my side?" Arata: "You mean the evil mage side?" Liese: "It's not like we can do anything bad with our teacher and senpai watching." Lilith: "Arata, you can't! Don't listen to anything else she says!" Liese: "Also, I do believe... If you want to save Hijiri Kasuga, the girl who was swallowed up by a breakdown phenomenon, coming to my side would save you time." Arata: "Why do you know about Hijiri?" Liese: "Do you want to know? If you want to know," Liese: "Arata Kasuga-kun." Mira: "Akio!" Akio: "Right!" Levi: "I'll help you out!" Akio: "Damn!" Liese: "Now, then..." Lilith: "Arata!" Liese: "A-Amazing..." Liese: "This is the first time I've had anything so amazing... I mean, it was my first kiss with a boy, but I didn't think it'd be so stimulating." Arata: "M-My power is..." Sora: "This is bad. Master's power is nearly gone now." Liese: "This is great. That's a demon lord candidate for you. Since I have the chance," Liese: "I might as well give this a try." Liese: "This is awesome!" Mira: "That's enough playing around, Liese-san." Liese: "Oh, so you managed to deflect that after all." Levi: "I'm here, too." Liese: "The ninja, too, huh?" Mira: "I'm going to scan her magic. Buy me time until it's done." Levi: "Roger that. I'll be taking this opportunity to get a little serious." Mira: "I will eliminate you in the name of the Security Top, Lieselotte Sherlock." Liese: "Very well. Bring it on." Liese: "I'll show you that I'm the strongest." Levi: "Here I come!" Liese: "My goodness, I see you haven't lost your speed." Liese: "And I thought I was stronger now." Levi: "You're plenty strong. It's normally impossible to dodge that." Levi: "Also, there aren't many people who can hurt me." Liese: "It looks like I wasn't able to bind you, though. I guess Selina's magic still has a way to go." Liese: "Analyze." Liese: "Looks like your left side is in trouble now, huh, ninja?" Levi: "I see you still have your annoying habit of figuring out others' weaknesses." Liese: "What do you think? Can't beat me, can you?" Levi: "Yeah, it's not possible." Levi: "You're really strong right now." Levi: "But..." Mira: "Scan complete." Mira: "Selecting Stagna, stagnation, from the Acedia Archive." Liese: "I wonder if I can withstand even that right now..." Levi: "If Mira-san's Gehenna Scope doesn't even work," Mira: "I'll have you regret showing such conceit to an agent of Iustitia!" Mira: "White Universe!" Liese: "I'm in trouble!" Levi: "Is this where I should ask, "Did we get her?"" Mira: "There's no need." Mira: "We obviously didn't get her." Liese: "Ow!" Liese: "That was close. If I hadn't taken the demon lord candidate's magic, I would've been in trouble." Mira: "Damn it, he's always the one at the heart of our problems." Levi: "Well, he is kind of flaky." Lilith: "Are you okay, Arata?" Arata: "Thanks." Arata: "I don't even have the energy to be excited to see you like that." Lilith: "If you had your magic stolen from you and you're still able to say things like that, you're fine." Arin: "But Selina is... If we don't get her magic back soon," Lilith: "Magic is the power that gives mages their existence itself." Lilith: "If you lose it, you can no longer exist in this world." Yui: "The reason you're barely able to stay conscious is because of that." Arata: "So I have you to thank, huh?" Sora: "Feel free to thank me all you want. Also, I'd suggest running." Arata: "Is she really that dangerous?" Sora: "Yeah. The power she took from you makes her dangerous." Arata: "I see." Arata: "In that case, I have no choice." Arata: "I'm the strongest, after all." Liese: "Oh, demon lord candidate, you're going to run?" Liese: "I guess you don't care about your cousin, then." Arata: "Hijiri..." Liese: "What was that feeling just now?" Arata: "Of course I care." Arata: "But Selina's in trouble right now." Liese: "Oh, yeah? But do you think I'll just let you get away?" Levi: "Looks like it's my time to shine." Liese: "Sorry, but to me, you don't even look like you're moving." Levi: "Really?" Liese: "You can keep up with my teleportation?" Liese: "That's totally cheating!" Levi: "I am..." Levi: "a ninja, after all." Levi: "You've never had wings before, have you?" Levi: "Looks like her movements have slowed." Mira: "Her wings have slowed her down. No matter how high level the magic, if you haven't mastered it, you're the same as any third-rate mage out there." Liese: "So that little disturbance clued you in, huh?" Liese: "I see... Well, this puts me at a disadvantage." Liese: "I'll invite you here again after my magic stabilizes." Liese: "Adieu." Arata: "We made it back?" Levi: "You might say it was called a draw due to injury." Mira: "But next time..." Mira: "Liese-san will have completely mastered this guy's impure power." Arata: "I, uh... I mean... Sorry." Arata: "Thanks for the sexy look, I guess." Arata: "Uh, glaring at me like that kind of kills any funny response I had..." Mira: "Akio." Akio: "Hm?" Mira: "I really don't want to do this, but... Before Liese-san can come after us, we're going to get that impure demon lord candidate up to snuff." Arata: "Huh?" Mira: "I don't want to admit it, but we need your power to go against Liese-san." Arata: "So, what do I need to do? If we're calling this mage training, do I need to work my way up a tower or go into a dungeon?" Mira: "We don't have time for that, so we're just going to draw your latent potential out directly." Mira: "You have the ability to copy the magic of other people." Arata: "Yeah, but it doesn't work with some magic because of something about processes." Mira: "Which is why I'm going to have you fight Akio." Akio: "I'm going to have you take my magic, Mantra Enchant." Akio: "Let's get to it." Arata: "Wait, wait! I still don't know how this process thing works!" Mira: "Yes, which is why you need to figure it out soon," Mira: "or you're going to die." Akio: "See? So you better hurry." Arata: "Isn't this a dangerous way to go about it?!" Yui: "I've stopped it from going further out of control." Lilith: "Thank you. You're a big help." Yui: "Don't mention it. I did it for Onii-san." Arin: "It looks like my husband is getting beaten up by the inspectors." Lilith: "Beaten up, huh?" Yui: "Oh, Lilith-sensei, you're worried about Onii-san?" Lilith: "N-No, that's not really what I..." Arin: "I still can't believe they're the ones giving my husband a crash course..." Yui: "Yeah, it's kind of surprising." Lilith: "I just hope we'll see some results" Levi: "I'd say..." Levi: "we probably don't have time to just sit around." Lilith: "Levi-san, you're okay now?" Levi: "Honestly, I still can't move it at all." Arata: "Damn it... What am I supposed to do here?" Akio: "Crap." Arata: "They're not exactly huge, but they're not too small, either. This amazing size fits perfectly in my hand..." Arata: "U-Uh..." Arata: "S-Stay calm and listen. I'm sure, a few seconds from now," Arata: "So I'm going to say this while I can..." Arata: "This feels incredible. Thank you, and I'm sorry." Mira: "No!" Akio: "I must say, you're pretty good. Even if my magic isn't 100% back yet, to soften the impact of a blow like that..." Arata: "You're not at 100% and you hit that hard?" Akio: "The founder of Mantra Enchant, Mao Saekino, could supposedly do that without even using magic." Arata: "Seriously?" Mira: "Please don't dodge the next attack." Mira: "It's not helping your training." Arata: "No, if I hadn't dodged that, I would've died!" Mira: "I wouldn't have minded." Arata: "You know..." Akio: "But if you don't use your magic to strengthen your body, you'll never beat Liese." Arata: "You want me to fight like the ninja?" Akio: "No one expects you to do that. A magical fight isn't necessarily one where you go all-out like that." Arata: "Huh?" Akio: "The magic you have that makes everyone naked and the gun you make are magic that's your own, that we can't use." Akio: "You seem to be quite unique yourself." Arata: "My own magic..." Akio: "Okay, let's keep going!" Levi: "Mages choose Themas that are far from their own morals and principles, right?" Arin: "Liese's Thema is Stagna, stagnation." Lilith: "That means, with her personality, she can't just sit still..." Levi: "She's here already." A: "What's going on?!" C: "M-My magic..." C: "My magic is..." B: "My magic's being taken..." B/C: "H-Headmaster!" G: "Hurry up and run." G: "I saved you just now to thank you for the feast you gave my eyes." G: "The two inspectors are spending all their time on Arata-kun..." G: "And the other Trinity Seven don't have much magic right now." G: "You know what this is?! The school's in trouble again! Pretty exciting, huh?" R: "It's a shame Lilith isn't here to slap you with a comeback." R: "I'll help defend within the school." G: "Sure. Thanks." G: "Well, Arata-kun... If you don't figure things out soon," G: "a scary, evil mage girl is going to attack." Liese: "Oh?" Liese: "Do you mean me? I'd be happy to have you take me on, though, Headmaster." G: "I'm pretty old now," G: "But..." G: "This is the first time a girl ever hit on me first. I might just take you up on it." Liese: "Sounds great, Headmaster. I'll be taking your magic, along with the school, as a memento to show that I've graduated from this world." G: "Lecture Item #1: When fighting a mage stronger than yourself, you need to have a grimoire." Liese: "Nothing less from the headmaster. I guess I can't just wait and see how this will go." G: "I'm the one who has to fix the building, you know..." Liese: "I'm going to be serious about this, Headmaster." G: "Hmm... The Ligare macro." G: "Selina-chan's magic, huh?" Liese: "You can invoke a spell in that state?" G: "Lecture Item #3: There are people who need to use gestures to invoke spells," G: "but some people only need a macro spell." G: "I'm one of those." Lecture Item #4: "you only need a little magic to do... ...this. See?" Liese: "It's so great to be up against a real paladin. You know, Headmaster, I'd love to take the results of your massive amounts of research for myself." G: "No, I don't think you're ready for that." Liese: "Amazing... He's amazing." Liese: "He isn't making a single move." Liese: "He's just smiling like he always does." Liese: "But..." ?: "You need my magic to help defeat Liese?" ?: "Sure, take it if you can."

G: "Oh, I see..." G: "You can see it now, can't you?" G: "This is..." Liese: "Only people who possess enough magic can see it, right?" G: "That's right. But I wouldn't recommend staring at it too much." G: "Even some high-ranking mages go mad after looking at it for long periods of time." Liese: "I'll take you up on that." Liese: "Now, this is a problem. I'm not even sure how to fight you. Oh, I know." Liese: "Hey." Liese: "What do you think of this?" G: "Those are some nice boobs!" Liese: "You're open!" G: "Oh, no!" Liese: "What a pain." G: "Ow. She's grown up nicely, indeed. In several ways." G: "It'd be nice if the others would do some growing up, too. Liese-chan, you know that throughout history," G: "evil mages have always been defeated once they obtained great power." Mira: "A breakdown phenomenon..." Mira: "Looks like Liese is already attacking." Arata: "Seriously?! Then we need to hurry!" Mira: "Yes, you need to hurry and figure out how to use Akio's technique. Akio." Akio: "Roger that, Boss." Arata: "So I need to hurry up and copy your technique, right?" Akio: "That's right." Sora: "Hm?" Sora: "I completed the processes required" Mira: "No way..." Mira: "When?" Sora: "But this time, it's not a technique that changes a grimoire into a weapon..." Sora: "Guess I have no choice." Sora: "Program search." Sora: "Convert." Sora: "Commit." Sora: "Exe." Sora: "I haven't taken this form since Hijiri was using me." Lilith: "Is something wrong?" Yui: "It seems like someone with great magic was taken out." Lilith: "Was it the headmaster? Well, knowing him, I'm sure he did it on purpose." Arin: "I'm also sensing another source of powerful magic coming this way." Liese: "Hey, there!" Levi: "Ninja Technique: Ceiling Rope Trap." Yui: "Wow!" Lilith: "A trap? When did you set that up?" Levi: "I'm a ninja, after all." Liese: "I got caught in a rather cliché trap, didn't I?" Lilith: "I see." Lilith: "Liese-san's magic is weak against direct attacks and traps." Liese: "That's Lilith-sensei for you. Your ability to analyze things is tops!" Lilith: "I don't think anyone says "tops" anymore." Liese: "What? Really?" Liese: "Selina..." Liese: "I wanted to bring her over to the evil mage side with us." Lilith: ""Us"?" Liese: "Whoops." Liese: "But..." Selina: "Onee-chan..." Liese: "Good morning, Selina. How are you feeling?" Selina: "I'm feeling awful, thanks to you." Liese: "I'm not going to apologize." Selina: "I know that. That's the way you are. That's why I want to propose a contest." Liese: "Contest?" Selina: "If Arata-san beats you, I want you to stop being an evil mage and come back here," Selina: "and us to go back to how we were before..." Liese: "You're silly." Liese: "I can't make a promise like that now..." Lilith: "Liese-san..." Liese: "Okay, enough emotional stuff. I've decided to eat up all of your magic" Liese: "I'll be helping myself now." Liese: "Who was that?!" Arata: "All right. I've gotten my magic back." All: "Arata! Arata-san! Onii-chan!" Sora: "Not bad for just diving in out of nowhere, Master." Lilith: "That girl, and this magic..." Lilith: "The Astil Codex." Sora: "It's my first time seeing you in this form. Hijiri called me Sora." Sora: "To continue talking about Mantra Enchant..." Sora: "Process 1: clear. Process 2: clear." Sora: "Process 3: clear." Sora: "Mantra Enchant configuration complete." Sora: "You place the mantra somewhere in your body like this, and use it. You need to put your will into the magic to do that." Arata: "Will?" Akio: "Yeah." Akio: "That's the most important thing about my magic. Whatever feelings you put into the technique" Akio: "will have the most direct effect on its output. If your will is weak, you'll take critical damage yourself." Akio: "That's how my technique works." Arata: "My feelings..." Akio: "Mira, I can trust him with this, right?" Mira: "Yes, if you can correctly use magic from the Gula Archive, you should be able to stand on your own against Liese-san." Sora: "It's true that it's the better magic to use against that girl." Akio: "Also, the spell I use is "Conception." I'll be entrusting it to you, so go teach our naughty friend a little lesson." Arata: "What... was that?" Akio: "I'm counting on you." Arata: "Hey!" Arata: "So that's how I can use the big girl's magic." Liese: "Hmm..." Arata: "Now, girl with the legs, your little games are over!" Liese: "Oh?" Lilith: "Hey!" Liese: "I wasn't paying attention. Were you trying to look at my boobs?!" Arata: "N-No! It wasn't like that!" Levi: "Arata-san's objective is to see the Trinity Seven naked." Arata: "No, it's not!" Yui: "But you do want to, right?" Arata: "Quite a bit." Lilith: "Hey!" Liese: "Isn't Levi the only one you haven't seen?" Liese: "The ninja's always on her guard, so that might be tough." Levi: "Lilith-sensei can take my share of your eyeful." Lilith: "I don't want your share!" Sora: "While you guys were joking around, her disrupted magic has returned to normal." Arata: "What?!" Liese: "Oh, you noticed, huh? The attack from the demon lord candidate was pretty strong, so I was surprised." Liese: "I could kiss you again and take your magic back." Lilith: "He may have copied Akio-san's ability and gotten his magic back..." Levi: "But Liese-san obtained master-level magic and a demon lord element." Yui: "Onii-san..." Arin: "Are you okay?" Arata: "Yeah, it'll all work out." Arata: "Here I come!" Sora: "Master," Sora: "touch her chest with your mantra!" Sora: "Eat her demon lord element!" Arata: "Right!" Sora: "Behind you!" Arata: "Right!" Liese: "I get it." Liese: "You're acting in combination with your grimoire." Sora: "Above you now, Master!" Liese: "Too bad for you. It's good that you can find me, but..." Liese: "Can you keep up with my speed?" Sora: "Above you... No, to your left..." Sora: "Now she's..." Arata: "So where is she?!" Liese: "Now you see." Liese: "It tires me out, though." Liese: "It's not passing through?" Sora: "Master is using Mantra Enchant to reinforce his body." Arata: "It really tires me out, though." Liese: "Well, well..." Liese: "Neither binding nor attacking will work, huh?" Sora: "And if Master devours your demon lord element, we win." Liese: "I see. So if he touches my boobs, I'm out, then?" Sora: "And he'll rub them up good next time." Liese: "I don't think I like the sound of that." Arata: "Don't worry. I won't rub them." Arata: "I'd rather save the rubbing for when I can take my time." Lilith: "Arata!" Liese: "You're fun, you know that?" Liese: "I guess I have no choice. I'll have to use my trump card a bit." Arata: "Trump card?" Sora: "This might be bad." Liese: "Reconnect to Acedia Archive." Liese: "Execute Thema." Arata: "What's going on?" Sora: "She can't be..." Lilith: "You can't, Liese-san!" Liese: "Trinity Seven refers to the individuals" Liese: "who have obtained the Lost Technica in their respective Archives." Arata: "A secret technique?" Liese: "You normally don't get off so easily when you use this, but I'm making an exception for you." Arata: "What is this? Are we in a barrier or another world or something again?" Sora: "No, this is really bad, Master!" Sora: "This is the secret technique of Acedia." Liese: "That's right. It's Baal Peor," Liese: "the Last Crest that the founder of Logos Art, the mage Pythagoras, developed. It takes complete measurements of all occurrences," Liese: "and drastically slows down time for everything other than myself." Liese: "Simply put, it's a mimic of freezing time." Arata: "Freezing time?" Liese: "Oh? You know next to nothing about magic, yet you understood that?" Arata: "Well, every teenage male dreams of being able to that." Sora: "You could do all the pervy stuff you wanted." Arata: "Yep!" Liese: "But it doesn't actually work out that well." Arata: "Wha—" Sora: "I see. Matter that isn't affected cannot influence matter that is." Arata: "Darn." Arata: "So that means I can't take off their clothes, huh?" Sora: "I'm sure their boobs would feel as hard as rocks if you touched them, too." Liese: "You guys are pretty calm about this whole thing." Sora: "But what should we do, Master? We're really out of options now." Arata: "We are, huh?" Sora: "The time here is under Liese's control." Liese: "That's right. I could steal a kiss from the demon lord candidate" Arata: "I'm honored," Liese: "I'm keeping your time moving so I can interact with you." Arata: "So if I try to do something..." Liese: "I can stop time for you," Liese: "I'll take every bit of your magic this time." Liese: "Though, if I do that, you'll probably disappear." Liese: "What are you smiling about?" Arata: "Oh, I was just thinking this is starting to feel real now." Arata: "If you think you can do it, go ahead and try. I'll take any cutie at any time." Sora: "You up for this?" Arata: "Yeah. I think I figured out what kind of will I want to put into this. So I'm going to pound it into Liese with all I've got." Liese: "Are you done conferring?" Arata: "Yeah. Sorry for the wait." Liese: "Okay, then I'm going to take your magic." Arata: "Here we go, partner!" Sora: "Yeah, leave it to me!" Liese: "Give me eternal time!" Liese: "Chrono Calculation!" Liese: "It seems I used a little too much magic." Liese: "But I win. You might have had some plan," Liese: "but now I can gain the demon lord's power." Liese: "Good bye, my demon lord candidate." Liese: "I gave you a hot kiss, just like you wanted. Now, once again, I'll—" Arata: "You put the Mantra Enchant on your tongue?!" Sora: "The Siddham on his hand was fake." Sora: "The real one was on his tongue. And you sucked on it." Sora: "Do you understand what that means?" Arata: "D-Did we get her?" Sora: "The power transferred to your tongue from your right hand, just as you imagined." Arata: "Thank you." Arata: "I figured this girl would definitely kiss me." Sora: "But for you to make her magic go out of control so effectively..." Sora: "What will did you put into the mantra?" Arata: "I saw something when I got the power from Akio." Arata: "It was Akio when she was younger, praying continuously. Akio and Selina," Arata: "They want you to come back." Liese: "Want me..." Arata: "I want Hijiri to come back, too." Arata: "That's why I realized it." Arata: "That was the will Akio and Selina entrusted me with." Arata: "They don't want you to be in this lonely monochrome world by yourself." Arata: "That's how they feel." Liese: "Stupid. I abandoned the world, my friends, and even my sister." Liese: "I can't leave this world anymore." Arata: "What do you mean?" Sora: "There's a risk involved with the Last Crest. Pythagoras, who came up with the technique, got trapped in this world that moves faster than light." Sora: "In other words, he couldn't leave this world." Liese: "Unable to move forward or go back, he remained in this world forever, stagnant. That's the price you pay for this magic." Arata: "Why?!" Liese: "Huh?" Arata: "Why did you use this?!" Liese: "A mage does whatever it takes for their research." Liese: "That goes for your cousin, too." Arata: "For Hijiri?" Liese: "Thank you, Arata-kun. If someone had cared for me as much as you do, I might not have ended up like this." Arata: "Liese..." Liese: "Goodbye, my wonderful demon lord candidate. Apologize to Selina and Akio for me." Arata: "What is this?" Liese: "No need to worry." Liese: "You should all be able to return now." Arata: "Don't be dumb." Arata: "What about Selina? You're going to leave her all alone again? I won't let you do that!" Arata: "I'm going to pull you out of here!" Liese: "Well, if we meet again, I'll let you touch them without the clothes in the way." Arata: "Wait for me." Arata: "I'll rub them raw!" Lilith: "A-Arata..." Arata: "Thanks for always being there, Lilith." Selina: "I see..." Selina: "So Onee-chan can no longer..." Akio: "That girl... She did the same thing as her founder." Arata: "I'm sorry." Akio: "It's fine. You ate all of her demon lord element, right?" Sora: "Yeah, I'm holding on to it right now. If a mage gets hold of it, it'll go out of control again." Selina: "I guess there was no helping Onee-chan." Mira: "Sora-san, was it?" Mira: "How many of the processes has that impure boy completed for Logos Art?" Sora: "I'd say he's almost there." Mira: "I thought so. Then, as the Security Top, I order Selina Sherlock" Mira: "and to retrieve her sister, who is trapped in her own spacetime." Sora: "I see. In other words..." Levi: "Start training and catch up to Liese-san yourself as soon as you can." Yui: "Wow! Mira-chan, you're nice." Arin: "A tsundere." Mira: "I-I am not!" Mira: "I need to punish her as quickly as possible. That's all there is to it. Akio," Selina: "I'm going to catch up to Onee-chan?" Arata: "Yeah," Arata: "Use that camera of yours to bind your sister stagnating in her world" Arata: "that moves faster than light, Selina." Arata: "When you do, I'll help you out." Selina: "Okay! Thank you, Arata-san." G: "I see. Arata-kun is maturing at a good rate, and the other Trinity Seven are being influenced at a good rate, as well." G: "I guess that's where we stand." R: "Headmaster." R: "The school in the west..." G: "Yes, it was completely wiped out just now, huh?" G: "So they've finally made their move." G: "The evil mages..." G: "Iscariot." Yui: "Arata-oniisan has been studying magic with Lilith-sensei this whole time! Onii-san, it's good to study, but relax with Yui, too."

Arata: "Selina, do you have a moment?" Selina: "Yes?" Arata: "I don't understand the formula here." Selina: "Oh, the first and second processes draw a magic circle." Arata: "Hm, I see." Arata: "Hey, ninja. I'm having trouble focusing my mind." Levi: "Well, if you want to focus on your finger, you could clamp a clothespin on it to help." Arata: "Oh, so that's why you licked my finger before." Levi: "I can lick it again, if you want." Arata: "Nah, I'll have you do that as a reward when I get something right." Arata: "Did the rune you made for me look like this?" Arin: "No, it looks like this, husband." Arata: "I don't get how you restore your own magic." Yui: "The best thing to do is just relax. Want to touch my boobs?" Arata: "N-No. I think that would just make me more tense." Yui: "I'm okay with it anytime." Lilith: "Arata." Arata: "You're here, Lilith?" Lilith: "What's the matter?" Arata: "What do you mean?" Lilith: "Well, you're being so diligent lately." Lilith: "I was certain you were replaced by a doppelganger." Arata: "How would you come up with that?" Lilith: "I see. You want to learn as quickly as possible" Lilith: "so you can save Liese-san as soon as you can." Arata: "Yeah, and apparently, it won't be long before I can copy Logos Art, too." Sora: "Yeah. Out of the three processes, he's already cleared two." Lilith: "I'm very happy that you've gotten a lot more serious about all this," Lilith: "but as I keep saying, magic is extremely dangerous. Learning to use so many types in a short period of time increases the chance that your magic will go out of control. It's dangerous enough with just one, but in your case, it's possible that several could go wrong at a time." Arata: "And if my magic goes out of control, I turn into a monster, right?" Lilith: "Yes. In a worst case scenario, you might turn into a worse monster than the Code D we ran across." Sora: "I told him the same thing over and over." Arata: "I know." Arata: "But this time, I really want to do something." Arata: "I don't want to have someone else slip away to a place I can't reach them. Also, gaining more power should help bring me to Hijiri, too." Arata: "That's how I feel." Lilith: "Arata, listen..." Lilith: "If you'd like..." R: "Arata Kasuga-san, Lilith Asami-san," R: "please come to the headmaster's office immediately." Arata: "Why'd he call us all of a sudden?" Sora: "It did say to come immediately. Maybe he's going to give you something." Arata: "Yeah, right." Arata: "If he wants us immediately..." Arata: "Ow..." Arata: "No bunny today, I see..." Mira: "No!" G: "I see there's still no end to your luck as a pervert." Arata: "It's not like I was trying to look." Sora: "But you liked it, didn't you?" Arata: "Of course I did." Mira: "Headmaster, please just tell us why you called us." G: "Oh, well, I was thinking of having Arata-kun temporarily become the assistant chief of the inspection division." Mira: "Y-You want this impure man to be the Security 2nd?" Mira: "I'm against this. I can't have this lazy demon lord candidate pervert join us." G: "But he does have the grades for it." Arata: "What does the inspection division even do?" Akio: "We go around and beat up all the bad mages, of course." Arata: "That sounds heroic!" Mira: "It's not that simple." G: "Now, now. I decided to have Lilith-chan join, too, as a chaperon. Besides, with this assignment, I'm a little worried if it's just the two of you, Mira-chan and Akio-chan." Mira: "Worried?" G: "I'm sending you all to one of the three great magical academies that were wiped out the other day..." G: "The Royal Liber Magic Academy." G: "You leave the day after tomorrow. I want Arata-kun to know, at the bare minimum," Arata: "You're going to be my dedicated tutor, Lilith?" Lilith: "I was the one who helped you get into this school, after all." Lilith: "I figured that, as your teacher, it's my responsibility to look after you." Arata: "Got it. I'm counting on you, Lilith." Sora: "In other words, it's one of those hot private lessons, then?" Arata: "R-Really?!" Lilith: "No!" Lilith: "You're always making fun of me." Levi: "If you're trying to be an alluring teacher, as a ninja, I can't just sit quietly by." Lilith: "Levi-san!" Selina: "This looks like a scoop!" Arin: "I heard everything." Lilith: "Arin-san, put on some clothes!" Lilith: "Lilith-sensei is always there with a snappy comment. When did you show up, Yui-san?!" Arata: "You're pretty good at that, Lilith." Sora: "An alchemist of comedic retorts. Impressive." Lilith: "I'm not trying to do that!" Lilith: "I finally worked up the courage to say it, too..." Arin: "Courage, huh?" Yui: "Why'd you need courage?" Levi: "Please tell us more." Arata: "Oh, yeah, Lilith." Arata: "If you're going to be my tutor, can you tell me something?" Lilith: "What is it?" Arata: "The Trinity Seven are in the top of their class in each of their respective deadly sins, right?" Lilith: "Yes, they've perfected their Last Crests in each Archive, the technique for each respective magical pole." Lilith: "Levi-san is Envy, Invidia." Lilith: "Yui-san is Greed, Avaritia." Arata: "Arin is Ira, Wrath. And Selina's sister, Liese, is Sloth, Acedia, right?" Sora: "The big girl, Akio, is Gluttony, Gula." Sora: "And Mira's is the same as yours, Master: Pride, Superbia." Arata: "So what Archive are you, Lilith?" Lilith: "Huh? Well... I'm, um..." Lilith: "Y-You don't really need to know. It's not that big a deal." Arata: "Come on, just tell me." Lilith: "N-No, you can already use my alchemy anyway, and... well..." Arata: "I made the decision to study properly." Arata: "So..." Arata: "Tell me, Lilith." Lilith: "Lust... It's lust..." Arata: "Huh? What was that?" Lilith: "Lus..." Lilith: "I said it's lust! Lust! The Luxuria Archive!" Arata: "O-Oh... So that means, uh..." Levi: "Of course, it means..." Selina: "You have to be a pervert!" Arata: "I know you have a hot body, Lilith," Arata: "but you don't have to take it so far as to research it." Lilith: "Don't talk about my body like that!" Yui: "She's so sly." Arin: "Very sly." Levi: "Sly, indeed." Lilith: "No, I'm not!" Arata: "Wait. So if you're going to be my tutor..." Sora: "I'm sure she'll give you all kinds of hot, steamy lessons in her lustful research." Arata: "Yay!" Arata: "Huh?" Lilith: "I told you I wasn't going to." Arata: "I-It was a joke! A joke!" Arata: "Actually, wait... Your Thema is the thing that's furthest from you, right?" Levi: "That's right. I don't get jealous towards anyone, and I don't expect anything from anyone. I'm good at working on my own, and that's why I'm a ninja." Arata: "So that's why it seems so hard to connect Arin with "wrath."" Arin: "Oh, right." Arin: "You're such a jerk, honey!" Arin: "See? I tried acting angry to destroy our relationship." Arata: "You just said you were acting..." Arin: "Did I do something wrong?" Arata: "You can't just say it monotone like that. And something like that isn't going to destroy our relationship, anyway." Arin: "This is difficult." Arata: "So that's why Lilith has that hot body, but in reality she's not lustful at all." Lilith: "I don't know if I like the way you said that, but yes. Besides, I think you're supposed to be modest when it comes to se—" Yui: "I got you, Onii-san! Kiss!" Arin: "Hug." Lilith: "And you guys aren't being modest at all!" Lilith: "Ahem. Anyway, Arata. I'd like to start your lessons now." Lilith: "Are you ready?" Arata: "Yeah. Let's do this, Lilith." Sora: "You're working pretty hard." Arata: "Yeah. So you're not going to turn back into your grimoire form?" Sora: "I'm cuter this way, aren't I?" Arata: "Yeah, you're nice to look at, and you're soft and warm, too." Sora: "You never fail to be a pervert, Master." Mira: "Excuse us, impure boy." Akio: "We're coming in." Akio: "Oh, were you in the middle of something?" Arata: "No, I'm just taking a break from studying." Sora: "I was about to seduce my master here." Mira: "S-Seduce?!" Akio: "Sorry, my boss doesn't handle that sort of thing too well. Try not to tease her too much." Arata: "You heard her. Scoot over." Sora: "Sure." Akio: "Th-Then, if you'll excuse us." Arata: "Now I feel kind of awkward." Mira: "Th-That's because you were trying to do lewd things with your grimoire!" Arata: "No, I wasn't." Sora: "But you said I was soft and warm, right?" Arata: "Yeah, let's do that again." Arata: "So what brings you here this late?" Mira: "I came to see if you were studying or not." Akio: "And she didn't want to go alone to a boy's room at night, so she made me come along." Mira: "Hey, Akio!" Akio: "She's been thinking so much about you lately, she doesn't even wear her little girl underwear anymore." Arata: "Yeah, I saw." Mira: "Forget that!" Arata: "S-So I didn't get to ask Lilith, but what are the three great magic academies, anyway?" Akio: "Well, to put it simply, they're high level magical academies like this one. We received word that Liber Academy was destroyed at the same time Liese attacked us." Arata: "Destroyed?" Sora: "I felt it, too. There was a huge magic blast far to the west," Sora: "and many things vanished." Sora: "It was like when you were separated from Hijiri." Mira: "Our mission is to investigate that breakdown phenomenon, figure out the cause, and eliminate it." Akio: "We might not figure out who did it right away, though." Sora: "So how are we getting there?" Mira: "There's a network of teleportation magic that connects magic schools to the rest of the world." Akio: "In simple terms, it's a magical warp device." Arata: "A m-magical warp?!" Mira: "All major cities in every country, and any cities that have a magical academy, are connected by a hyper-dimensional—" Arata: "So it's a warp, right?!" Mira: "Sure, whatever." Sora: "So there's only one thing left to do." Sora: "Girls in their pajamas came to a boy's room. They obviously came for a liaison, right?" Arata: "Ooh!" Sora: "That girl's been showing off her boobs over the past few minutes, trying to seduce you." Arata: "Really?" Mira: "I have not!" Akio: "When they're just the right size, if you lean forward a little, people can see your nipples." Arata: "Really?!" Akio: "I've been seeing them this whole time." Arata: "Let me sit there!" Akio: "Sure." Mira: "No, you will not!" Sora: "But it's at times like this when things tend to happen." Lilith: "What's going on, Arata?" Sora: "She's here for a liaison." Lilith: "Er... Uh..." Mira: "I wasn't..." Arata: "W-Wait!" Lilith: "That's just about it. Do you have any questions, Arata?" Arata: "No, I got it. Thank you, Lilith." Lilith: "Oh, yeah, Arata. There's one more important lesson left." Yui: "What a big bath." Levi: "Hey, it's dangerous to flail around like that." Arata: "Oh, yeah, Yui wasn't here last time." Selina: "She came back after we all fell asleep at the school." Lilith: "Arata..." Lilith: "Here it is." Arata: "I didn't know this was here." Lilith: "You can look at this beautiful view while you rest your mind and body in the hot spring." Lilith: "That's the best way to recover your magic, and your mental strength." Arata: "Yeah..." Lilith: "You worked really hard, Arata. Not just your studies," Lilith: "but you really did a good job with Yui-san and Liese-san." Lilith: "So this is your reward." Arata: "I see. Thank you, Lilith." Lilith: "Oh, no. I just like this place. It's beautiful, isn't it?" Arata: "Yeah, it really is." Lilith: "Is something the matter?" Arata: "N-No..." Arata: "I-I mean, honestly..." Arata: "I'm pretty happy just being able to see your smile along with this great scenery." Lilith: "Huh?" Lilith: "C-Come on..." Lilith: "What are you saying, Arata?" Arata: "Now you've done it." Lilith: "Do you think you can beat me in a shooting contest?" Arata: "Hey, what the heck?! That's not fair!" Lilith: "Here I go!" Arata: "You really did fire it!" Levi: "Looks like this was a good break for Lilith-sensei, too." Yui: "I think I'm going to get a little jealous." Sora: "Well, let's let him have all the fun he wants right now." Yui: "Oh, man." Lilith: "Arata!" Arata: "Wh-What?!" G: "Looks like you guys had a great time last night!" G: "Or that's the vibe I'm getting." G: "Anyway, I'm going to send you to a spot near Liber Academy. Are you all ready?" G: "Oh? What's this?" Mira: "I sense an impurity!" Sora: "Someone's interfering in this teleport!" Lilith: "If that happens, we might get thrown into a rift in spacetime!" Arata: "Can't we do anything, Headmaster?!" G: "Oh, in the name of my pride, I'll make sure you guys get there safe and sound." G: "Sorry if the coordinates are a bit off." Sora: "We're only a few seconds off from before the teleport. Looks like we made it through the warp." Sora: "But the space here is strange. I feel magic similar to my world creation magic." Arata: "So we're in some weird world again?" Arata: "You're awake?" Mira: "Where are we?" Mira: "It can't be..." Arata: "You know where we are?" Mira: "Yes, I've come here once before." Mira: "This is the Royal Liber Academy." Arata: "W-Wait! Didn't this place get destroyed?!" Hijiri: "Arata-san." Arata: "Y-You're... Hijiri?" Hijiri: "Arata-san, it's been a while." Arata: "Are you really Hijiri?" Mira: "That's enough messing around. Your magic isn't human." Arata: "Huh?" Mira: "In the name of my Iustitia, you will show your true form!" Hijiri: "I wouldn't expect less from Biblia Academy's Trinity Seven. This magic might be dangerous." Mira: "Your barrier can't block out my magic." Arata: "Hey!" Sora: "Let her take care of this, Master. I would have stopped her, too, if she were the real thing." Arata: "Real thing?" Hijiri: "It looks like this isn't the right time yet." Hijiri: "Let us meet again." Arata: "Hey, wait! If you're not Hijiri, then who..." Arata: "Hijiri..." Mira: "I know we're in an emergency situation, but why do I have to be with someone as impure as you? Hey, wh-where are you looking?!"

Hijiri: "Let us meet again." Arata: "Hey, wait!" Arata: "If you're not Hijiri, then who..." Arata: "Who was that?" Sora: "She is the "Iliad Fragment." She copied Hijiri's memories and appearance to act as Hijiri's replacement. She's a grimoire like me." Arata: "Hijiri's replacement?" Sora: "She was the one who cooked and cleaned for you" Sora: "Technically, you were seeing her for the first time in a while." Mira: "Hijiri Kasuga's contracted grimoire is here, at a school that should have been destroyed." Arata: "H-Hey, wait." Mira: "I can do the investigation here myself. Why don't you go search for your girlfriend?" Arata: "Is it me, or does she seem angry?" Sora: "Well, I imagine she's jealous because your old girlfriend came back." Mira: "That's not it!" Arata: "Wasn't everyone saying that this school was destroyed?" Mira: "Yes, that was the report." Arata: "But it's still here." Arata: "Does that mean this world was constructed, as well?" Sora: "Only a demon lord or a candidate is capable of that. So that means this school wasn't actually destroyed." Arata: "A barrier?" Sora: "That's right." Sora: "The entire school was isolated to another dimension. We're currently surrounded by a large barrier," Sora: "and floating in a rift in the sea of parallel dimensions. That means we were warped to a world where nothing exists but this school, and trapped here." Mira: "I thought we might be able to meet up with Lilith-sensei and Akio, but..." Arata: "No one's around, and there's nothing here." Sora: "Not exactly, Master." Mira: "This impure aura... I'll eliminate them!" Mira: "Connect to Superbia Archive! Execute Thema!" Mira: "Huh?" Arata: "I-I guess this isn't a good time to thank you for that. What's going on, Sora?" Sora: "It feels like Magus Mode has been sealed within the school." Arata: "So we can't fight, then?" Sora: "I'm a purely magical entity, so I can do anything, but..." Sora: "Oh, well. Just leave this to me. You take the naked girl and get out of here." Arata: "You sure?" Sora: "Just get me something good to eat later." Arata: "All right. Let's go, Mira." Arata: "You can punch me all you want later. We're getting out of here now. I'll try not to look while I run, so hold on tight." Mira: "A-All right." Arata: "Yeah." Arata: "Crap, this is pretty hot." Mira: "Stop joking around!" Sora: "Sheesh..." Sora: "Now then..." Sora: "Hm?" Hijiri: "Your magic is as strong as ever, Astil Codex." Sora: "And I see you're using the same tricks as always, Iliad Fragment." Hijiri: "No matter how strong you are, you're in my domain now." Sora: "I'm not so sure." Arata: "It won't open now." Mira: "It might mean we're trapped in here." Arata: "Here." Mira: "Huh?" Arata: "Seeing you act all shy and modest throws me off." Mira: "R-Right." Arata: "That's pretty sexy." Mira: "Don't tease me!" Arata: "So we need to figure out what caused this, and get ourselves out of it. I seem to recall that there's a way to get out of these things without defeating the person generating the barrier." Arata: "We just need to destroy whatever's the core of the barrier, right?" Mira: "That is one possibility." Arata: "So where in the school would that be?" Mira: "Well... There would be either one in the center, or several, like when it forms a magic circle." Arata: "I see. Then I'm going to check the center of the school. You rest here, Mira." Mira: "Huh?" Arata: "Your magic might come back if you do." Arata: "Your clothes should return, too." Mira: "You're going on your own?" Arata: "Yeah." Arata: "If I get attacked by monsters, I'll just run." Mira: "It's dangerous." Arata: "I imagine it is, but doing nothing isn't going to help us." Mira: "You don't know much about the interior of this school." Mira: "I'll go with you. I don't want to be indebted to you any further." Arata: "All right." Arata: "Let's go together, Mira." Mira: "R-Right." Arata: "Okay." Arata: "Let's go!" Sora: "I didn't think you'd use the monsters as disposable shields." Sora: "It's almost as if you're a bad mage." Sora: "They were once the students of this school, right?" Hijiri: "Now that they've turned into these, they have no will of their own." Sora: "True." Sora: "I guess that means I don't need to hold back anymore." Hijiri: "Oh? Your magic has increased again." Sora: "My current master is quite the reckless boy. We keep getting stronger." Hijiri: "I wouldn't expect less from the demon lord candidate that Hijiri and I chose." Sora: "Did I get her?" Sora: "Oh, crap!" Hijiri: "Oh, dear. Hijiri always told you that you end up vulnerable" Hijiri: "Wait for me, Arata-san." Hijiri: "You can't escape now." Arata: "So this is the center of the school?" Mira: "Yes." Mira: "This clock tower would easily function as a pillar or core for a barrier." Arata: "So are taller places better, or something?" Mira: "Yes, I believe they allow a barrier to encompass a greater area." Arata: "In that case," Arata: "I guess we'll just have to go up there." Mira: "I suppose so." Mira: "Okay..." Arata: "Is something wrong?" Arata: "Hm?" Mira: "The wind blew, and..." Mira: "Well..." Arata: "Oh..." Arata: "But you don't really like pervy stuff, right?" Mira: "R-Right." Arata: "Then I'll just be careful not to look." Mira: "Y-You will?" Arata: "I mean, I'd love a peek, and I definitely want to look." Mira: "Honestly, you're such an impure man!" Arata: "Or do you want me to go up first?" Mira: "If there were a trap, could you spot it?" Arata: "No, I guess not." Arata: "I guess I'll have to carry you on my back, then." Mira: "What?" Arata: "I won't be able to see anything, so that's fine, right?" Arata: "Come on." Arata: "Hey, Mira." Mira: "Yes?" Arata: "You're the top of the inspection division because your magic is strong, right?" Mira: "Huh?" Mira: "Yeah, I guess so." Mira: "That's one of the reasons." Arata: "There are other reasons?" Mira: "My Thema is Iustitia... Justice. I choose the path that is just." Arata: "Weren't Themas supposed to be the opposite of one's self? So were you a delinquent at one point?" Mira: "No!" Arata: "What were you like before, then?" Mira: "I..." A: "Hey, Mira-san." A: "You've got really powerful magic, right?" B: "It's hard to believe, when you're so cute. You're so lucky." C: "Were you born with it? Or did you train or something?" Mira: "I tried my best not to get close to anyone. Because my magic was so great, there was a chance it could go out of control." Mira: "I'm sorry." Mira: "Obviously, I couldn't make any friends like that." Mira: "That's when..." Akio: "Hey, first-year. If you have free time, you think you could help me with my research?" Mira: "Huh? But..." Akio: "I'm part of the Trinity Seven. Strong magic is exactly what I want." Mira: "Akio took my hand. She took me to all kinds of places on the pretense of her magic research," Mira: "and helped me get used to the school." Mira: "And then..." Akio: "Mira!" Mira: "S-Senpai!" Akio: "You awake, Mira? I was worried." Mira: "I-I'm sorry, Senpai!" Mira: "My experiment failed..." Akio: "You were doing it in secret so you wouldn't trouble anyone else, huh?" Akio: "Hey, Mira. If you have such immense magic, then why not just use it boldly?" Mira: "Akio's words rooted themselves deeply within me." Mira: "I thought it'd be great if I could be more frank, and look cooler. That's why I wanted to become someone who could take responsibility for the powers they had," Mira: "and be an agent of justice." Arata: "I see." Mira: "Wait, why did I tell you all of that?!" Arata: "What's the problem? It was a good story." Mira: "Th-This is why I hate impure men like you." Mira: "What's so funny?!" Arata: "I was just thinking you're finally acting like yourself. Part of it is that I was just interested in you, plain and simple," Arata: "but I thought if we talked about something, it might take your mind off things." Mira: "You're awfully audacious for someone so impure!" Arata: "I can't breathe... I can't breathe!" Mira: "Seriously, instead of worrying about me, you should be thinking about how to escape from this school." Mira: "You know, you're the temporary 2nd in the inspection division." Arata: "Sure. Leave it to me, Leader." Arata: "How's it look? Any traps?" Mira: "It looks fine as far as I can see, but..." Mira: "That's..." Arata: "Sora?" Arata: "Hey, Sora! Hey!" Hijiri: "I've been waiting for you, Arata-san." Arata: "Hijiri!" Mira: "No, that's the Iliad Fragment." Hijiri: "Well, Arata-san. I've sealed away your grimoire's magic. Now if I get rid of that girl there, it'll just be you and me. Time and space, all of it has stopped here, and until Hijiri destroys all of this world," Hijiri: "you and I will be here, together." Mira: "This impure aura..." Mira: "It's pretty strong." Arata: "So this is one of those "really tight jams" that I've heard about." Hijiri: "No, not at all." Hijiri: "You're very important to Hijiri and me. The only one in a really tight jam is that female mage." Sora: "Hey, Master." Sora: "Oh, don't react. I'm talking to you in a way no one will notice. I'm being held in the core of the barrier, which also seems to comprise the school, as well as this whole space." Arata: "So that means..." Sora: "If you destroy it, the school will collapse." Arata: "I see." Sora: "I'll try doing something from in here. Buy me time." Arata: "Okay, I'll give it a try." Arata: "Hey, Iliad Fragment." Hijiri: "Just call me Ilia. Hijiri called me that, too." Arata: "Okay, Ilia. I'll stay here, but can you let this girl out?" Mira: "Wh-What are you saying?" Hijiri: "Hmm... That's your move, huh?" Arata: "It's me you need, right? So Mira doesn't need to be here." Hijiri: "That's true. We don't really need that girl in a world for just the two of us." Hijiri: "Understood. In that case, Arata-san, can you come over here, close to me?" Arata: "Sure." Mira: "Don't! You don't need to sacrifice yourself like that!" Arata: "Yeah, but I'm the 2nd. I need to make sure the boss gets out safe." Mira: "That's my decision to make. You're just a temp!" Arata: "Sorry. Once you're out, see if you can get me out from there." Arata: "Hey." Arata: "If we leave her there, will she die?" Hijiri: "Grimoires don't die. The only way they could "die" is if they were forgotten forever. That's it." Arata: "That's awfully sad. Though I think it'd be even harder to forget someone as energetic as she is." Hijiri: "You're pretty kind, Arata-san." Hijiri: "To think you'd feel that way for mere tools like us." Arata: "Was it true when you said Hijiri was going to destroy the world?" Hijiri: "Yes, the current Hijiri isn't the Hijiri you know." Arata: "What do you mean?" Hijiri: "I mean" Hijiri: "destroy all falsehood in the world, and then, when everything's over..." Hijiri: "It'd be best for you to ask her yourself, Arata-san." Hijiri: "Now for that mage." Arata: "Hey!" Hijiri: "I'm sorry, Arata-san. There's no way to let her, and her alone, out of the barrier," Hijiri: "so I'll kill her as quickly as possible." Arata: "You..." Arata: "What's this about, Ilia?!" Hijiri: "Just a precaution." Hijiri: "I guessed that you might try to telepathically communicate with the Astil Codex." Hijiri: "You underestimated a girl in love." Hijiri: "She would want to know everything about the boy she loves. She would want to tie him up." Hijiri: "She wouldn't allow another girl to get close to him." Hijiri: "That's what it means for a girl to be truly in love." Sora: "So this was a device to suck out my magic, as well?!" Hijiri: "That's right, Astil Codex. You will be here forever, as my energy source." Sora: "So when you summoned my master and me here without sealing my magic, it was all a trap?!" Mira: "Vile grimoire!" Hijiri: "I don't care what you have to say. You're about to die." Arata: "Mira!" Hijiri: "You shouldn't get so worked up for other girls, Arata-san." Hijiri: "I'm sure Hijiri would be jealous." Hijiri: "Just watch from there. You'll see what Hijiri wants to do to girls who get friendly with you. And you'll watch as your grimoire loses her purpose, and becomes nothing more than a mere thing." Arata: "S-Stop it!" Arata: "Ilia!" Hijiri: "Arata-san?" Hijiri: "Why are you looking at me like that?" Arata: "I..." Arata: "I want my friends to spend every day smiling." Arata: "That's all I want." Hijiri: "Wh-What are you saying?" Arata: "Is this going to happen again? Am I going to stay trapped by this irrational power you call "magic," never able to do what I want?" Arata: "Then I'm not "controlling" anything." Hijiri: "Arata-san..." Sora: "Iliad Fragment!" Sora: "Stop, Master!" Sora: "This is the true demon lord candidate." Sora: "The entity hidden within Arata Kasuga." Sora: "The Astral Trinity." Sora: "We can't stop Master's magic from going out of control. If we do nothing, this world is going to collapse."

Arata: "Everything was shrouded in total black." Arata: "I have to take her hand." Arata: "And in order to take her hand..." Arata: "Just for that purpose... I will..." Lilith: "Awaken now, Arata Kasuga. If you do not, I will have to kill you." Lilith: "Make your choice, Arata Kasuga. After all, it was you who wished for this world to be created, not anyone else." Arata: "A black sun..." Arata: "Its black light swallowed all the people up." Hijiri: "Please." Hijiri: "Save Arata-san." Hijiri: "Grant his wish. Don't" Hijiri: "forget me." Arata: "Hijiri!" Arata: "Hijiri!" Arata: "Royal Biblia Academy..." Arata: "I came here to bring Hijiri back from wherever in the world she is." G: "This school has seven students who are like boss characters in a game." G: "Boss characters?" Arata: "The Trinity Seven." G: "That's what they're called. Seven girl mages who excel in their own fields." Lilith: "How I look is irrelevant." Arata: "Lilith Asami. 89, 55, 89." Levi: "I'm a ninja. The name's Levi Kazama." Arata: "Levi Kazama. 78, 54, 77." Arin: "This is pretty difficult." Arata: "Arin Kannazuki. 83, 56, 84." Mira: "I will allow no impurity before me." Arata: "Mira Yamana. 79, 55, 78." Akio: "It's my job to exterminate evil." Arata: "Akio Fudo. 82, 56, 83." Yui: "You're all invited to my world!" Arata: "Yui Kurata. 84, 55, 83." Liese: "I can stop time for you, and do whatever I want." Arata: "Lieselotte Sherlock. 85, 56, 84. These girls, known as the Trinity Seven, research their respective Archives to master their own Themas." Arata: "I'm also studying every day so I can become a mage, but..." Lilith: "Arata!" Arin: "I didn't know the power of a demon lord candidate would be this great..." Lilith: "I have no choice." Lilith: "Now that it's come to this, I can at least..." Arata: "I possess something called a "demon lord element"" Arata: "that makes its presence known at times. Apparently, I was born a "demon lord candidate."" Arata: "And they say that I was the one who destroyed this world..." Arata: "Be mine." Sora: "Then I guess I'll have to show you what I'm made of." Arata: "And so I, along with the Trinity Seven..." Ilia: "Okay, Arata-san!" Arata: "...and the grimoires, Sora and Ilia," Arata: "and Liese's sister, Selina..." Seilna: "I'll go." Arata: "...Lugh, a mage of Iscariot..." Lugh: "I will attack you with the same resolve." Arata: "...Master Liber, a paladin..." Liber: "What should we do?" Arata: "...and my childhood friend, Hijiri." Hijiri: "I have earned the right to be called a Trinity." Arata: "Our journey to study and master our magic continues!" Lilith: "I believe everyone loves you a lot." Arata: "Er..." Lilith: "Arata..." Arin: "Husband..." Yui: "Onii-san..." Liese: "Arata-kun." Yui: "Want to touch my boobs?" Mira: "Impure boy." Arin: "It's my husband's fault." Liese: "My wonderful demon lord candidate." Lilith: "You worked really hard." Arata: "But I won't die, either. I'm going to pick the third option. Everyone, I know I'm just asking a favor for myself here," Arata: "but please, help me out." Arata: "Let's do this, everyone." Arata: "Run, Lilith!" Lilith: "I can't run away and leave you behind!" Last: "In that case, I'll end both of you." Arata: "Move, Lilith!" Lilith: "No, I won't." Arata: "Just get out of the way!" Arata: "Damn it..." Arata: "Isn't there anything I can do?" Arata: "Oops, sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I just saw a butt I couldn't help grabbing." Arata: "What I really want to grab is this!" Lilim: "Use me, Daddy-sama!" Arata: "So that's the dream I had, Liese." Liese: "You know, if it's butts you like, you can touch mine all you want." Selina: "Don't forget that's my body, Onee-chan!" Lilith: "Hey, you can't do that, Arata." Lilith: "No perverted behavior." Arata: "I'll make it my goal for this month." Selina: "He has no intention of giving up!" Liese: "I guess there's no other choice." Liese: "You can do all the pervy stuff you want to my actual body, darling." Arata: "Sure, no problem." Lilith/Selina: "Yes, there is a problem!" Sora: "My master never changes!" Liese: "So what was Arata-kun's dream about, Ilia-chan?" Ilia: "Since Arata-san is a demon lord candidate," Ilia: "Do you know anything, Sora?" Sora: "Hmm, I'm not sure." Sora: "That girl over there appears in his dreams a lot, I imagine." Lilith: "I'm in his dreams?" Arata: "Yeah, that's right. I always have dreams where I fondle her boobs and then get slapped." Ilia: "I-I think that's just your memories and your desires merging together, Arata-san." Selina: "So basically, now he just wants to touch Lilith-sensei's butt, too?" Liese: "I don't think that's it." Liese: "I mean, this is Arata-kun we're talking about. Considering I lost to him," Lilith: "I'm curious about why my grimoire was shining, too." Arata: "So this is your grimoire, huh?" Lilith: "Yes, the Hermes Apocrypha." Arata: "Huh..." Liese: "That feeling just now..." Lilith: "Arata!" Liese: "What's happening?!" Sora: "Master's magic is being absorbed by the grimoire!" Ilia: "We have to stop it!" Lilith: "M-My grimoire is absorbing Arata's magic..." Arata: "Uh..." Sora/Ilia: "This is..." Lilith: "My grimoire..." Liese: "...became a human?" Lilim: "Daddy-sama! Mommy-sama!" Arata: "Daddy-sama?!" Lilith: "M-Mommy-sama?!" Arata: "Uh, so who are you?" Lilim: "Please give me any name you like, Daddy-sama." Arata: "Can I? Well, you look like Lilith, so... Lilim." Lilith: "Arata, you can't just..." Lilim: "Lilim!" Arin: "I heard my husband had a child." Arin: "You can call me your mother, too." Lilim: "What?" Lilim: "My Mommy-sama is Mommy-sama alone!" Arin: "This is difficult." Arin: "So this is your and Sensei's child, right?" Arata: "Yeah, something like that." Lilith: "No, it's not right!" Arin: "I feel both Lilith-sensei's and my husband's magic," Arin: "But it's a grimoire, huh?" Arata: "Hmm... So you have both of our magic, then?" Yui: "Onii-san!" Yui: "I sensed really strong magic just now..." Yui: "I want to have a child with you, too! I want to!" Arata: "Hold on, hold on. I didn't have a kid." Yui: "Really? She's not your child with Lilith-sensei?" Lilith: "No, she's not! She's..." Lilim: "Mommy-sama!" Arata: "Lilith?" Lilith: "I... I don't think I mind if she's my child anymore." Lilim: "Yay! Mommy-sama!" Arata: "So what's going on here, anyway?" Arata: "Hey, Ninja. Do you know what this is about?" Levi: "Oh? So you noticed I was here?" Arata: "Nah, I just figured you must be around." Levi: "I'm glad I could live up to your expectations." Levi: "Hmm..." Levi: "Lilith-sensei's grimoire sucked up your magic and took on a human form. I guess that sums it up." Levi: "I'm more interested in hearing just how far you and Lilith-sensei have gone together." Lilith: "W-We haven't gone anywhere!" Akio: "Hey, what's going on?" Mira: "I sensed something impure. Did you do something again?" Akio: "Nii-chan and Lilith-sensei..." Akio: "You had a kid that looks exactly like the two of you, huh?" Mira: "What?! So it really is true?!" Arata: ""Really is"?" Lilith: "I can't believe myself. I forgot about my responsibilities as a teacher." Lilith: "Ahem." Liese: "Hey, darling..." Liese: "Bam!" Liese: "That sucks. I guess I couldn't have a kid with you." Lilith: "Hey, why are you trying to experiment, Liese-san?!" Levi: "Hey, Lilim-san. Would you like some candy?" Levi: "Here you go." Lilim: "Thank you!" Lilim: "Here I go." Levi: "I'm so happy. I'm glad I figured out that a grimoire girl can lick a lollipop." Lilith: "Stop doing experiments with Lilim!" Lilim: "Mommy-sama's chest feels nice." Lilith: "Oh, Lilim..." Arata: "Oh, oh! Let me try!" Lilith: "No, you don't, Arata!" Akio: "I'm glad we're all here having a nice time here, but you know..." Arata: "Huh?" Akio: "You don't look well." Arata: "Oh, yeah, Lilim took my magic." Levi: "He collapsed." Lilith: "Arata!" G: "It seems, Liber-chan, that your prophecy has come true." Liber: "Yes, the world could meet its end, Headmaster of Biblia Academy." G: "Well, that'd be a problem. I'd like you to help me out." Liber: "Are you sure? We're Iscariot. We take out demon lords." G: "That's why I'd like you to help out as well, Hijiri-chan and Lugh-chan." Hijiri: "Are you sure? I'm..." G: "Well, it seems that Arata-kun will die at this rate." Hijiri: "I will be the one to defeat Arata-san." Lugh: "I'm probably the second strongest in the world," Hijiri: "Just who is so dangerous, anyway?" Liber: "The alchemist sealed away in the Eternal Library," Liber: "The White Demon Lord, created by man." Ana: "Awaken, White Demon Lord." Last: "Who are you?" Ana: "I am a Magus who expects great things from you." Last: "A Magus... I see..." Last: "So the magic cast on the Hermes Apocrypha, my creator, has been activated, then?" Ana: "That is correct. When the demon lord candidate touched the grimoire," Ana: "Now the time has come for you, the master of this place," Last: "The time for me to become the true demon lord..." Ana: "You were born as the White Demon Lord for the sole purpose of fighting the demon lord candidate." Last: "That's right." Ana: "The Trinity Seven's demon lord will come here soon." Last: "If I defeat that demon lord," Ana: "That's right. I am expecting great things from you, White Demon Lord, Last Trinity." Ana: "Now, what will you do, Arata-kun?" Arata: "What will I do..." Arata: "Huh?" Arata: "What, a dream again?" Arata: "She had a nice voice though, I think..." Sora: "Hey." Sora: "You awake, Master?" Ilia: "It seems your magic has recovered, too." Arata: "I guess you two helped me out. Thanks. Well, now that things have calmed down, maybe I'll go take a bath." Sora: "Yeah, I'll take one with you." Arata: "Sure, thanks." Ilia: "No, you can't!" Lilith: "Wh-What are you doing, Arata?" Lilim: "Oh, it's Daddy-sama!" Lilith: "Lilim!" Arata: "Oh, Lilim, you were taking a bath, too?" Arin: "You were resting, so we were all taking care of her." Yui: "I made friends with her, too!" Arata: "I see. Well, that's good." Mira: "You two need to cover yourselves!" Levi: "What an unfortunate accident." Akio: "Well, the way things were going, what else could've happened?" Arata: "It's nice taking a bath with everyone." Lilith: "Honestly, Arata..." Lilim: "Daddy-sama and Mommy-sama get along so well." Arata: "Yep." Sora: "But why would a grimoire take a human form?" Ilia: "It's strange for them to suddenly gain consciousness." Akio: "So, do both of you grimoires think of yourselves as special, then?" Ilia: "Yes, the grimoires Sora and I originally came from" Sora: "Did you know that my original is extremely busty?" Arata: "Seriously?! I'd love to see that!" Lilim: "Daddy-sama, Mommy-sama is..." Lilim: "Mommy-sama is pretty busty herself! See?!" Lilith: "S-Stop..." Yui: "Don't count me out, either!" Arin: "Mira and I win when it comes to good shape." Mira: "I-I'm not participating in this contest!" Levi: "It's okay, Selina-san. You have the same blood in your veins as Liese-san. I'm sure yours will get bigger." Selina: "Y-You think so?" Levi: "Yep." Akio: "Hey, Boss, if you try to cover up like that," Akio: "he's gonna see your tips." Akio: "Just kidding." Yui/Arin: "Smirk, smirk." Mira: "Come on, you guys! Don't make fun of me!" Yui: "Mira-chan's so silly." Arata: "Thanks, Lilim." Lilim: "Huh? For what, Daddy-sama?" Arata: "Everyone's having so much fun because you're around." Arata: "So thanks, Lilim." Lilim: "Not at all. You're all taking such good care of me. I couldn't be more grateful." Arata: "Yeah?" Lilith: "If it's okay with you," Lilim: "Thank you, Mommy-sama!" Levi: "They really do look married." Selina: "Yeah, it makes you feel all warm inside." Arin: "I want to act married with my husband, too." Yui: "I want to pretend to be a wife, too!" Mira: "How impure..." Akio: "Yeah, but it's good everyone was able to relax." Arata: "Yeah." Lilim: "Really?" Arata: "I heard a nice-sounding girl's voice." Mira: "Let me see... I sense an alchemist and a magic close to Yui-san's." Yui: "Yeah, it's possible that a magic for controlling dreams, like mine, is being used. Like a fairy or a spirit." Arata: "Dreams, huh? Well, I did have that other dream earlier." Sora: "What type of dream was it, Master?" Arata: "Well, I was sleeping, and this really sweet voice woke me up..." Arata: "Oh, but she might not have been talking to me. She wanted this "White Demon Lord" to awaken. I think his name was... "Last Trinity."" Lilith: "What is this?" Mira: "A Luxuria breakdown phenomenon!" Arata: "Let's go, everyone!" Lilith: "Right! Right." Arin: "Got it, husband." Levi: "Roger." Yui: "I'm going, too." Akio: "Got it." Mira: "Right." Seriously: "Right." Arata: "Connect to Superbia Archive. Execute Thema!" Lilith: "Connect to Luxuria Archive." Lilith: "Execute Thema." Arin: "Connect to Ira Archive." Arin: "Execute Thema." Levi: "Connect to Invidia Archive." Levi: "Execute Thema." Yui: "Connect to Avaritia Archive." Yui: "Execute Thema." Akio: "Connect to Gula Archive. Execute Thema." Mira: "Connect to Superbia Archive." Mira: "Execute Thema." Selina: "Connect to Acedia Archive. Execute Thema." Arata: "Sora! Ilia!" Sora: "Right!" Ilia: "Got it!" Lilim: "Mommy-sama, I'll help you." Lilith: "Right. Realize!" Levi: "Oh? They wasted no time showing up." Mira: "What an impure aura!" Akio: "Well, let's get this started." Levi: "Yep." Lugh: "Oh, good evening, Levi-san." Levi: "Good evening, Lugh-san." Arata: "Oh, you're..." Arata: "the girl with the appropriately-sized soft boobs." Lugh: "I'm aghast that the demon lord candidate has such a weird way of remembering me." Lilith: "You shouldn't remember girls that way!" Hijiri: "Good evening, Arata-san." Arata: "Hijiri..." Mira: "Did you all do this?" Hijiri: "No." Hijiri: "This school's headmaster asked us to help." Lilith: "The headmaster?" Mira: "You expect us to believe that?!" Akio: "Looks like we don't have time to chat, Boss." Arata: "I believe you, Hijiri!" Hijiri: "Arata-san..." Arin: "So what's going on?" Hijiri: "Well, we've been sucked into a world within the Eternal Library." Lilith: "The Eternal Library... The world known as the workshop of the progenitor of alchemy, Hohenheim?" Hijiri: "That's correct. Lilith's progenitor mage was doing research on how to create an artificial demon lord here." Lugh: "Also known as "the White Demon Lord."" Arata: "The White Demon Lord... I heard that in my dream." Hijiri: "Yes. Supposedly that artificial demon lord will awaken" Hijiri: "and come to defeat you, Arata-san." Arata: "I see. The words in that dream weren't for me," Hijiri: "The master of the Eternal Library, the White Demon Lord. When you spoke his name," Hijiri: "It might have been the progenitor mage's plan to have the alchemist's grimoire go berserk" Lilim: "So when I ate tons of Daddy-sama's magic..." Hijiri: "And now that the White Demon Lord has returned," Lugh: "As another demon lord, do you feel anything?" Arata: "Well..." Arata: "I felt a strong power within the school." Hijiri: "That might be the White Demon Lord." Levi: "Oh, here comes a big one." Arin: "Get down, husband." Mira: "That's a..." Mira: "Code D?!" Liese: "It's huge!" Hijiri: "It seems to be a Sealed Magic Beast" Lugh: "I smell treasure." Levi: "I see. So it's best to have us handle this," Mira: "Yes. Let's take it out at once." Akio: "Yeah. Nii-chan, good luck to all of you." Liese: "If everyone else is staying behind," R: "All right!" Arata: "You five should be able to handle this." Yui: "The strongest five there could be!" Mira: "Okay, we'll meet up with you later. Arata-san and company, go on ahead." Arin: "That's what you call a "death flag."" Mira: "What? R-Really?" Lilith: "Okay, we'll leave the Code D to you, then." Arata: "Go get 'em!" Lilith: "Arata, where are you going?" Arata: "This way. He's waiting over here." Lilim: "Daddy-sama!" Arin/Hijiri: "Eihwaz!" Arata: "Thanks, Hijiri, Arin." Hijiri: "No, I'm just glad you're okay, Arata-san." Arin: "Yeah, I'm glad you're okay, husband." Lilith: "That was an Outer Alchemic..." Last: "Oh?" Last: "You blocked that, eh?" Arata: "Are you the White Demon Lord?" Last: "Indeed. I am the White Demon Lord, Last Trinity," Last: "demon lord candidate." Lilith: "He looks just like you, Arata." Arata: "Yeah." Hijiri: "This is bad, Arata-san!" Arin: "Husband!" Last: "Too late." Lilith: "Arata!" Last: "I've taken the demon lord candidate's magic." Yui: "Onii-san!" Hijiri: "He can take Arata-san's magic just by looking at him..." Last: "Not just his magic." Lilith: "That's Arata's..." Last: "I have no need for you any longer," Last: "demon lord candidate!" Hijiri: "Arata-san!" Arin: "Husband!" Arata: "Hijiri! Arin!" Hijiri: "Arin-san, I'm going to hit him." Arin: "I'll help out as well, Hijiri." Hijiri: "Themas: Ruina, Partam, Analysis!" Last: "Oh?" Hijiri: "Reconnect to Ira Archive." Hijiri: "Execute Thema." Arin: "Reconnect to Ira Archive." Arin: "Execute Thema." Arin: "The demon spear, Gáe Bulg." Last: "This is interesting. An Ira Magus with a legendary weapon." Last: "A perfect sacrifice for me, Last, the White Demon Lord." Hijiri: "It won't be that simple. I am a mage who exists to kill demon lords. Black Azazel!" Arin: "And I am the wife of a demon lord." Yui: "We did it!" Lilith: "No, look closely." Lilith: "It seems he has regenerative abilities." Yui: "N-No way..." Yui: "Reconnect to Avaritia Archive." Yui: "Execute Thema." Yui: "Meteo Symphony!" Lilith: "Yui-san's attack spell..." Yui: "No way..." Last: "Now I know all of your powers." Hijiri: "Even if you do, you cannot stop this spell. Vegtamskviða!" Arata: "Hijiri! Arin! Yui!" Hijiri: "Arata-san, please run." Last: "I won't let you, Ira Magus!" Lilith: "This is..." Yui: "He put up a barrier." Arin: "Now we can't get help from the outside, either." Last: "Now, demon lord candidate..." Last: "I'm going to take all of your magic." Lilith: "Arata!" Last: "My magic affects this Eternal Library as well as sealed magic." Last: "In other words, all of your friends will fall before my demon lord power!" Arata: "Everyone..." Mira: "Akio!" Liese: "Are you okay, Akio?!" Akio: "Ow..." Liese: "Akio?" Akio: "Yeah, I put all I had into defense. I'm completely famished now." Liese: "What type of weird magic are you using" Akio: "My defensive powers get worse," Liese: "That was close." Levi: "Wow, if she'd taken that head-on, she'd be in real trouble." Lugh: "It's gotten stronger than before." Levi: "It won't stop flying. If this was a game, players would get mad." Lugh: "Anyway, we need to take him down a peg." Levi: "Can I get you to carry me over there?" Lugh: "Sounds good. I've been wanting to show off a bit." Lugh: "Reconnect to Invidia Archive. Solvo Arm: Light Blade Wings, Claíomh Solais!" Lugh: "You won't be able to stop the Sun God, Lugh, like that." Levi: "I think I'll be going now." Lugh: "Okay, have a good trip." Levi: "Reconnect to Invidia Archive!" Mira: "Levi-san!" Levi: "Ninja Technique: Body Replacement!" Akio: "Did we get it?!" Liese: "Not yet!" Mira: "Execute joint magic." Akio: "Okay." Liese: "Got it!" Mira: "Reconnect to Superbia Archive." Akio: "Reconnect to Gula Archive." Liese: "Reconnect to Acedia Archive." Liese: "I'll start!" Liese: "Chrono Calculation!" Liese: "I'm going to borrow your magic, Selina." Selina: "Okay, Onee-chan." Liese/Selina: "Numbering Seal!" Akio: "Demon Destroyer Advent!" Akio: "Take this!" Liese: "Senpai!" Akio: "Boss!" Mira: "Luxuria Archive. Acquiring Thema: Sileo." Mira: "Regret that your impure existence has crossed with us at Grimoire Security!" Mira: "White Universe!" Akio: "Yes!" Liese: "We did it!" Levi: "Good work, Mira-san." Mira: "Yes." Mira: "I hope Arata-san and the others are okay." Last: "What will you do now, alchemists of Trinity Seven?" Last: "We use the same magic. I don't mind if you're the only one to escape from here." Lilith: "I couldn't do that..." Arata: "Yes, Lilith. You run." Lilith: "Arata!" Arata: "Run, Lilith!" Lilith: "I can't run away and leave you behind!" Last: "In that case, I'll end both of you." Arata: "Move, Lilith!" Lilith: "No, I won't." Arata: "Just get out of the way!" Arata: "Huh? I've seen this before somewhere..." Arin: "I feel both Lilith-sensei's and my husband's magic," Arin: "But it's a grimoire, huh?" Arata: "Felt both my and Lilith's magic... If we weren't in this situation," Arata: "Give me your power, Lilim!" Lilim: "Use me, Daddy-sama!" Last: "What are you..." Last: "Take it all, Meteo Dragonar!" Arata: "Lilith, I'm going to borrow your magic." Lilith: "R-Right." Arata: "Connect to Luxuria Archive." Arata: "Execute Abies!" Lilith: "My Archive and Thema?!" Last: "Wh-What?!" Lilith: "Where are we?" Lilim: "We're inside me. Daddy-sama connected to me," Arata: "Lilith's and my magic is inside Lilim. So I figured I could connect to it like a Thema." Lilith: "Y-Yeah, but that doesn't mean you should execute someone else's Archive and Thema." Arata: "What would have happened if I'd messed up?" Sora: "Well, in the best case, your magic would have run completely wild." Ilia: "And in the worst case, you'd have been destroyed, Arata-san!" Arata: "Seriously?! I'm glad I succeeded!" Sora: "Well, I imagine you were able to connect" Ilia: "Because you ate Arata-san's magic, right, Lilim-san?" Lilim: "Yes, I'm Daddy-sama's daughter." Arata: "Okay, it's a dad's job to show off to his daughter, right?" Sora: "Are you sure, Master?" Arata: "Huh?" Sora: "If you use your magic that's within Lilim," Lilith: "And if that happens, Lilim will..." Lilim: "Yes, I'll lose my consciousness" Lilim: "and return to being a tool that cannot speak." Lilim: "But if I'm able to help Daddy-sama and the others..." Lilim: "I..." Hijiri: "Don't" Hijiri: "forget me." Arata: "Don't smile like that." Lilim: "Huh?" Arata: "How was it being a human and living with everyone?" Lilim: "It was very fun." Lilim: "Mommy-sama was soft. The lollipop was good." Lilim: "The bath felt nice." Lilim: "Everyone was so nice to me." Lilim: "I'm just a grimoire, and everyone treated me so well..." Lilim: "That's why I..." Arata: "Then what do you want to do, Lilim?" Arata: "I love you too, Lilim." Lilith: "I love you too, Lilim. So much." Lilim: "Yes..." Lilim: "I love Daddy-sama, Mommy-sama, and everyone, too." Lilim: "I don't want to disappear!" Arata: "In that case..." Arata: "Let's try our best together, Lilim." Lilim: "But..." Lilith: "To walk the path of magic means diverging from common sense." Lilith: "We're mages, and you're a grimoire." Arata: "Add me, a demon lord candidate," Sora: "Hey, most of this stuff just works itself out." Ilia: "We're the ones saying it, so it's gotta be true." Lilim: "Daddy-sama." Lilim: "Please use my magic." Arata: "Got it." Arata: "Let's do this, Lilith, Lilim." Lilith: "Right." Lilim: "Right!" Sora: "Let us control your power, Master." Ilia: "I'll protect your body, Arata-san." Arata: "All right..." Arata: "Let's go, everyone!" All: "Right!" Last: "What's up with that arm?!" Lilith: "Arata..." Hijiri: "Arata-san, that magic just now..." Hijiri: "It wasn't a demon lord's power." Yui: "Onii-san, is that..." Arata: "Yeah, I feel like I can do anything right now! Lilith." Arata/Lilith: "Reconnect to Luxuria Archive." Arata/Lilith: "Execute Thema." Last: "It can't be! That's..." Hijiri: "One of the ultimate magics..." Hijiri: "The paladin form." Lilith: "Arata is connected to the power of Hohenheim, the author of the Hermes Apocrypha" Lilith: "You were born from alchemy," Last: "You think a stop-gap magic like that can defeat the new demon lord?!" Last: "Take it all, Meteo Dragonar!" Arata/Lilith: "Realize: Buster Mode!" Arata/Lilith: "Disintegrate into light! Meteo Buster!" Liber: "That kid... He finally used our paladin abilities." G: "To think he used the paladin powers sealed away in the Eternal Library," Liber: "What amazing talent. I guess that's what it means to be a demon lord that controls everything." G: "Yep." G: "My demon lord candidate and the Trinity Seven keep growing." Liber: "Just how much" Liber: "has he calculated in his research?" Arata: "Looks like we defeated him." Lilith: "Yes." Arata: "Oh, are you okay, Hijiri?" Hijiri: "Yes, Arata-san." Hijiri: "The strong magic that was all around has disappeared." Arata: "I see." Yui: "Onii-san!" Arin: "Husband." Arata: "Are you both okay, Yui, Arin?" Yui: "Yeah, I'm fine." Arin: "You're amazing, husband." Akio: "What's going on, Nii-chan?" Akio: "That's a pretty gallant outfit you've got on." Mira: "Luxuria magic... It doesn't seem to be an impure power." Levi: "By the way, I've been here for a while now." Lugh: "So have I." Liese: "I think I worked a bit too hard." Selina: "Yep, you worked hard." Arata: "All right!" Arata: "Now all we have to do is knock out that white sun, right?" Mira: "An impure power is growing stronger." Sora: "He's still alive." Ilia: "He's taking in the breakdown phenomenon." Last: "Not yet..." Last: "I will swallow all... Take in all... and become the true demon lord..." Arata: "You look like you're in pain, White Demon Lord. You were born just to be the demon lord, then you were defeated, and now you're forced to stay alive, even in that condition. It must be painful." Lilim: "Daddy-sama..." Lilith: "Arata..." Arata: "Lilith, Lilim, everyone." Arata: "I want to put him out of his misery as fast as possible." Arata: "Will you help me?" Hijiri: "It goes without saying that we'd help you do whatever you want." Arata: "All right, everyone! Throw everything you have into hitting him hard!" All: "Right!" Yui: "Here I go! Meteo Symphony!" Arin: "Technique: Mistilteinn!" Mira: "White Universe!" Akio: "Demon Destroyer Advent!" Levi: "Secret Technique: Avidya Slash!" Lugh: "Light Piercing Lance, Brionac!" Liese: "Chrono Calculation!" Hijiri: "Black Azazel!" Arata/Lilith/Lilim: "Disintegrate into light!" Arata/Lilith/Lilim: "Meteo Buster!" Last: "I am... to be destroyed? I was born to become the demon lord..." Arata: "Leave being a demon lord to me, and you rest in peace." Hijiri: "The Luxuria breakdown phenomenon has vanished." Hijiri: "Arata-san and the Trinity Seven have won." R: "We did it!" Arata: "It's all over..." Arata: "Huh?" Lilim: "Daddy-sama!" Arata: "Ow..." Arata: "Are you okay, Lilim?" Lilim: "Daddy-sama." Arata: "Yeah?" Lilim: "It's about time." Arata: "Lilim, you..." Arata: "Lilim..." Lilim: "Daddy-sama, Mommy-sama." Lilim: "I will always be with you!" Lilith: "Yes." Arata: "I'll make sure we see each other again! So until then..." Arata: "Wait for us, Lilim!" Lilim: "Okay!" Arata: "Well, then..." Arata: "I can release this paladin form now, right?" Sora: "Yeah, why not?" Arata: "Okay, in that case..." Arata: "Paladin form, release!" R: "What?" Arata: "H-Huh?" Lilith: "A-Arata!" Ana: "So he was able to control even Luxuria's paladin power..." Arsha: "Jeez..." Arsha: "This demon lord candidate is insane." Ana: "Yeah." Ana: "I'm even more interested now." Arsha: "What's with you? You look really happy." Ana: "That's because I've always loved the demon lord candidate." Ana: "So we should go see him next, Arsha." Arsha: "Oh, all right. I guess I'll have to stick with you until the end, Ana." Arsha: "Hey, stop." Ana: "Oh, come on."

Arata: "I know we came here to investigate, but..." Akio: "There's nothing left of my homeland." Arata: "This was your homeland?" Akio: "There was a huge city here back when I was still little and cute." Lilith: "I think there are ruins here... Something that had to do with the demon lord?" Lugh: "There are." Lugh: "The ruins where I obtained my legendary weapons." Akio: "The Heavens Library..." Akio: "You know..." Arata: "Is something wrong?" Akio: "No, I was just caught up in my nostalgia." Lilith: "Detecting a large-scale energy signal from above." Akio: "Could it be the same as before?" Arata: "Connect to Superbia Archive! Execute Thema!" Arata: "Meteo Dragonar!" Arata: "This power..." Lilith: "Arata!" Arata: "Everything's fine now, Lilith." Arata: "Huh? You're... Akio, right?" Akio: "I got a bit too serious." Akio: "I'm pretty cute small, right?" Arata: "Yeah." Arata: "So where are we?" Akio: "In the Heavens Library. It has existed in the heavens since perpetuity. It has watched over the world and all that it is," Akio: "and contains all its wisdom." Lugh: "More importantly..." Lugh: "I was just supposed to be guiding you around." Lugh: "I feel as if I've gotten myself involved in something." Arata: "You were?" Lugh: "Well, no matter." Lugh: "This is my chance. It's time to pay you back." Akio: "Oh? So you're going to betray us after all." Lugh: "I never had any intention of taking your side!" Akio: "Well, I did plan for just such an occasion." Liese: "I'm here just in case you tried to play any tricks, Lugh." Lugh: "It's so tight... The demon lord candidate is going to have his way with me," Arata: "So that's what you think." Arata: "If you don't want that to happen to you, then you must obey me!" Lugh: "F-Fine..." Lugh: "I will be obedient." Akio: "Talk about despicable." Liese: "That's Arata-kun for you." Lilith: "Honestly, Arata..." Arata: "Okay, that's enough, Liese." Liese: "Got it!" Lugh: "You fell for it again!" Arata: "Akio." Akio: "Right!" Lugh: "T-Timeout... I call timeout..." Arata: "What's that?" Arata: "It feels like..." Sora: "Master, watch out! Something dangerous is coming!" Abyss: "My name is Abyss Trinity." Abyss: "I am the Crimson Demon Lord and a master of the Luxuria Archive." Sora: "He has the same face as Master." Liese: "So an alternate world's Demon Lord has come here?" Akio: "The Heavens Library's security system summoned him. It's just part of the alternate world Demon Lord's power." Arata: "Security system?" Akio: "When a demon lord candidate comes here," Akio: "it forces them to face the demon lord of an alternate world." Abyss: "That's correct, Spriggan girl." Akio: "And he's the one who destroyed my homeland." Abyss: "It seems the town below was destroyed when I tested my power. I vaguely remember it, but that was just..." Abyss: "because I had nothing better to do." Akio: "That's... why you..." Abyss: "I am here to destroy the demon lord. Do you honestly believe your techniques could affect me?" Arata: "Akio!" Abyss: "I'll let you deal with him, demon lord candidate of this world." Lilith: "Arata!" Liese: "Lugh! Virtus Arm: Light Piercing Lance, Brionac!" Lugh: "It seems your debt to me has increased." Arata: "Thanks, Lugh! Brother Demon Lord," Abyss: "Then show me your power, "little brother."" Arata: "Take this! Meteo Dragonar!" Abyss: "That's all you have?" Arata: "With a single hand?!" Abyss: "Now it's time to show you mine." Abyss: "My Thema is Vanitas. It is the concept of death and destruction," Liese: "This is bad! We need to get out of here!" Lilith: "I'll intercept!" Abyss: "I see... This is the moment..." Arata: "What?" Abyss: "The plan has changed. With you, I'll be able to regain the power of the demon lord!" Arata: "Lilith!" Abyss: "I thank you, demon lord candidate." Abyss: "You've done well in bringing me this girl." Liese: "He..." Abyss: "To show my gratitude, I shall wipe you from existence instantly, sparing you from pain." Sora: "Master, he's serious business!" Ilia: "Please run!" Arata: "But he has Lilith!" Akio: "It can't be done..." Liese: "Lugh, please help us out!" Lugh: "Very well." Lugh: "You'll owe me yet again." Abyss: "Run if you think you can... from a direct shot by a demon lord!" Arata: "Lilith!" Mira: "So much impure magic..." Liber: "As my prophecy foretold, it seems the Crimson Demon Lord has awakened," H: "And Lugh-chan seems to have just barely managed to save them." Yui: "Why did he take Lilith-sensei?" Arin: "Well, it may be that Lilith-sensei has a secret." Hijiri: "The problem is that Arata-san would have been" Hijiri: "We have to accept this fact." H: "That's true, and we also have to get Lilith-chan back somehow." Levi: "And that means..." Levi: "It's our turn now, I imagine." H: "Yep." H: "I was thinking of asking the remaining Trinity Seven here to retrieve Lilith-chan." Liber: "Hijiri, you should guide the demon lord candidate to the ultimate demon lord weapon." Hijiri: "The ultimate demon lord weapon..." Hijiri: "Judecca." Liber: "That being said, I'm not sure if he'll be able to stay in his right mind once he obtains it." Arata: "Lilith!" Akio: "Unfortunately, he successfully took our teacher away from us." Arata: "I see..." Arata: "Where are we?" Akio: "In one of my dreams." Akio: "You fainted and accidentally ended up here." Arata: "Really? Sorry about that. Didn't mean to intrude." Akio: "It's fine. Your magic will recover faster if you sleep a bit, anyway." Arata: "Makes sense..." Arata: "That demon lord was pretty powerful, though." Arata: "Sorry, I didn't mean to complain." Akio: "Don't worry. No one else is around to know." Arata: "This is your hometown, right?" Arata: "Why was everything destroyed?" Akio: "That demon lord we fought destroyed it all." Arata: "Abyss Trinity..." Akio: "My mom protected me with her Mantra Enchant." Arata: "I see." Arata: "Your mom did a good job protecting you." Akio: "Y-Yeah." Arata: "Then I need to do the same. I can't let him get to you now." Akio: "You..." Arata: "I have to get Lilith back, too. So I'll have to be even more powerful, even more like God," Lilith: "Where am I?" Abyss: "It seems you've awakened." Lilith: "Why did you take me?" Abyss: "It's no surprise you don't know about yourself." Abyss: "You are not of this world." Lilith: "What are you talking about?" Abyss: "Lilith Azazel." Abyss: "You exist to return my power to me." Lilith: "How dare you—" Lilith: "What about Arata? What happened to Arata?" Abyss: "Arata?" Abyss: "Oh, you mean that demon lord candidate?" Abyss: "It seems he got away." Abyss: "I believe he's resting somewhere in this castle." Lilith: "I see..." Abyss: "You'd rather worry about him than about yourself, huh?" Abyss: "Don't worry." Abyss: "There's nothing I need from you until I'm finished preparing for the spell." Lilith: "I won't do as you wish!" Abyss: "I'm not so sure about that." Abyss: "You cannot defy me." Abyss: "No matter what." Lilith: "How can you be so sure?!" Abyss: "You still don't get it?" Lilith: "This is..." Abyss: "The light of a Luxuria demon lord element. An element of my power that sleeps within you!" Abyss: "Your demon lord element is within me?" Abyss: "That's correct. It is because you are my daughter, Lilith Azazel!" Lilith: "I don't have any parents." Abyss: "But the resonance of the demon lord element is proof in and of itself!" Abyss: "Now obey me, as my daughter." Abyss: "If you do, I'll give you enormous power!" Lilith: "I won't..." Abyss: "Such a stubborn girl." Lilith: "I can't believe I'm the daughter of someone like you!" Abyss: "It doesn't matter if you believe it or not. I will use your power to reclaim my power as demon lord. And when that happens, this world, as well, will be destroyed by my demon lord power!" Lilith: "I won't let you destroy our world!" Abyss: "I see. You wish to get a bit closer to your father." Lilith: "Disintegrate into light, Helmick Buster!" Abyss: "You do possess strong magic. You can use Outer Alchemic and bring forth impressive magical power. It's no match for that of your demon lord father," Abyss: "but I am truly pleased with your growth!" Levi: "Excuse me." Abyss: "So a mage has infiltrated us, eh?" Levi: "Finding any escape routes or hidden paths is a ninja's job." Lilith: "Levi-san!" Yui: "We're here, too!" Arin: "We've come to save you, Lilith-sensei!" Yui: "Dreamy Faerie Serenade!" Yui: "Soil!" Abyss: "A distraction, huh?" Mira: "Magic as impure as yours will disappear before my justice, my Justitia!" Mira: "White Universe!" Abyss: "Using attack magic to create a distraction and flee..." Abyss: "Those mages showed impressive judgment." Abyss: "Now, I guess I'll enjoy a game of father-daughter tag." Lugh: "The central part of the castle is that way." Lugh: "The only exit is there." Akio: "I'm pretty sure our demon lord is around there somewhere." Arata: "Hey, to be perfectly honest, we can't beat that demon lord as we are now, can we?" Sora: "Yeah, probably not." Ilia: "The difference in our magic level is too great." Arata: "Isn't there anything we can do?" Hijiri: "There is." Arata: "Hijiri!" Arata: "I've come to save you, Arata-san." Lugh: "Something we can do... Could it be treasure?" Hijiri: "Well, it is a type of treasure, but I don't think anyone but Arata-san can use it. Isn't that right, Akio-san?" Akio: "Are you talking about what I think you are, Hijiri?" Arata: "What's that?" Akio: "The demon lord weapon, Judecca. It's a forbidden weapon that only a demon lord can use, and it allows them to destroy the world." Sora: "The only problem is whether or not my current master can use it." Ilia: "Even if he could use it, I'm not sure he'd be able to go back to being a normal mage afterward..." Arata: "A normal mage..." Akio: "Not that you were ever a normal mage." Liese: "I know I'd never lose to a normal mage." Hijiri: "It's because you're a demon lord." Arata: "Yeah. All right." Arata: "Can you lead me to that demon lord weapon, then?" Hijiri: "Sure!" Lugh: "This..." Lugh: "wasn't here the last time I was here." Akio: "Yeah, that's right." Hijiri: "Akio-san, a Spriggan and protector of the ruins, must have caused a secret door to open when she brought a demon lord candidate here." Arata: "Oh, I see. So we'll find the demon lord weapon if we go on?" Akio: "But... It seems the Heavens Library won't let us get there so easily." Arata: "That thing's huge!" Hijiri: "It's a Guardian Golem." Akio: "Watch out! Protect yourself!" Arata: "Conception!" Arata: "Ow... Damn, it's powerful!" Hijiri: "Don't let your guard down!" Hijiri: "Black Azazel!" Hijiri: "It didn't do anything?" Akio: "Anti-demon lord types are really strong." Arata: "Do you have to hate demon lords so much?" Lugh: "It's gotten even more powerful. This isn't good." Arata: "You help, too!" Akio: "Oh, no!" Akio: "Are you okay?" Arata: "Y-Yeah." Akio: "Good..." Liese: "We don't have time to fool around right now. Let's get going." Arata: "Is this it?" Akio: "Yes. This is the demon lord weapon of Control, the Impel Arm, that sleeps in the Heavens Library..." Akio: "The Black Imperial Sword, Judecca." Arata: "The Black Imperial Sword, Judecca?" Lugh: "Hey there." Hijiri: "Arata-san!" Hijiri: "A bunch of the other Guardian Crystals are here now!" Liese: "We don't have much time, Arata-kun! Let's get what we need." Lugh: "And if you think I can use it, give it to me when we're done." Arata: "Well, I'm not sure if I can do this or not," Arata: "but I guess I'll try to get this thing." Arata: "Demon lord element confirmed. Judecca will now activate." Arata: "O-Okay." Sora: "Be careful, Master." Arata: "I know." Arata: "Judecca, lend me your power." Judeca: "Confirmed Archive: Superbia and Thema: Impel." Judeca: "Analysis complete." Judeca: "Luxuria, Outer Alchemic." Judeca: "Gula, Mantra Enchant." Error: "The specified demon lord has not reached Trinity." Error: "Entering forced start-up sequence." Error: "Initiating Rampage in target demon lord." Ilia: "This isn't good! It's gonna make Arata-san's magic go out of control and destroy the world!" Akio: "What?!" Akio: "This isn't good!" Akio: "Hey! Let go of Judecca!" Hijiri: "Akio-san!" Liese: "We only have one shot now." Liese: "Akio, put all your magic into the camera shutter!" Akio: "G-Got it!" Akio: "Chrono Calculation!" Arata: "Where am I?" Liese: "Whew." Liese: "Looks like I made it in time." Arata: "Liese!" Arata: "Where am I?" Liese: "You're within my frozen world. In simpler terms, we're inside Selina's camera." Arata: "You stopped it for me? Thanks." Liese: "Well, more accurately," Liese: "it's still moving, albeit slowly." Liese: "It'll only buy you some time." Arata: "Well, that makes sense..." Liese: "Wait a—" Sora: "Hey, it could've been really dangerous to just pull that thing out, Master!" Ilia: "Yeah, you really frightened me!" Arata: "Oh, sorry. I couldn't move easily with it on me, so I wasn't thinking." Arata: "Sorry about that, Liese. You had to save me again." Liese: "It's fine. I like you quite a bit, anyway." Liese: "Anyway, Sora-chan, why couldn't Arata-kun use that demon lord weapon?" Sora: "It seems like he's short one last Archive." Sora: "You can only use Lilith and Akio's magic, right?" Liese: "I knew it..." Liese: "In that case, I'm going to have you steal my magic right now." Liese: "And since the mood's right..." Liese: "I'm going to get very hands-on teaching you everything you need to know." Arata: "I appreciate it." Ilia: "You mustn't be perverted!" Sora: "Well, we'll help you out, too." Liese: "Yeah, thanks." Arata: "So what am I supposed to do?" Liese: "You know I can copy other people's magic, too, right? So I'm going to try getting a taste of you one more time" Ilia: "Are you sure you're not just planning on" Liese: "Well, I could do that, too. You don't have to believe me, Arata-kun." Liese: "I'm a bad mage." Arata: "Of course I believe you." Liese: "Huh?" Arata: "You might be a bad mage, but you're my friend, too." Liese: "It's okay for someone to be bad if they're a friend?" Arata: "It doesn't matter if you're good or bad. You're Liese." Arata: "The bad parts of you, the part of you that loves your little sister, Selina... And the part of you that's just so damn sexy." Arata: "I like you because you're you. What's wrong with that?" Liese: "Oh..." Liese: "Thank you, Arata-kun." Liese: "All right!" Liese: "That's enough lovey stuff." Arata: "O-Okay." Liese: "Now, then, Arata-kun... I'm going to take a bit of your magic." Arata: "I, uh..." Arata: "I'm ready." Ilia: "Y-You mustn't be perverted, okay?" Liese: "But you know what's best..." Sora: "Direct bodily contact, huh? That's the best way to improve magical sensitivity." Liese: "Right?" Liese: "So I'm going to make use of my whole body to take all of him." Arata: "Your whole body? For real?" Liese: "Look, you're all nervous." Liese: "Anyway, Sora-chan, Ilia-chan, I'll be counting on you." Sora: "Sure." Ilia: "Fine." Ilia: "Get this over with, and then stay away from him." Arata: "What's going on here? Am I about to become a man?!" Sora: "You're going to learn the conditions and method for copying one's magic." Liese: "We can become adults together once we're back home." Ilia: "Not even then! I won't let you!" Sora: "Well, you can have fun fooling around until this dirty girl and I finish our analysis." Arata: "Oh, sure. I could go for this anytime." Liese: "Time to analyze." Liese: "Or maybe this works better?" Liese: "The first condition, Form, has been analyzed." Liese: "To understand the governing principles and concepts of a magic... In other words, to learn its name and execution, you must use your eyes and ears." Arata: "Well, yeah, I've seen Lilith and Akio's magic." Ilia: "The second condition, Understanding, has been completed. That means understanding the evolutionary tree that forms from the very substrate of magic, the progenitors of which" Arata: "Progenitor mages? I think Akio's was Saekino Mao..." Arata: "I think I've heard Lilith's, too." Liese: "I've also executed Logos Art. And during the Last Crest ordeal, I told you the progenitor mage was Pythagoras. The third condition, Reason—" Sora: "She was fine before since she had the demon lord element..." Ilia: "But Liese-san is just a normal mage now." Ilia: "When she eats your magic, she's being eaten from the inside out by it instead." Arata: "No!" Arata: "Liese!" Liese: "The third is..." Liese: "A breakdown and analysis of the fundamentals of the magic you wish to copy." Liese: "You get to its nature." Arata: "A breakdown and analysis of the fundamentals of that magic?" Sora: "That makes sense!" Sora: "It's the magic you're best at, Master." Arata: "The magic I'm best at? You don't mean..." Arata: "My "turning people naked" magic?!" Ilia: "I'm not sure why you'd call it that..." Sora: "You're breaking down their Magus mode" Sora: "In short... Why not try it on the lady there?" Liese: "Can you do it, Arata-kun?" Arata: "Of course!" Arata: "I can't leave you hurting like this." Arata: "Could the two of you help me?" Sora: "Sure." Ilia: "Leave it to us!" Liese: "I trust you, Arata-kun." Arata: "Yeah, leave it to me." Arata: "I promised you I'd get you back home. Give me your magic and your power, Liese!" Liese: "Okay, Arata-kun..." Arata: "Here I go!" Arata: "Impel Magista!" Sora: "He did it! He made it through Process #3!" Akio: "Arata!" Arata: "All right..." Arata: "Time to fight back." Hijiri: "Arata-san!" Akio: "Chrono Calculation..." Akio: "I see... So you've gotten Logos Art." Arata: "Yeah." Arata: "Take care of Liese for me, Akio." Arata: "Come, Judecca." Judeca: "Luxuria, Outer Alchemic." Judeca: "Gula, Mantra Enchant." Judeca: "Acedia, Logos Art." Judeca: "Trinity confirmed." Judeca: "Good morning, demon lord." Arata: "Y-Yeah." Arata: "Um... Can you get rid of him?" Judeca: "There is a 100% chance of submission. No problem." Arata: "I see. In that case..." Hijiri: "Arata-san's magic dropped to zero?" Liber: "Is this his..." H: "Yes, this magic..." Liber: "At last..." Yui: "Did he..." Arin: "My husband..." Abyss: "Oh?" Abyss: "That demon lord candidate..." Lugh: "Really?!" Lugh: "You got us all excited, and now you're not going to defeat him?" Arata: "Huh? Oh, that's already been done." Arata: "I think I really understand how to use magic now, thanks to this thing." Hijiri: "You made him instantaneously explode after lowering your magical power to zero..." Hijiri: "Only a paladin could pull that off." Lugh: "So, um... Could I try touching the sword?" Arata: "Well, sure, if you want to, but I wouldn't recommend it." Judeca: "Extracting magical energy from target mage." Lugh: "Wait, not that! That's really not..." Arata: "Are you okay?" Lugh: "I don't think I'll ever be able to marry anyone but you now..." Arata: "Uh... Well, I'm all for that, but I'm not seeing the logic here." Lugh: "Well, if I marry you," Arata: "You never change, do you? Anyway, Lugh was a nice distraction," Arata: "but we should head toward Lilith's magic." Mira: "Lilith-sensei, you shouldn't push yourself so hard." Lilith: "That feeling just now... Did something happen to Arata?" Lilith: "No, I should have faith..." Lilith: "that he's still himself." Mira: "Yeah, you're right." Levi: "Looks like he's caught up to us." Abyss: "It seems that demon lord candidate has obtained the demon lord weapon" Abyss: "and started down the same path as demon lord that I have." Lilith: "Arata's becoming a demon lord..." Abyss: "As time was running out, he obtained the Trinity, and he now controls the demon lord weapon. He's pretty good for a kid. Those who awaken as demon lords have no one who can stand against them," Abyss: "because of their enormous power." Abyss: "In the end, all you have is absolute isolation. Your mind loses its human consciousness and," Abyss: "finally, you become a full-fledged demon lord." Lilith: "A-Arata won't lose his heart that easily!" Abyss: "Oh?" Lilith: "No matter the situation he's in, he's audacious, impudent, clueless," Lilith: "perverted, and timid. When he first became a mage, during any breakdown phenomenon, and even when his own life is in danger," Lilith: "he was and still is our unchanging Arata." Lilith: "And there's no way he'll change just because he's a demon lord now." Abyss: "How amusing." Abyss: "And yet you're the daughter of a demon lord..." Abyss: "Or perhaps it's because you are one." Lilith: "What are you saying?" Abyss: "The world is nothing but a cycle of beginnings and ends. The demon lord is part of that system," Abyss: "and the demon lord is always born as a human. I was born as a mage," Abyss: "and it seems this world's demon lord candidate was raised as a normal human. But without exception, the demon lord will encounter that world's top mages," Abyss: "And because that concept is furthest from the concept of Luxuria, lust," Abyss: "That meant having a child. I mated with someone from my world, and you were born. And by sending you to a different world," Abyss: "I succeeded in sending my demon lord element to another world." Lilith: "You mean... you sent me here to destroy his world?" Abyss: "That's correct, daughter of mine." Abyss: "Now, with the power that lies within you," Abyss: "I will regain my true power as Demon Lord!" Yui: "Arin-chan, let's go!" Arin: "Yeah." Abyss: "If you overstimulate it," Abyss: "Now, demon lord element that lies within my daughter," Abyss: "appear before me!" Lilith: "Arata..." Arata: "I think you've taken this a bit too far, old man." Arata: "Judecca!" Arata: "My dragon, Mushussu!" Arata: "Akio!" Akio: "Right!" Arata: "Ninja, Yui, Arin!" Levi: "Okay!" Yui: "Right!" Arin: "Got it!" Levi: "Take that!" Yui: "And that!" Abyss: "Don't get cocky, kid!" Abyss: "Realize!" Abyss: "Reboot!" Arata: "Are you okay, Lilith?" Lilith: "Arata..." Arata: "Uh... S-Sorry I was a bit late!" Lilith: "It's okay." Lilith: "You're still you." Arata: "Huh?" Arata: "Well, of course I am." Arata: "Sorry. Were you scared while I wasn't here?" Lilith: "Yes, I was." Lilith: "I thought you might change." Arata: "Me? Why would you think that?" Lilith: "I thought that the closer you got to becoming a demon lord, the more you'd lose your humanity." Arata: "That's what you were worried about?" Arata: "I won't change." Arata: "If I did, Mira would slap me." Arata: "So if you don't like what I'm doing, just give me a good slap across the face." Lilith: "Are you sure?" Arata: "Of course." Arata: "If you're not going to get mad, I won't hesitate to fondle those boobs!" Lilith: "Is this really any time for you to be such a perv?" Arata: "Okay, Lilith, hang on for just a second." Abyss: "You're much stronger now that you've gotten your demon lord weapon, kid." Akio: "The Brilliant Imperial Sword, Caina..." Akio: "That's what destroyed my world..." Akio: "That's his demon lord weapon?" Arata: "I knew there had to be more to your power." Abyss: "I see... As you approach my class, you can gauge my ability that much better." Arata: "Let's go, old man!" Abyss: "Come forth, kid." Hijiri: "Arata-san..." Arin: "This isn't good, husband..." Yui: "Hijiri-chan, Arin-chan..." Hijiri: "Any more, and..." Arin: "Husband, you mustn't fight him any more!" Mira: "Do the two of you know something?" Lilith: "They're about equal... No..." Lilith: "His power's just slightly greater." Lilith: "Brilliant Imperial Sword, Caina!" Lilith: "Execute Thema: Fall." Sora: "It looks like he's put some high-level destruction magic into his sword." Arata: "Yeah. Guess I'll have a go at it." Arata: "You two, analyze and come up with a way to handle it." Sora: "Got it!" Ilia: "Leave it to us!" Abyss: "You're going to leave the magic to your grimoires" Abyss: "Interesting!" Ilia: "We've analyzed the Thema Fall." Ilia: "It erases the existence of that which it touches, including any magic in it. That's what's imbued in that sword." Arata: "Judecca, we're going to use Akio's power. Conception!" Judeca: "Roger that, Master." Judeca: "Executing Archive: Gula, Thema: Fides." Akio: "What?!" Arata: "The feelings of all those people in the city you destroyed... Akio's mom's feelings... You're going to be hit with all of them!" Abyss: "Caina's magical signature has disappeared?!" Liese: "He erased his opponent's magic..." Lugh: "So he directly hit his opponent with the Mantra Enchant he put into the sword?" Hijiri: "Just how much of that power does Arata-san have hidden within him?" Abyss: "A demon lord candidate who has" Abyss: "I suppose one who only has a portion of that power is at a disadvantage." Arata: "I'd like you to surrender and agree to be sealed away, if possible." Abyss: "However, the time has come." Arata: "Lilith, run away!" Lilith: "Huh?" Lilith: "Wh-What's going on?" Arata: "Lilith!" Mira: "This elevation in magical power..." Yui: "It's like what happened to Hijiri-chan..." Arin: "She's becoming a demon." Levi: "The manifested attire of the Luxuria Archive..." Hijiri: "Aeshma..." Abyss: "So you're finally here, my daughter." Abyss: "The Last Key that surpasses the world itself." Abyss: "Now, open for me, my world." Abyss: "My power is coming forth! The true power of a demon lord!" Abyss: "I shall show you the power of a true demon lord." Abyss: "The essence of my magic... The darkness that is Vanitas. A void that consumes all." Abyss: "The nature of this world, the truth of this world... I, Abyss, shall overwrite all that is in this world" Abyss: "with the Law that is Nihilism!" Abyss: "Furthest Argol!" Arata: "I can't negate this?" Sora: "He's overwriting the very laws of nature. This magic surpasses magic itself!" Ilia: "Run, Arata-san!" Arata: "Chrono Calculation!" Abyss: "The power of a demon lord cannot be measured!" Hijiri: "Arata-san!" Abyss: "My Furthest Argol will continue to devour everything until it reaches the ends of the earth. It is the essence of Vanitas. All Archives fall before the power that is my Vanitas, and are erased. It is a natural law created by a demon lord— true magic, kid." Mira: "It's coming here, too..." Yui: "This magic is really scary!" Arin: "So this is the power of the demon lord who will destroy the world..." Arata: "My body... My magic is fading..." Akio: "At this rate, we'll just get caught up in it, too." Liese: "Looks like Arata-kun's in trouble." Lugh: "Are you planning on going to that monster?" Liese: "Yeah, I guess so." Akio: "Yeah." Lugh: "Is it because that man is your demon lord candidate?" Akio: "Huh? That's not it at all." Liese/Akio: "We fell in love with him!" Lugh: "I see." Akio: "Anyway, we'll be back!" Arata: "I might not make it out of this." Judeca: "Currently, the chance that you will survive is less than 1%." Arata: "The cold truth, huh?" Liese: "Hello, Arata-kun! How are you doing?" Akio: "It looks like you're having a harder time than I expected." Arata: "Y-You guys..." Arata: "I'd like to tell you to leave because it's dangerous, but..." Arata: "I guess you're already here, anyway." Akio: "We won't be able to win head-on like this." Liese: "That demon lord is using a magic that makes use of the total Trinity." Arata: "So he's using them all and putting it into his Vanitas, huh?" Arata: "I kind of feel sad for him. He managed to make it to our world," Arata: "All right, I've decided!" Arata: "In any event, I guess I'll just have to punch him!" Arata: "I need to show him that his style of demon lord is out of date!" Akio: "Good plan. Sounds like something you'd do." Liese: "Yeah." Liese: "You should just keep trying to be you." Arata: "All right..." Arata: "Give me a hand, you two." Both: "Okay!" Arata: "Reconnect to Superbia Archive!" Akio: "Reconnect to Gula Archive!" Liese: "Reconnect to Acedia Archive!" Three: "Execute Thema!" Abyss: "Oh?" Abyss: "You're going to control three of the Archives to fight against the power of the Trinity, eh?" Abyss: "Not a bad idea." Abyss: "However, kid, I am already above that." Abyss: "I am this world's demon lord!" Abyss: "You shall fade into nothingness along with your friends!" Arata: "I didn't set up this spell to fight back against that, old man!" Arata: "I'm borrowing the power of my friends in order to surpass you!" Arata: "Impel Magista!" Arata: "I'm sorry, Lilith." Arata: "You keep having to go through all this scary stuff." Arata: "I know now." Arata: "Thanks to that demon lord, I know now. To save Hijiri, I just kept learning magic," Arata: "went through so much, and had so much help from all of you." Arata: "But Hijiri wasn't the only important one." Arata: "You're important to me, too, Lilith." Arata: "Yui, Levi, Arin, Akio, Mira, everyone..." Arata: "And Liese's important, too." Arata: "I want to exist in a world where all of you are." Arata: "And to make that happen, I want you to come with me." Arata: "I want you to come into my Trinity Seven." Lilith: "Arata..." Lilith: "I will." Lilith: "I will always be with you." Lilith: "Reconnect to Luxuria Archive." Abyss: "The true attire of a demon lord... The Trinity Form..." Abyss: "Impossible..." Abyss: "You can surpass even the Trinity?" Arata: "This is the fourth Archive." Hijiri: "Arata-san." Hijiri: "It's finally time." Akio: "Gula. The Thema is "faith," Fides." Liese: "Acedia. The Thema is "stagnation," Stagna." Lilith: "Luxuria. The Thema is "life," Abies." Lilith: "Three Archives, three Themas." Arata: "And I have my own Thema: Superbia, "control." I command with Impel!" Judeca: "I am the Black Imperial Sword, Judecca, the embodiment of the Fourth Gate." Arata: "Mira, Arin, Yui, Levi, lend me your power!" Mira: "Very well." Mira: "Let's go, everyone!" Sora: "We'll help you, too!" Ilia: "I will support you, Arata-san!" Arata: "This is our world's demon lord. This is how I do it, old man!" Arata: "I will fight with everyone's help. If it is fate that the world will be destroyed, then I'll just take control of that destruction!" Arata: "That's my magic!" Abyss: "You naïve demon lord!" Abyss: "The magic of the Void will devour any magic you have!" Arata: "Hey, I think mages with bad habits should watch out." Abyss: "What?" Lugh: "I like taking the best moments for my future husband." Arata: "Old man..." Arata: "The reason you lost..." Arata: "is because you never made any important friends!" Arata: "Le Ciel Cocytus!" Abyss: "I see..." Arata: "Am I in Akio's dream?" Akio: "Nope." Akio: "This is reality." Akio: "There's nothing here, as always." Akio: "It's my homeland." Arata: "I see." Arata: "So we're finally back." Arata: "Is everyone asleep?" Akio: "Yeah." Akio: "I was pretty tired myself, but I wanted to be up first." Akio: "That's why I willed myself awake." Akio: "Thank you." Arata: "I should be thanking you." Arata: "Now I can get you and the others back safely." Arata: "Your mom won't get angry with me, after all." Arata: "Where are we?" Akio: "My hometown..." Akio: "Mom!" Akio: "Yeah." Akio: "Thank you." Akio: "Well, anyway..." Akio: "Now I'm back to normal." Akio: "Thanks, Arata." Arata: "Yeah, you should rest." Arata: "Oh, yeah, what happened to Judecca?" Judeca: "Master, I'm right here." Arata: "Oh, you have a compact form?" Judeca: "Yes, I can take any form you wish." Arata: "What would you look like as a human girl?" Judeca: "Rather... busty." Arata: "Seriously?!" Arata: "Show me sometime!" Judeca: "If that is what you wish." Arata: "I wanna see busty!" Lilith: "I was just thinking of commending you on all you've done..." Lilith: "I can't believe you'd sexually harass a sword!" Arata: "W-Wait, Lilith! My ideal amount of bustiness is exactly your amount of bustiness! So don't worry, okay?" Lilith: "Arata, you..." Arata: "Save me!" Lilith: "Hold it!" Liese: "That was pretty good." Akio: "Yeah." Liese: "I'm talking about you." Akio: "Huh?" Levi: "I was watching, too." Akio: "What?!" Lugh: "I witnessed it, as well." Akio: "Really?!" Arin: "I want to hug my husband, too." Mira: "We have to be at least somewhat proper." Arin: "That's not easy." Yui: "I want to hug him, too!" Lilith: "Arata, wait! Stop!" Akio(Bg): "Well, it is fun being with him." Liese(Bg): "I agree."

Zhilao: "I'm hungry, Mao." Meili: "You're the only one riding the horse. Be patient." Zhilao: "I heard your stomach growl— That hurts." Meli: "Sorry. Don't mind us." Zhilao: "Your stomach was—" Zhilao: "Anyway, why'd Mao have to spend our last bit of money on that book?" Zhilao: "It's like he loses stops caring about anything else whenever cooking's involved." Zhilao: "I'm starving!" Meili: "Shirou, where are you?" Mao: "Shirou!" Zhilao: "I'm fine." Meili: "What are you doing?" Mao: "Huh?" Meili: "Isn't that a town?" Zhilao: "A town? All right! They'll have food!" All: "It's a town!" Zhilao: "Chickens! They all look delicious!" Meili: "There are chickens everywhere." Meili: "I see! This is the Chicken Town I've heard about." Mao: "That's right. This town is the land's greatest producer of chickens." Zhilao: "You're actually excited for once." Mao: "The town's famous chicken dish competition is nearby." Meili: "Chicken dish competition?" Mao: "It's a contest of skill based around chicken dishes. Winning is a huge honor." Mao: "Huh? What are you doing, Shirou?" Zhilao: "I'm harvesting persimmons from this abandoned house." Mao: "You shouldn't steal from houses, even if they're empty!" Zhilao: "I refuse to starve to death when there's food right in front of— Ow!" Zhilao: "Ow! Ow, ow, ow! Help me, Mao!" Zhilao: "Ow..." Tia: "Can you not take things from my house without permission?" Zhilao: "I thought it was a trashed, abandoned house." Tia: "Sorry my house isn't up to your standards." Mao: "In any case, we're sorry." Tia: "It's fine. Have one." Tia: "Here." Zhilao: "Thanks for the food!" Tia: "Those are sour persimmons." Tia: "So you're broke after buying this cookbook, huh? You're kind of naive." Zhilao: "Don't be ridiculous. Mao is—" Tia: "Sounds like my own dumb brother." Mao: "Your brother?" Tia: "My brother opened this chicken restaurant. As you know, this town profits from shipping its high-quality chicken to the rest of the country. We've got a lot of rich people here." Zhilao: "Then why's this the only run-down shop?" Tia: "Because we can't get customers, obviously." Mao: "Why not?" Tia: "It's none of your business." Tia: "It's late. Why not stay here tonight? You don't have any money, right?" Zhilao: "What?" Tia: "I'm Tiya. What are your names?" Meili: "I'm Meili." Zhilao: "My name's Shirou." Mao: "I'm Mao." Mao: "Thank you for everything." Zhilao: "What's up, Mao?" Mao: "I can't stop thinking about it. This is the only shop that isn't flourishing." Zhilao: "It just means their food sucks." Mao: "But Tiya's brother doesn't seem to be here." Zhilao: "Who cares about that? You're always interested in weird stuff, Mao." Zhilao: "What's that?" Both: "Black chickens?" Tia: "Don't touch them." Tia: "Their misfortune will rub off on you." Mao: "What?" Tia: "These are the chickens of misfortune that killed my brother." Tia: "It's been almost a month since my brother died. After honing his skills at a big restaurant in Guangzhou, three years ago, my brother opened his chicken restaurant, "Black Feather Tower," in this highly competitive place." Tia: "One day, my brother bought some pitch black chicks." Kurou: "Tiya, these chicks could change this town's history." Tia: "But these chickens are awful." Tia: "They have hardly any vitality, and they only lay a few eggs." Tia: "Every time one died, my brother would buy another chick. He ran all around town looking for higher quality feed. And even the friends who were initially helpful," end: "Wuluo is obsessed with those birds." Tia: "moved by my brother's passion..." end: "It's pointless to raise those black chickens. His misfortune was all brought on by those black birds. They're birds of misfortune. Stay away. You'll be cursed." Tia: "They were labeled birds of misfortune and feared." Kurou: "Tiya, I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you for so long." Kurou: "But this year, my dream will become reality." Tia: "My brother held onto his naive dream until the end," Tia: "leaving behind his black chickens and debt. I've tended to the chickens as my brother did, but not a single shop bought a black chicken at the last competition." Tia: "Once the festival ends, the debt collectors will return." Tia: "I can't believe he risked his life for these things." Tia: "He was an idiot." Mao: "Tiya." Mao: "Tiya, could I participate in tomorrow's competition?" Tia: "What? You're planning to use those unlucky birds?" Mao: "They're not birds of misfortune. Tomorrow, with my own hands, I'll make your brother's dream come true." Tia: "What are you doing?" Chouyu: "You will participate in a certain test in Guangzhou." Chouyu: "This trial may show you the path you should follow." Chouyu: "See how far your strength will take you." Mao: "I will, Zhou Yu!" Tia: "He told us to go without him so he could pick out the best bird." Meili: "It's okay, Tiya. He'll come." Tia: "But..." Meili: "Trust him. Mao always keeps his promises." Tia: "How can you trust him so much?" Meili: "Didn't you trust your brother, too?" Tia: "I'm not sure. That's what I got for trusting him." Meili: "But even after your brother died, you kept taking care of those chickens." Tia: "I didn't have a choice. I wasn't doing it because I wanted to." Meili: "It's because you believed in your brother." Meili: "I think your brother never gave up on those chickens, either." Meili: "If you stopped believing in them, it would've been like doubting your brother." Announce: "The chicken dish competition will now begin." Announce: "The winning restaurant will be awarded a statue of honor" Announce: "Begin!" Tia: "See? He's not coming." Meili: "It's okay. Wait a little longer." All: "What are those?" All: "The black birds! The birds of misfortune!" Mao: "Sorry I'm late." Zhilao: "Mao tried too hard to pick the right birds. I'm covered in scratches." All: ""Black Feather Tower" is participating? Isn't Wuluo dead? That kid is taking Wuluo's place? What is Tiya thinking? They're actually going to use those birds." Tia: "Will he really be okay? What if no one eats those chickens?" Zhilao: "I don't know, but I can say one thing for certain." Zhilao: "Believe in Mao." Tia: "Believe?" Pai: "Open this during your most critical moments." All: "That kid is dexterous, but can he actually cook? All the chefs in this town are incredible!" All: "What?" Reika: "This is your final assignment." Reika: "Score your own dish." Reika: "Very good." Reika: "I will now announce the winner of this test." Announce: "Time's up! The judging will now begin." Announce: "Judging will be done in order. First up, Phoenix Restaurant." Announce: "Peking duck-style sweet miso chicken." Touri: "This is high-quality Peking-style chicken." Touri: "The sweet miso is delicious, as well. The flavors are superb. Impressive." Chef: "Thank you for your kind words." Announce: "Next, Seabird Palace. Pudong chicken." Mayor: "This restaurant is highly-rated, as well." Touri: "How did you achieve such flavor and aroma?!" Chef: "This soup is not boiled, but steamed in a steamer." Chef: "It keeps the temperature stable, allowing for slower cooking." Announce: "Next!" Announce: "Next!" Announce: "Next!" Announce: "Finally, Black Feather Tower." All: "There it is: the birds of misfortune." All: "How did his dish turn out?" All: "There's pitch black meat inside that pot. I don't even want to imagine it." Tia: "Does he stand any chance? How will he make my brother's dream come true when not a single person in this town understood it?" Announce: "Open the lid." All: "What?" Touri: "What?" Touri: "Rice?" Mayor: "Son, do you understand? This is a very serious chicken dish competition. Why have you submitted a pot full of white rice?" Mao: "Don't worry. That's definitely a chicken dish." Vicemayor: "There's no need to taste this." Vicemayor: "Governor Tong, let us make our decision." Tia: "Brother—" Mao: "Wait." Mao: "Please. One bite, and you'll understand." Vicemayor: "What?" Mao: "Ever grain of rice is packed full" ei: "He hasn't changed." Touri: "I shall taste your white rice." Vicemayor: "S-Sir!" Staff: "I examined the entire pot, but there is only rice inside." Touri: "It matters not." Touri: "This glow..." Touri: "This aroma..." Touri: "I-It's chicken! That's definitely the flavor of chicken! And it's superb!" Touri: "Such dignified and magnificent sweetness! Such richness that strikes like raging billows, before fleetingly pulling away! All the blood in my body booms as it courses through me!" All: "Th-They finished all of it!" All: "And look at their expressions of ecstasy..." Mao: "Yes!" Touri: "Son, I have two questions." Touri: "First, your dish looks like rice, but tastes like chicken. What kind of dish is this?" Mao: "Take a look at this." All: "There's rice inside the chicken!" Mao: "This dish involves stuffing rice inside a chicken" Touri: "I see. But why only rice?" Mao: "Because I wanted to convey the splendor of this chicken in the best form." Touri: "What?" Mao: "By boiling the meat, I extracted only its flavor." Mao: "The rice stuffed inside the chicken completely absorbed its flavor." Touri: "I see." Touri: "The greatest mystery is this chicken." Touri: "All the blood in my body suddenly began booming. I am brimming with energy. Tell me, what chicken is this?" Mao: "Governor, this chicken... is the legendary sacred bird," Mao: "the Silky Fowl." Touri: "This?" Mao: "Its silk-like feathers are weak, preventing it from flying high. It can't protect itself from predators. There are only a few of them, and they are rarely encountered," Mao: "but they're prized for their flavor and analeptic properties. Pitch black inside and out," Mao: "Raising such perfectly black Silky Fowl" Touri: "I heard the townsfolk reviled these as birds of misfortune," Mao: "Wuluo gave his life to raise these pure Silky Fowl. Telling everyone in town about the wonders of these birds was his dream. And if Tiya hadn't kept caring for these birds," Touri: "I see. Wuluo raised them, and Tiya took over their care." Touri: "It must have been difficult for you, Tiya." Tia: "No. I had my brother's strength to support me." Touri: "But the last step is always the hardest." Touri: "The eye to identify good ingredients," Touri: "And most importantly," Touri: "Who are you?" Touri: "That crest..." Touri: "Only those who have passed the most difficult test earn the right to wear it." Touri: "And the previous winner of it was..." Reika: "Both of you performed impressively on this test." Reika: "Therefore, both of you are awarded the title of Super Chef." Touri: "The youngest Super Chef in history..." Touri: "Liu Maoxing!" All: "Super Chef? The highest title a chef can earn on this continent? That kid—rather, him? I knew he could do it. Liar. You were insulting him like crazy." Touri: "Of course he's that skilled. The results are already clear," Touri: "Black Feather Tower!" Tia: "Brother..." ei: "He's clearly just a kid, but his cooking draws people to him." ei: "It must be because he pours his soul into everything he does." Mao: "Fei, we tied this time, but next time I'll win!" ei: "I've been waiting to hear you say that." Zhilao: "You did it, Mao!" ei: "I look forward to our next battle, Mao." Mao: "This is great news, Tiya." Mao: "The entire town's gonna help you raise your Silky Fowl." Tia: "Yeah. I'll work harder at raising them. And if things go well here," Mao: "I expect you to raise delicious and nutritious Silky Fowl that will energize everyone." Meili: "Huh? Isn't that where Shirou fell from the cliff?" Zhilao: "Seriously?" Tia: "I'm sorry I nearly gave up on what you believed in." Tia: "It's okay now, though." Tia: "I'll make it out to Guangzhou someday!" Tia: "Thank you, Mao!" Tia: "I understand your dream now." Tia: "The little Super Chef made it come true."

Shirou: "Amazing!" Mao: "Yeah." Luokong: "You're using both hands to simultaneously knead two balls of dough? So you weren't all talk when you proclaimed yourself the best in the land." Xielu: "I don't see your hands moving, gramps. Though I doubt you can knead dough properly with the feeble hands of an old man." Luokong: "I am Luo Kong the Dim Sum King. If you're the best in the land, then I'm the best in the world." Luokong: "Let me teach you something." Luokong: "Dough is not kneaded with strength." Luokong: "It is the circular motion of my fingers, arms, and cane. In other words, the essence of dim sum cooking is rotation. The extent of a dim sum chef's mastery of rotations is an expression of his skill." Luokong: "Bai Luo Rotational Kneading!" Xielu: "He's using torque to knead the smoothest possible dough." Shirou: "Mao, what does that mean?" Mao: "The majority of a sweet bun's flavor is determined by how soft and fluffy the skin is. When you knead yeast made from fermented potatoes into flour and let it rest, the dough rises." Mao: "Th-That's..." Luokong: "This is what gives life to my sweet buns: lao mein." Shirou: "Lao mein?" Luokong: "This is the dough passed down from the founder of the Bai Luo family since the Three Kingdoms Era, Shuhan Lao Mein." Luokong: "It contains the ultimate yeast, having survived for 1600 years." Meili: "It's so delicate from being thoroughly kneaded and abundantly fluffy." Mao: "It'll definitely produce incredible sweet buns like nothing anyone's ever tasted." Mao: "Xie Lu!" Xielu: "Don't worry. I've already finished my skins." Mao: "What?" Mao: "It's flat." Shirou: "You can't win that sad flat skin, bro!" Mao: "The filling is usually made primarily from ground pork, but what will Xie Lu do?" Shirou: "What?" Shirou: "Beef? That's not pork, Mao. Is he going to be okay?" Mao: "No, it's smart. If you want to maximize the juiciness of the filling, you should use beef." Shirou: "Which means Xie Lu's finally getting ready to use his staff." Shirou: "A knife?" Mao: "Steaks?" Luokong: "You're wrapping chunks of meat in deflated flat skins? Just so you know, serving something that can't be described as sweet buns is out of the question." Xielu: "Sounds like you don't know what I'm doing. You've fallen so far, Dim Sum King." Luokong: "It seems most dim sum masters still have to have the last word." Luokong: "These should be ready soon." Xiang: "Eight clay pots..." Xiang: "Could it be?" Meili: "Bamboo?" Luokong: "Allow me to show you the Bai Luo family's ultimate dim sum." Both: "It's done!" Meili: "This light..." Mao: "A treasure ship packed with heaping mountains of multicolored sweet buns." Mao: "And golden sweet buns glittering on the back of the golden dragon. It's practically blinding." Xiang: "Let the judging begin." Xiang: "First, Dim Sum King Luo Kong." He: "I see. You used the bamboo you cut earlier to build this treasure ship steamer." He: "By the way, what do they say?" Luokong: "Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, and White Tiger. With each of the Four Guardians of the four cardinal directions in their place, they quell the seas, and ease the hearts of men. They are the noble Requiem Sweet Buns of prayer!" Xiang: "Spare me the theory. It only matters if they're good or not. Not only are the skins as soft as cotton, but they're overflowing with rich juices. The mouthfeel and softness are of the highest quality." Xiang: "This is sea cucumber! It's damn impressively rehydrated!" He: "This one contains scallops! They dance from the skin with the excellent broth, just begging to be eaten!" Hu: "I had no idea abalone could be so crisp and soft!" Xiang: "The ultimate seafood has been sealed inside the ultimately fluffy skins, producing supreme bliss!" He: "Not only that, but they've all been cooked low and slow to perfection in eight separate clay pots!" Hu: "They're treasures. Treasures of sweet buns." Sanjie: "Just from eating high quality seafood? What's going on?" Luokong: "The secret is in the skin." Luokong: "East is sourness. North is saltiness. West is spiciness. South is bitterness. By applying the appropriate flavor according to each direction of the cosmic dual forces and five elements, the ultimate balance is maintained. These are the Bai Luo family's ultimate sweet buns, passed down for generations: The Four Guardians Seafood Eight Treasure Buns!" Xiang: "Few have mastered the Four Guardians Seafood Eight Treasure Buns." Xiang: "No one can surpass 1600 years of history." Luokong: "Boy, you never stood a chance at winning." Xiang: "Next, Xie Lu." Hu: "Gold, huh? How flashy. The golden dragon is a brilliantly crafted, too." He: "Those flat skins have puffed up quite a bit." Xiang: "What's wrong with this dragon? It's holding on tight and won't let go." Xiang: "There!" Xiang: "It laughed! The sweet bun laughed at me!" Judges: "What's going on?" Luokong: "Quiet, amateurs!" Luokong: "The essence of these sweet buns lies elsewhere." Luokong: "The cracks in the sweet buns." Luokong: "The two pots." Luokong: "The strange glow of the dragon." Luokong: "You fool, Xie Lu! You fried your sweet buns!" Xielu: "Exactly. These are fried sweet buns." Luokong: "Amateur! The meat's juices have flowed out of the cracks created in the skin by the hot oil! A sweet bun without a single drop of juice left is a shell of a sweet bun!" Xielu: "Are you sure about that?" Xiang: "Hot! Hot, hot, hot!" Hu: "Hot, hot, hot!" Xiang: "Inside my mouth..." He: "Piping hot, meaty juices are pouring out!" Judge: "They're stuffed with full-bodied juices rich with beef flavor!" Hu: "But it's so refreshing, and not too heavy at all!" Xiang: "Not only that, but the juices perfectly match the fluffy, crispy, and fragrant fried skins!" He: "It's a new kind of snack! The ultimate deliciousness! This super dim sum is supremely enjoyable to eat!" Luokong: "Impossible! How? There should be no juices left!" Xielu: "Try breaking open the insides of a sweet bun." He: "What? This is..." He: "Vermicelli!" Xielu: "That's right." Xielu: "The filling of a fried bun should be light and refreshing. That's why I absorbed the meat juices into the vermicelli." Xielu: "I seared thick cuts of steak to seal the flavor inside of them. Then I cut them into chunks and stuffed them inside, gramps." Mao: "I see." Luokong: "Then why did the sweet buns laugh?" Xielu: "Listen closely, Dim Sum King. These cracks didn't come from frying them. I made them." Xielu: "I made small incisions from the start. My dough was flat because I used baking soda, a rising agent that rises when exposed to heat. I used the rapid expansion of the skins during frying to create these cracks." Xielu: "And these are the true identity of the laugh." Luokong: "That's..." Xielu: "Light chunks of beef that had their juices sucked out of them. The oil that seeped in through the cracks hardened these chunks, as well as the inside of the skins and the surface of the vermicelli, sealing the juices inside. The meat chunks rattle around in the space created inside," Xielu: "producing the sound of laughter." Xielu: "They are the Golden Open-Mouthed Laugh!" Xielu: "In other words, laughing golden sweet buns. This joy is what dim sum is really about." Mao: "The soothing top-of-the-line sweet buns, the Four Guardians Seafood Eight Treasure Buns and the joyful, over-the-top sweet buns, the Golden Open-Mouthed Laugh." Mao: "Who will win?" Sanjie: "Tell us your judgment." Mao: "Who will they choose?" Shirou: "Xie Lu, unanimously." Meili: "It doesn't look that way, Shirou." Shirou: "What?" Shirou: "They're struggling to decide!" Meili: "The votes are split." Xiang: "I've decided! I've made my choice!" Judge: "So have I." Hu: "Yes. The choice is clear." Sanjie: "All right." Sanjie: "Very well, tell us the results of your judgment." Sanjie: "If you choose Xie Lu of the Steel Staff, raise your red spoon." Mao: "N-No way." Sanjie: "Wait, seriously?" Meili: "No one's raising their red spoon." Audience: "No matter how talented, a youngster in his twenties can't beat him." Xielu: "I don't believe it. I can't believe I lost this badly." Xiang: "Then if you choose Luo Kong the Dim Sum King, raise your white spoon." Sanjie: "What is this?" Xiang: "What?" Mao: "No one's raising their white spoon, either." Shirou: "What's going on?" Sanjie: "Governor Xiang, what's the meaning of this?" Xiang: "Sanjie, I once told you the Han Feizi's story of the spear and the shield." Sanjie: "The spear and the shield?" Xiang: "Once upon a time, a strange weapons dealer from the land of Chu who was selling a spear that could pierce anything and a shield that nothing could pierce. Xie Lu's supremely delicious laughing fried buns, the Golden Open-Mouthed Laugh, are the spear that can pierce anything. In contrast, the collected 1600 years of wisdom and technique that are Luo Kong's Four Guardians Seafood Eight Treasure Buns are the shield that nothing can pierce. "So what happens when you strike that shield with that spear?" The story ends with the befuddled weapons dealer being asked this." Xiang: "Right now, we feel like that weapons dealer. In the rest of the world, this spear and shield don't make sense. We call it a paradox. But it's also true that an unstoppable spear and invincible shield can't be compared." Xiang: "Therefore, this contest is a draw!" Meili: "It's..." Mao: "...a tie?" Mao: "Guys..." Xielu: "What dreary sweet buns. There's nothing fun about them." Luokong: "Did you think you could beat me with such foolish tricks, brat?" Xielu: "What was that, gramps?! Anyway, you shouldn't be writing on your sweet buns! It's unappetizing!" Luokong: "Silence, boy! The oil from your sweet buns made my hands sticky! How will you make it up to me?!" Xielu: "Why is your steamer shaped like a boat? Make a normal shape!" Luokong: "It's the best shape for circulating the aroma of the bamboo, you moron! And your dragon is the most useless thing imaginable!" Xielu: "What's an old man doing with long hair, anyway? You should trim your sideburns, damn it!" Luokong: "You never used your staff a single time! If it's just for show, take yourself and your staff to the Shaolin Temple!" Xielu: "It was generous of them to call it a tie." Xielu: "No matter how you look at it, your sweet buns are undeniably delicious, gramps." Luokong: "More importantly, boy, frying your sweet buns was a bold idea not even found in the Bai Luo family's dictionary. Who taught you to do that?" Xielu: "The Shanxi Province where I was born has few ingredients. Since I was a kid, I've been traveling across all of China in search of ingredients and dishes I've never seen. These sweet buns are my twist on a recipe I learned from the locals when I traveled far to the north." Xielu: "In bitterly cold lands, you can't make fluffy hot sweet buns by steaming them. That's why they fry them." Xielu: "This land is vast. Practices we'd never think of are being used all over the place all the time. And encountering those ingredients, dishes, and chefs is almost more fun than I can bear." Xielu: "King, what's this?" Luokong: "Boy, I've decided. I'm going to travel across China to learn all the flavors it has to offer." Xielu: "What?" Luokong: "I've spent the past century learning the Bai Luo family's techniques and working in the palace kitchens." Loukong: "I haven't seen sunlight since I joined the underworld." Luokong: "It seems I've been indoors for far too long." Luokong: "Boy. When I think of all the new talent like you sprouting across this vast land, I can't sit idly by." Luokong: "Xie Lu, you won this battle." Xielu: "You can't be serious, gramps! You can't just decide that!" Luokong: "The word "tie" doesn't exist in the Bai Luo family's dictionary. There's no point in a contest without a winner." Xielu: "Maybe so, but I don't remember winning!" Luokong: "Don't get the wrong idea. You didn't seize victory. I'm giving you the win, for now." Luokong: "And my staff." Luokong: "We'll fight again ten years from now. And when we do, I'll crush you thoroughly so I can take back my staff and the victory." Xielu: "Fine, gramps. Xie Lu of the Steel Staff will hold onto this for you." Luokong: "You heard me." Luokong: "I appreciate what the underworld has done for me, but I'm quitting now." Xiang: "After acknowledging your own defeat, you think you'll be allowed to leave the underworld, Luo Kong?" Mao: "H-He vanished." Luokong: "Don't forget, boy. Ten years." Xielu: "Ten years? Gramps, how long are you planning to live?" Xielu: "King... He's a crafty old man." : "The first round of the Huangpu River Warship Pavilion banquet contest is won by Xie Lu!" Henchman: "Dim Sum King Luo Kong was defeated by Xie Lu of the Steel Staff," Henchman: "then fled the scene." Henchman: "Wh-Wh-What shall we do, Shao An?" Shaoan: "This is fine." Shaoan: "We will undoubtedly have one victory and one loss after the second round." Mao: "You did it, Xie Lu!" Shirou: "That was amazing, bro! One more victory, and we win!" Xielu: "Their backs are to the wall now. They have to win. The second round is the main dish round. Brace yourselves." Meili: "They'll send that woman leader next. I get the sense she's incredibly dangerous." Xiang: "Lei En of the Seven Star Knives, step forward!" Shaoan: "After all, she cannot lose. And in the third round, I, Shao An, will thoroughly crush Mao, and get revenge for what happened at the Chrysanthemum Tower." Mao: "Lei En." Mao: "Are you okay? Won't it be hard fighting another member of the underworld?" Leien: "Mao, I once told you" Leien: "that I made an unforgivable mistake. I escaped the underworld after it made me lose my way, knowing it would kill me." Leien: "I have no hesitation!" Xiang: "Open the bilge tank!" Xiang: "The skills of a spineless runaway decline every day." Xiang: "I shall generously make the subject of our contest your specialty, seafood." Leien: "That pridefulness of yours once made me commit that mistake." Leien: "I swore an oath that I would never commit the same error." Mao: "The water burst!" Leien: "The appetizer comes before the main course. Taste this, judges." Leien: "Seven Stars Army Destroyer Raw Cuttlefish!" Xiang: "The cuttlefish! The cuttlefish has already been sliced!" Mao: "Incredible! The Seven Star Knives are sharp enough to cut water!" Leien: "I, Lei En, seek nothing else from this world than to settle my debts with my Seven Star Knives." Xiang: "This is why you're naive." Xiang: "You still haven't let go of that incident." Leien: "What?" Xiang: "Such weakness will prevent you from properly seeing this!" Xiang: "I am the cooking underworld's Ten Feet of Blue Xiang!" Leien: "I-Impossible." Leien: "It can't be..." Leien: "Those knives are the Seven Star Knives!"

Xiang: "The skills of a spineless runaway decline every day." Xiang: "I shall generously make the subject of our contest your specialty, seafood." Leien: "That pridefulness of yours once made me commit that mistake." Xiang: "The cuttlefish has already been sliced!" Mao: "Incredible! The Seven Star Knives are sharp enough to cut water!" Leien: "I, Lei En, seek nothing else from this world than to settle my debts with my Seven Star Knives." Xiang: "This is why you're naive." Xiang: "You still haven't let go of that incident." Leien: "What?" Xiang: "I am the cooking underworld's Ten Feet of Blue Xiang!" Leien: "I-Impossible. It can't be..." Leien: "Those knives are the Seven Star Knives!" Xiang: "That's right. Just like yours, these are the bloodied Seven Star Knives." Leien: "H-How do you have those?" Xiang: "It's no wonder you're surprised. As far as you're concerned, it's like you've just met a ghost." Xiang: "But these are indeed genuine Seven Star Knives." Xiang: "Observe, and you will have no choice but to believe me." Shirou: "A sturgeon?" Xiang: "Seven Stars Army Destroyer Quick Incision!" Shirou: "She removed the roe." Mao: "Look." Mao: "The cut is closing itself." Xiang: "Have an appetizer from me." All: "Her knife skills are so quick and exquisite. She's on another level." Xiang: "You haven't seen anything yet." Both: "Wh... What?!" Meili: "That sturgeon had its stomach sliced open, but is swimming like nothing happened." Mao: "They instantly cut through everything. The cells surrounding the wound don't even realize they've been sliced." Leien: "That sharpness and sheen is undoubtedly that of the Seven Star Knives. Why do you have those? Only one set of Seven Star Knives should exist in this world." Xiang: "The impossible is possible in the cooking underworld." Xiang: "As one who feels guilt over that incident, you could never understand." Xiang: "Remember this, foolish deserter, Lei En. No matter how far you flee from the underworld, no matter how many times you submerge yourself in mountain spring waters," Xiang: "your bloodstained hands can never be washed clean." Meili: "Lei En!" Mao: "Lei En!" Meili: "What's wrong, Lei En? Keep it together. Lei En, tell me. What happened after you left Yang Spring Restaurant four years ago?" Xielu: "Spit it out! You'll never cook anything delicious while you're worrying about the past! Tell us everything and relieve your mind!" Leien: "It's none of your business." Mao: "That's not true." Mao: "It is our business. We swore we'd share each other's fates when we left on this journey!" Mao: "Tell us, Lei En." Leien: "Mao, I don't deserve to live anymore." Mao: "What?" Leien: "As I told you on the day of our knife skills contest," Leien: "I left on a journey to correct my weakness." Leien: "Higher. Aim higher. Those who master cooking can stand above all others." Leien: "I followed the underworld's training and mastered all their techniques. It was said that I was unrivaled when it came to knife skills." Leien: "But the strange feeling of elation didn't stop." Leien: "Higher. Even higher. Isn't there anything I can do? Then one day, I heard rumors about Lang Tie, the world's greatest knife-maker. With the best knives, I could stand at the pinnacle of all chefs." Leien: "Those knives were the miraculous Seven Star Knives." Langtie: "What do you think of the Seven Star Knives?" Leien: "It's hard to imagine anything this sharp being of this world." Langtie: "I know." Langtie: "You're lucky. I never make the same knife twice." Langtie: "The Seven Star Knives I forged today are the best I've ever created." Langtie: "A chef's tools are his life. I want a chef like you to use the best tools." Leien: "Thank you." Leien: "The best knives..." Leien: "I am now the best chef." Langtie: "Have a seat. Drink some tea." Leien: "Now no knife greater than the Seven Star Knives will ever be created." Leien: "I will forever be the ultimate knife skills master. When I came to my senses, all that remained in my hands were the bloodstained Seven Star Knives." Leien: "I could not recover from my remorse. When I confessed my crime to the higher-ups of the underworld, they jeered and said, "You did well. That ambition is what feeds us."" Leien: "In that moment, I learned of the cooking underworld's bottomless horror." Leien: "Mao." Leien: "I may not be worthy of sharing your fate after all." Xiang: "While you cling to the past and have lost your will to fight, you stand no chance against me." Mao: "If that story is true, then how do you have a set of Seven Star Knives?" Xiang: "The grudge of the knife-maker Lang Tie who you slew lives on in these Seven Star Knives," Xiang: "murderer!" Meili: "No. Lei En... killed a man..." Shirou: "Mao!" Mao: "Didn't you decide to fight so no one else would suffer?" Mao: "Killing another at the end of his training and falling to ruin himself..." Mao: "That's not the way of a true chef!" Leien: "Mao!" Mao: "What's important is making the next delicious dish! If you believe your arrogance in your skills made you inflict irredeemable misfortune on another, then use those same skills to make people ten thousand—no, 100 million times happier, Lei En!" Leien: "Happy, huh?" Leien: "You're always reminding me of the basics of cooking that I'd nearly forgotten." Leien: "Tell me. What kind of seafood do you wish to eat? As a chef, I shall lead you to happiness with the ingredients of your choosing." Mao: "Lei En." Xielu: "That's a sharp idea coming from a boorish man. He'll have the judges choose his ingredients." Zhang: "There is no question. Orange eggs resembling precious jewels." He: "The richest, thickest innards." Hu: "Soft, moist, and mellow flesh of pure white." Zhang: "Indeed. It's not Shanghai cuisine without it!" Zhang: "Chinese mitten crab!" Mao: "Chinese mitten crab?" Shirou: "That stuff is crazy good." Sanjie: "Chinese mitten crab, huh? It's a difficult ingredient." Shirou: "Why, Sanjie?" Sanjie: "Chinese mitten crab is certainly delicious. But unlike red frog crab and swimming crab, they're small." Xielu: "Bigger crabs have longer and thicker legs. They've got bigger shells, too. The meat packed inside is easy to remove and has a solid mouthfeel. But..." Sanjie: "Yeah. Because the small Chinese mitten crab has so little meat, no matter how desperately you dig at them, you never get the satisfaction of a full meal. Preparing the slender yet supremely delicious Chinese mitten crab" Sanjie: "depends heavily on the skills of the chef himself." Xiang: "Chinese mitten crab? I thought they might choose that." Xiang: "Open the crab tank." Xiang: "Behold the brilliant blue of their shells. The golden glow of the fringe on their legs. Taken only from Yangcheng Lake, the most famous of places, at the crack of dawn, they are supremely fresh and exquisitely delicious." Xiang: "The most genuine and authentic of Chinese mitten crabs." Shirou: "No fair! She took all the biggest, meatiest ones!" Xiang: "The early bird gets the worm." Xiang: "What are you standing around for, Lei En? The contest starts with the choosing of ingredients." Xielu: "He's being so slow. Is he still hesitant?" Mao: "No. If I'm right, Lei En will probably choose..." Shirou: "So small. Lei En's choosing all the small crabs, Mao. And their color looks poor." Shirou: "Aren't Chinese mitten crabs small enough already? Why's he putting himself at a disadvantage?" Xielu: "His guilt is still making him punish himself." Mao: "It's okay. His eyes are confident and clear like they were during our knife skills contest." Meili: "He's fragile." Meili: "He's always been this way." Meili: "Too serious, inflexible, always worrying on his own." Meili: "His fragile and clear heart is too pure." Meili: "So... so..." Xielu: "Yeah. Pure-hearted men become increasingly unpredictable as their purity increases." Mao: "And because Lei En is like that, when his powers are awakened... he creates dishes replete with supreme bliss," Mao: "unmarred by a single cloud." Leien: "Peerless knife-maker Lang Tie, I won't ask for your forgiveness. However, if you'll allow me to go on living, I will use these Seven Star Knives to create as much happiness as possible" Leien: "and in doing so, make atonement to your spirit." Mao: "Frying starch?" Mao: "He's putting frying starch on his small, oddly-colored crabs." Mao: "I knew it." Mao: "You could win this round, Lei En!" Sanjie: "Huh? What do you mean, Mao?" Shirou: "How can he win?" Xielu: "I don't like it." All: "What?" Xielu: "After choosing her crabs, that woman has been sitting perfectly still and watching Lei En." Xielu: "What's she planning?" Xiang: "You still don't get it, Lei En. Chefs make people happy. Put another way, they can also make people unhappy. If they control the happiness of people, then the logical conclusion is that chefs have the power to control people." Chef: "Yeah. The Grand Alliance is in an uproar since the underworld took the higher-ups away. Longzhen Restaurant's Sanjie went to get them back, but we haven't heard anything yet." ei: "I see." Chef: "Hey, wait." Sanjie: "So this is the strength of the man once called the young prodigy of Yang Spring Restaurant. My inadequate knife skills are nothing like his." Sanjie: "He's so incredibly accurate, you forget to blink. His cuts are so delicate and magnificent." Shirou: "What? Not a single sliver of meat is left!" Shirou: "But the legs are so slender." Sanjie: "He completely removed all the insides. I'd expect no less from Lei En and the Seven Star Knives." Shirou: "From the bold Raging Bull Blue Dragon Cut made by the giant Army Destroyer to delicate knife work using small knives. The Seven Star Knives are like farming tools capable of cultivating every last inch of the world inside of living beings." Sanjie: "He harvested so much slender pure white meat. He's fragrantly sautéing it with minced onions and ginger and packing it into the shells along with the crab innards. And on top of it he's sprinkling... frying starch! I've got it! I figured it out, too, Mao! I know what Lei En is making—" He: "One more!" Xiang: "Okay, okay. Here you go." Hu: "Pour some for me, too!" Xiang: "Oh, please. I thought we were just taking a little break." Sanjie: "Hey! What is she doing?" Xielu: "After picking at the crabs with her Seven Star Knives and cracking some eggs, she ditched her cooking station to go do that!" Xielu: "Damn it! I'm kind of jealous of the judges!" Sanjie: "But Lei En is taking the contest so seriously!" Shirou: "She's trying to seduce the judges!" Mao: "No. I can tell" Mao: "she's more of a chef than that." Mao: "She's up to something." Xiang: "I'd better get back to cooking." Xhang: "Why? Is it over already?" Xiang: "We'll continue this later." Xiang: "More importantly, you'd better keep those two promises you made." Zhang: "Sure thing." Xiang: "Now, then... I'll mix the eggs with the crab meat I removed, cook the ingredients," Xiang: "and pour a sauce over the top." Xiang: "Crab and eggs!" All: "Looking good, Xiang!" Xielu: "What the hell!? You used good crab to make basic crab and eggs?!" Sanjie: "Are you even trying?!" Mao: "Xiang of the Seven Star Knives..." Mao: "What are those knives that shouldn't exist?" Both: "Done!" Zhang: "Xiang made standard crab and eggs." He: "Lei En made the finest of Shanghai dishes, xieduo." Hu: "And it's no ordinary xieduo. He wrapped them in batter and fried them to a golden brown." He: "I'm starting to drool, damn it!" Hu: "Which should we eat first?" Zhang: "Lei En's, natura—" Xiang: "Governor Zhang!" Xiang: "Keep your first promise. Taste my dish first." Zhang: "Oh, that's right. But, Xiang, just so you know, if you think you've won me over by pouring me drinks, you're wrong. I'll be judging your dish harshly." Xiang: "Of course." Hu: "Crab and eggs is the most standard of standard crab dishes." He: "Not only that, but it's crab and eggs made by the skilled underworld chef Xiang. She must've done something really special with them." Zhang: "It's good. It's definitely good." He: "Yeah. No complaints here." Zhang: "Thick pieces of crab with thinly sliced bamboo shoots and shiitake mushrooms, all cooked to perfection. The rich creamy sauce, the soft eggs. However, that's all as a completely ordinary dish of crab and eggs." Sanjie: "If it's plain old crab and eggs..." Shirou: "Then this contest is decided." Mao: "Is it really just ordinary crab and eggs?" Xiang: "Here. I made crab soup to go with it." Zhang: "What? It's not just crab and eggs?" Xiang: "Your second promise was to eat every last bit of what's served to you, remember?" Zhang: "Y-You're right. In that case, before it gets cold..." Xiang: "This contest is mine." He: "How strange." Zhang: "Crab and eggs and crab soup. For relatively small light dishes," Zhang: "I distinctly feel like I've eaten crab." Zhang: "All right. Next, Lei En!" Leien: "First, allow me to point out that these crabs have just recently molted. I used my knife skills to remove every bit of meat" Leien: "and pack it back into the crab's shell. Because the shells of recently molted crabs are so soft, if you wrap them in batter and fry them, you can eat the entire thing, shell and all." Zhang: "Rather than sucking out the flavor of the Chinese mitten crab, you can properly taste the concentrated flavor. Now this is a true crab dish!" Shirou: "I see. That's why he chose such small crabs." Sanjie: "You finally noticed, Shirou? Did she think she could beat knife skills master Lei En's high quality fried shells with some measly crab and eggs?" Shirou: "We won! Hand over the map and code!" Sanjie: "Hand it over!" Shirou: "Lei En won! Yes!" Mao: "Why?" Mao: "Why do I feel so apprehensive?" Zhang: "Hey, Lei En." Zhang: "Your food sucks!"

Zhang: "Your food sucks!" Meili: "Lei En's ultimate crab dish..." Shirou: "Sucks?" He: "Yeah, it sucks!" Hu: "Are you mocking us?" Zhang: "It's decided. The second round of the banquet contest" Zhang: "featuring Chinese mitten crab goes to Ten Feet of Blue Xiang!" Xiang: "And you swear not to reverse your decision, no matter what?" All: "Yes!" Shirou: "You can't be serious! They fell for Xiang's seduction!" Meili: "He can't possibly have lost to mere crab and eggs!" Sanjie: "Yeah! Lei En put all his strength into that dish! Claiming it sucks could only be a false accusation!" Zhang: "Restrain yourself, Sanjie!" Zhang: "Remember what we said at the start." Zhang: "Our job is very simple: to vote for the better tasting dish. That's all. Try them, and you'll understand." Sanjie: "He stuffed the crab shells with crab meat and fried them to a golden-brown." All: "So good!" Sanjie: "The fine, silky pieces of crab meat are plump with fat. The bursting crab eggs are so luxurious." Meili: "The innards are so thick and smooth, and the roe is viscous and rich." Shirou: "The moment you bite into the fragrantly fried shells, the Chinese mitten crab's flavor comes bursting forth." All: "It's a flood! A flood of crab!" Shirou: "All right, Sis. Let's try the crab and eggs." Meili: "Yeah. It's certainly good, but she didn't do anything particularly special." Shirou: "Right? I knew it was bogus! No matter how you look at it, your decision was clearly fishy!" Zhang: "Wh-What was that, boy?" Mob: "Hey, what's going on? If their reactions are this different, then one side must be lying." Mao: "Neither of them are lying." Mao: "Xiang, you're a dishonest person!" Shirou: "What's wrong, Mao?" Mao: "Drink this, Shirou. Every last drop." Shirou: "Huh?" Shirou: "Who cares about a side soup?" Shirou: "It's a rich crab soup. It's full of crab shell extract." Mao: "Now try Lei En's fried crab shells again, Shirou." Shirou: "What? Eating them again won't change anything." Mao: "Just do it!" Shirou: "Fine, Mao." Shirou: "Gross!" Shirou: "It doesn't taste at all like crab. It leaves only something flavorless, flabby, and muddy and a heavy greasiness in my mouth. This isn't edible at all." Meili: "What's going on, Mao?" Mao: "It definitely tastes like crab soup, but this is an ultra concentrated crab soup made from thoroughly boiled crab shells to achieve a level of concentration several times stronger than normal." Shirou: "But..." Meili: "But why?" Mao: "Ever heard of olfactory fatigue? Even if a room smells bad, if you stay in there long enough, your senses become numb to the smell." Mao: "While it's not as extreme as your sense of smell, your sense of taste behaves similarly. By drinking this extremely concentrated crab soup first, their tongues became numb to the flavor of crab, making them unable to taste the crab flavor they ate afterwards. That's why they couldn't detect the deliciousness of Lei En's dish loaded with crab flavor, leaving only greasiness in their mouths." Mao: "Honestly, this crab dish Lei En made is the best in Shanghai. It's the reason the tastier a crab dish is, the worse it tastes after you drink this soup." Mao: "That's why Xiang started by observing her opponent. She chose this strategy once she knew Lei En was making stuffed crab shells. Ignoring the pursuit of true deliciousness to cook something just to discredit your opponent isn't something an honest chef does!" Sanjie: "That's unfair." Xiang: "It's no wonder he recognizes your superiority, Liu Maoxing." Xiang: "I'm impressed you saw through the underworld's taste paralysis technique." Xiang: "However, the decision can't be reversed." Leien: "I-I failed." Xiang: "You've fallen so far, Lei En. Despite your abundance of talent, your naivete made you lose to such a basic trick. I can hardly believe you're the chef who killed a man in order to become the best." Xiang: "You're no longer worthy of possessing the Seven Star Knives." Leien: "You're absolutely right." Xiang: "Victory is mine! And I alone am the chef who should possess the Seven Star Knives!" Xielu: "I see." Xielu: "I get it now, Xiang." Xielu: "I know why you have a set of Seven Star Knives that shouldn't exist." Meili: "What do you mean, Xie Lu?" Shirou: "Why does Xiang have a set of Seven Star Knives?" Xielu: "The Seven Star Knives are the greatest masterpiece made by the extraordinary knife-maker, Lang Tie. That's why one year ago, when Lei En lost his way, he killed Lang Tie after he completed the Seven Star Knives so he could never forge a better knife. It doesn't make sense for there to be a second set of Seven Star Knives. Xiang seemed to suggest her Seven Star Knives were made by Lang Tie's hatred itself, but that's not possible." Xielu: "In that case, there's only one answer." All: "What?" Xielu: "The injury Lei En inflicted probably wasn't fatal." Xielu: "I've heard the underworld possesses all manner of medical secrets. When Xiang discovered the dying Lang Tie, she must have used all the underworld techniques at her disposal" Xielu: "to save him so he could forge knives again." Xiang: "Indeed. That's exactly right." Xiang: "It was one year ago." Xiang: "I traveled into the mountains to reach Lang Tie's workshop. But on the way..." Xiang: "Hey! Are you all right?" Langtie: "Lei En..." Xiang: "Lei En? Lei En the chef? He did this to you?" Xiang: "The underworld's greatest secrets even include techniques that control life and death." Xiang: "With my surgery and medicines, Lang Tie returned to life." Langtie: "I can't believe a strange young woman stayed with me in the mountains for a whole month. Thank you, Xiang. I can't find the words to thank you enough." Xiang: "What are you talking about?" Xiang: "As a knife-maker, you're a national treasure. And helping the injured recover is also the duty of a chef." Langtie: "I'm no more than a single knife-maker. I'm not capable of much, but if there's anything I can do for you, just ask. I won't be satisfied until I thank you." Xiang: "In that case, I do have one request." Langtie: "The Seven Star Knives. Perhaps they're so terribly cursed that they lead people astray. I was hesitant to make these again, but if that's what you want, I can't refuse. This is greatest thanks I can offer you. Take them, Xiang." Xiang: "Thank you, Lang Tie! At my request, Lang Tie forged a second set of the miraculous Seven Star Knives that he was not meant to have made again." Leien: "So that's what happened." Leien: "If that's true, then Lang Tie... Lang Tie is alive..." Leien: "Xiang, is Lang Tie still alive?" Leien: "Y-You didn't..." Xiang: "I'm not as naive as you. This time, I actually finished him off." Xielu: "You healed Lang Tie with the intention of killing him so he would make you a second set of Seven Star Knives. What a terrifying woman." Xiang: "Open your eyes, Lei En. I did it all for the world ruled by chefs that will someday come to be." Leien: "I should never have survived this long." Leien: "I'm taking you to hell with me, Xiang." Leien: "Don't worry. I'll be right behind you." Mao: "Lei En!" Xiang: "Is this how you'll atone for what you did to Lang Tie?" Leien: "This act is motivated by my anger against you alone!" Leien: "Once I kill you, I'll kill myself!" Xiang: "What is this?" Leien: "An illusion?" Both: "L-Lang Tie!" Langtie: "Lei En, why do you still draw your blade against another person?" Langtie: "Remember what I told you." Langtie: "The stars of the Big Dipper govern life and death. The noble duty of the Seven Star Knives is to channel the lives of ingredients into the lives of people." Langtie: "To lead people to happiness with their sublime cuts. The path of suffering you've followed with the Seven Star Knives since that day wasn't wrong. Do not stain the Seven Star Knives with blood and lose your way again. I won't permit you to die. Continue living, Lei En. Use my Seven Star Knives to keep on working for as many new lives as possible." Xiang: "Impossible!" Mao: "The Seven Star Knives... shattered?" Xiang: "Impossible!" Xiang: "My Seven Star Knives!" Mao: "Lei En's Seven Star Knives are shining even brighter. I see. This must be the answer given by the soul of Lang Tie that's been living inside the two sets of Seven Star Knives." Mieli: "Yeah. While suffering from burning agony," Mieli: "Lei En has used his Seven Star Knives to make people happy." Meili: "Lang Tie's soul has recognized him as the true owner of the Seven Star Knives!" Xielu: "You may have fooled the judges," Xielu: "but you can't fool the Seven Star Knives, Xiang." Xielu: "The dish you made was a mockery." Xielu: "I doubt you've ever used your Seven Star Knives for anything decent." Xielu: "You're the one who was unworthy of holding these great knives, Xiang!" Leien: "The smell of blood that stained my hands is gone." Leien: "Lang Tie, does this mean you forgive me? Then I swear to you, I will bear your soul for the rest of my life and continue fighting for the people's happiness until I die! Judges," Leien: "I accept that your decision cannot be reversed, no matter the reason!" Leien: "I have lost this battle!" Mob: "He's Lang Tie's chosen chef. He accepts their judgment regardless of the reason for it. Impressive, Lei En!" Leien: "I'm sorry, Mao." Leien: "My weakness resulted in a painful loss for us." Mao: "Lei En, you couldn't have fought better." Zhang: "It's finally time for the final round!" Zhang: "Are you both ready?" Shirou: "Judges, clear your ears and listen closely! It's finally time our unbeatable captain made his appearance! He is the youngest Super Chef ever, Liu Maoxing!" Zhang: "And who will represent the underworld?" Xielu: "You've been putting on airs this whole time! Who's your third competitor, Xiang?" Xiang: "Don't get carried away after beating underworld dropouts like the masked Li Yan and Lei En, Liu Maoxing." Xiang: "A man who once became famous in your hometown of Szechuan will be your opponent." Mao: "Famous in Szechuan?" Xiang: "He's already arrived on this ship." Xiang: "A man who knows you very well." Mao: "Could it be? Could it be?" Mao: "Could it be?!" Shaoan: "Born deep in Szechuan, from which the headwaters of the Yangtze River flow, we spent ten years together. Now we meet again two thousand kilometers away at the end of the Yangtze River in Shanghai. It's been a while," Shaoan: "Mao." Mao: "S-Shao An?" Sister: "A new head chef is finally coming to this restaurant. Mao, you asked for this contest. If you lose, we'll have to leave this restaurant." Mao: "I'll beat him, no matter what." Shaoan: "Bei's mapo tofu?!" Li: "That's precisely why you were given this task." Li: "You solved the mystery of this meat. Impressive work." Li: "You are the new head chef, Mao!" Mao: "Thank you!" Li: "And Shao An, the loser is stripped of the right to be a chef forever. You know this." Shaoan: "Stripped of my right to be a chef forever?" Shaoan: "I swear this won't end like this." Shaoan: "You'll pay for this, Mao!" Meili: "The former apprentice of Mao's mother, the Szechuan Fairy Master Bei." Sanjie: "He's the evil man who walked off with all the chefs and money from Mao's family restaurant and drove Bei to work herself to death." Xielu: "He's famous in Szechuan for disappearing after losing to Mao in a mapo tofu contest to determine the next head chef and being stripped of the right to work as a chef according to the regulations." Leien: "The young prodigy from Szechuan who experienced exceptional success after entering the underworld, Shao An." Leien: "I've heard his name before." Leien: "This truly is a battle of destiny." Mao: "Why did you join the cooking underworld?" Shaoan: "Why? You think I had anywhere else to go after losing everything to you in that contest? The cooking underworld with their Black Cloud Kirin were the only ones to extend a hand to me." Shaoan: "I joined them without hesitation. It's where my dream was. Let me tell you about the wonderful significance of our rematch, Mao." Sanjie: "Dad!" Mob: "Sir!" Mao: "What?" Shaoan: "I know. In addition to the legendary utensil, let's wager the life of Tang Li, top man of the Shanghai culinary world, on this contest. If I somehow lose to you, then Xiang will report everything to the higher ups, and I will lose everything again. But if I win and Tang Li dies, then not only will I rule all of Shanghai, but my future in the underworld will be guaranteed, and I'll get to see you cry with the shame, pain, and sadness over being personally responsible for the death of Longzhen Restaurant's head chef!" Sanjie: "You can't be serious! Release my father!" Shaoan: "In other words, Mao, defeating you and forcing you to grovel at my feet will be the glorious starting point of my dream!" Mao: "You kidnapped Sanjie's father for that?" Mao: "Why?" Mao: "Why are you always like this?!" Shaoan: "It's to make you taste the hell of losing!" Meili: "Mao!" Shirou: "Mao!" Shaoan: "You know nothing! You don't know the misery of being swatted away like a fly despite possessing first-rate talent! You don't know the pain of having rocks thrown at you, or the bitterness of drinking mud! You even abandoned the head chef's position at the Chrysanthemum Tower that I failed to win! And on top of that, you're a Super Chef!" Xielu: "I'll crush you!" Leien: "You fiend!" Xielu: "Mao?" Meili: "Those scars..." Mao: "Just like the masked chef Li Yan," Mao: "did you get those enduring the unimaginably difficult training of the underworld?" Xiang: "Do you understand now?" Xiang: "Just surviving in the underworld is no small feat." Mao: "You stay out of this." Mao: "Very well. The pain of your scars." Mao: "The pain of my mom's death. Let's settle everything from our mangled pasts, now!" Shirou: "Mao..." Mao: "There's only one ingredient we can use to settle our pasts." Shaoan: "The ingredient I've rued since the Chrysanthemum Tower." Mao: "Yes. It is..." Both: "Tofu!" Zhang: "So the theme is tofu? Ready-made tofu would be a wet blanket" Zhang: "on the final round of such an exciting cooking contest." Zhang: "How do you feel about making the tofu itself from scratch?" Hu: "Besides, we're full from eating too much good food. Could you give us a break?" Shaoan: "No objections here. Well?" Mao: "No objections." Zhang: "It's decided, then. This time of year, the beans need to be soaked for about nine hours." Zhang: "It will take about 12 hours total for the tofu to be completed. Including time to plan and prepare your dishes as well as breaks, we'll reconvene 18 hours from now." Zhang: "I'm looking forward to it." Shaoan: "No matter how many hours we wait, you'll still be the one to break at the end of the Yangtze River!" Shaoan: "Tomorrow I will achieve my long-cherished dream!" Mao: "As someone who bears this crest, you should know." Mao: "This contest isn't the starting point of your dream. Shanghai, this city at the end of the two thousand kilometer Yangtze River, is where you rotten dream ends, Shao An!"

: "A giant ship floats off the shore of Shanghai. A cooking battle takes place on the great warship pavilion between the Cooking Underworld and the Guangdong chefs. The battle for a legendary utensil and the life of Sanjie's father Master Tang Li currently stands at one to one. The final battle pits old enemies Mao and Shao An against one another. In just over ten hours, the fate of Shanghai, the booming City of Devils, will be revealed." Xielu: "Hup." Sanjie: "Dad..." Shirou: "It'll be okay, Sanjie. Believe in Mao. Right?" Mao: "Don't worry, Sanjie. I'll make a tofu dish like nothing you've ever seen." Sanjie: "I'm counting on you, Mao." Shirou: "But Mao, even if you start making tofu now, will you finish in time?" Mao: "Letting the soybeans soak and absorb enough water is the longest step. It takes about nine hours." Mao: "I'll mash the softened soybeans and boil them. I'll strain it through a cloth bag so I can separate the soy milk from the pulp." Shirou: "Sounds like it takes a long time." Mao: "Then I'll add bittern to the soy milk." Shirou: "Bittern? What's that?" Mao: "It makes soy milk coagulate into tofu." Mao: "It's made from sea water." Shirou: "Huh..." Mao: "When the bittern is uniformly and gently mixed in, it produces a fluffy, unpressed tofu." Mao: "I'll place that inside a mold box and put a weight on it. Remove the mold while it's underwater, and it's done." Meili: "It's a lot of work, but you're making it from scratch. I'm sure it'll taste good." Mao: "All right. I'm done choosing my soybeans and washing them." Meili: "Mao, why don't you take a break? We'll keep an eye on this while it's soaking." Shirou: "She's right, Mao! You'll need to save your strength so you can knock out that huge jerk!" Xielu: "Yeah. He's absolutely disgusting. Has he always acted like that?" Mao: "Yeah. He's always been that way." Mao: "We started arguing as soon as he came to our shop. My mom often stopped us." Mao: "That's not all, though." Mao: "My mother, the so-called "Szechuan Fairy," taught him everything she knew. He's a Szechuan cuisine genius. Battling him is like going up against my mom." Mao: "It was just coincidence that I beat him at the Chrysanthemum Tower. He senses it, too." Mao: "That's why I want to settle things for real this time." Meili: "Mao..." Shirou: "C'mon, time for bed, everybody!" Meili: "I'll keep watch, too. This is all I can do for you." Mao: "Thanks. In that case, I'll get some rest." Meili: "Good night." Mao: "Good night, Meili and Shirou." Meili: "We need to do our part so Mao and the others can rest." Shirou: "Yeah." Shirou: "It's so bitter." Meili: "It's called kuding tea. Something this bitter should keep you awake. It's said to be effective for losing weight, too." Shirou: "Why don't you drink it yourself, then?" Meili: "Did you say something?" Shirou: "Ouch. I didn't say anything!" Xiang: "Lord Shao An. That boy suggested the ingredient. Are you certain he doesn't have some trick up his sleeve?" Shaoan: "Don't worry." Shaoan: "I know everything there is to know about tofu. It's my specialty. This is exactly what I wanted. I'm different now, Mao. I've surpassed Master Bei." Meili: "Take this." Shirou: "Ow!" Shirou: "Sis, more tea." Meili: "Oh, no! Did I fall asleep?" Meili: "What is this powerful smell?" Shirou: "What? What is it, Sis?!" Meili: "The beans... the beans are..." Xielu: "What is it, Meili?" Meili: "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! We fell asleep, and then... The soybeans..." Sanjie: "Why are the soybeans being cooked?" Xielu: "What a smell!" Leien: "It's sort of..." Sanjie: "What? The soybeans are sticky..." Xielu: "Shirou, what did you put in here?" Shirou: "I didn't do anything." Shirou: "Huh? This smell... It's natto, right?" Mao: "Natto?" Shirou: "It's a health food my mom used to make." Shirou: "People eat natto in the place where my mom was born." Mao: "They got us. This is rice straw." Meili: "Rice straw?" Mao: "Shirou's mom said rice straw has natto bacteria on it that causes soybeans to ferment rapidly. Someone threw this straw in the soybeans while you two were asleep." Xielu: "You've got ten hours left. Even if you start now, you'll have barely enough time to make tofu." Leien: "You can't use those beans. What will you do, Mao?" Meili: "I'm sorry. If only we'd kept watch better." Shirou: "I'm sorry, Mao." Mao: "Thanks, Meili and Shirou." Mao: "My mind feels clear after some sleep." Shirou: "Huh?" Meili: "Mao?" Mao: "Just making tofu will take everything I have." Mao: "I see. Within disaster is the opportunity to transform misfortune into bliss." Mao: "Xiang!" Mao: "Thanks to you, I think I'll be able to make the tofu dish of the century." Sanjie: "It's time for the final battle." : "After his defeat at the Chrysanthemum Tower, Shao An was permanently stripped of his chef's title." : "Meanwhile, Mao became the youngest Super Chef ever. The Szechuan cuisine battle of destiny between two students of the same school begins now." Xiang: "The countdown to the fall of Shanghai starts now." Shaoan: "Mao, listen to this requiem I've composed for you. My tofu trio." Mao: "Tofu trio?" Hu: "Most impressive." He: "It's as imposing as a wall of white marble." Sanjie: "That's a bamboo knife." Xielu: "He's no joke. His tofu that's 10% soybeans and 90% water is barely holding itself together, and he cut that delicate ingredient into perfect cubes." Xielu: "He knows that any breakdown in form will also break down the flavor." Leien: "And he knows to use a bamboo knife to avoid the smell of steel." Shaoan: "Double Knives!" Gov: "His scorching spirit even burns away sweat! What a fiercely passionate chef!" Sanjie: "Mao... What?" Sanjie: "Damn it. Shao An is making so much progress." Xielu: "Since Mao's tofu isn't ready, he can't even begin cooking." Hu: "Look. Shao An is..." Shaoan: "Double Pots!" Mob: "Shao An's making a noodle dish. He's making a starchy sauce in the other pot." Mob: "He's making tofu soba in a thick sauce." Shaoan: "Behold the reason why I have surpassed Master Bei!" Shaoan: "It's done!" Mob: "Wow! His noodles twist so mysteriously and beautifully! Such a fragrant sauce. His tofu gleams like white diamonds!" Shaoan: "Not yet. You'll be truly surprised once the tasting begins." Sanjie: "Five more minutes. Even Shao An exercised extreme care when cutting and cooking his tofu. You won't be able to do anything with only five more minutes, Mao!" Shirou: "Believe in Mao, Sanjie." Meili: "He's right. Believe in Mao. I'm sure he has a plan." Meili: "Otherwise, he wouldn't be wearing that expression." Sanjie: "Hey, Shirou! You still think I should trust Mao?" Mao: "Now, then. It's time." Sanjie: "Too slow, Mao! You may have finished your tofu, but it's too late!" Mob: "He presented the mold to the judges?!" Both: "What?!" Xielu: "Does Mao intend to enter using his freshly-made tofu? But that's not going to cut it." Zhang: "Only tofu? That's rough." He: "Not only that, but it's still in the mold. It's too unrefined." Mao: "I'll remove the mold now." Mao: "Liu Maoxing's special Magical Panda Tofu!" Both: "Magical Panda Tofu?!" He: "The black and white are clearly divided." Hu: "It's a giant tofu mille-feuille." Mob: "What is that tofu? I can't imagine what it tastes like!" Xielu: "When did Mao make that tofu?" Leien: "What is it, even?" Xiang: "Impossible! His unpressed tofu was practically a liquid before he poured it into the mold. It shouldn't be possible for it to have split into differently-colored layers." Shaoan: "Competing using tofu as his only ingredient is out of the question." Shaoan: "No, this is him we're talking about." Shaoan: "He must be hiding something." Zhang: "All right. Let's begin the tasting." He: "Hold on. Serving up a whole block of tofu and telling us to eat it is hardly sexy. At least cut the thing for us." Mao: "That's not necessary." Hu: "Not necessary?" He: "What do you mean, boy?" Mao: "This isn't just tofu. It's a tofu dish. And the magic begins now!" Zhang: "Impossible. Cuts appeared in the tofu that was just removed from its mold." He: "Wh-What is this?!" Zhang: "There's a red soup beneath the bamboo leaves." Mao: "Liu Maoxing's special Magical Panda Mapo Tofu is complete!" All: "It's mapo tofu." Zhang: "The black and white tofu falls apart on a bed of bamboo leaves." Hu: "What a cute and fun dish." He: "It's like my heart's been transported to Szechuan, the homeland of pandas, where the headwaters of the Yangtze River flow!" All: "So unbearably nostalgic!" Shirou: "Now this is what you call..." Sanjie: "...the magic of the century!" Xiang: "What's going on?" Xiang: "How did simply removing the tofu from the box cut it like that?" Zhang: "All right. Let's taste it!" Hu: "I'm so curious to try Mao's dish." He: "The two colors must taste different." He: "I'll start with the white." Xiang: "The heat is the best part of mapo tofu. Cold tofu he had no time to cook can't possibly—" He: "Hot!" Xiang: "What?" Gov: "How strange. It's more than warm enough." Zhang: "Now, how does the black tofu taste?" Zhang: "Unbelievable. It's a sweet tofu. No only that, but it's so mild and rich." Mao: "It's my original sweet black tofu recipe made from mixing brown sugar with rich black soybeans." Hu: "So spicy! Now this is real, spicy Szechuan mapo." Mao: "Exactly. Try eating it with the tofu." All: "Happy sweat is pouring off the judges like a waterfall!" Gov: "The spiciness of the chili burns my tongue. And the Szechuan pepper numbs the tongue." He: "The sweetness of the black tofu draws out the depth of the mapo's spiciness!" Zhang: "The cycle of red, white, and black attacks with wave after wave of flavor!" Hu: "It truly is the magic of the century!" Zhang: "Everything about this dish is magical. There are too many mysteries. Tell us, Mao. First, how did you turn your slushy, unpressed tofu into layers of black and white?" Hu: "Not only that, but it naturally fell apart simply after removing it from the mold." He: "And why was the tofu cooked?" Mao: "All my secrets lie in this mold." He: "The mold?" Mao: "This is the secret behind the magic." Zhang: "Threads are crisscrossing the bottom of the mold." Mao: "This is a special raised-bottom box mold I made because I needed to shorten the cooking time." Mao: "First, I laid a sheet of lard over the threads." Mao: "I laid the black unpressed tofu on top of that. Then I laid down another sheet of lard, and laid the white unpressed tofu on top of that. After laying down more sheets of lard, I was ready to make my tofu mille-feuille." Mao: "When the tofu was 80 percent coagulated, I placed hot charcoal under the box. The mold served as a steamer, and the lard sheets separating the layers melted over the heat and seeped into the tofu." Mao: "That completes the tofu mille-feuille." Zhang: "So the black and white layers of tofu were warm because of the lard." Hu: "No wonder the tofu was cooked." Hu: "The mold served as a steamer, as well." Mao: "That's right. Once steamed, place a platter beneath the mold and pull the mold upwards. The weight of the tofu and thread cuts it into pieces, leaving the tofu on the plate." Mao: "Finally, remove the bamboo leaves and combine it with the mapo underneath." Mao: "This completes the dish." Zhang: "What an incredible idea. Where did that idea come from?" Mao: "Someone secretly gave me an important hint. When I woke up this morning, I found that my tofu had turned into this." Mob: "What is that? That's a unique smell." Mao: "This is natto, a fermented tofu dish from Japan. When I saw this natto, ideas for producing my own dish popped into my mind." Mao: "The natto's threads inspired the cutting method. Cutting the tofu using thread leaves a perfectly textured surface, allowing the mapo flavor to thoroughly blend with the tofu. Next, I used the sterilizing effect of the bamboo leaves to prevent the remaining soybeans from fermenting any further." Mao: "Pandas eat bamboo leaves, and pandas are from my home, Szechuan. And Szechuan's signature tofu dish is mapo tofu." Mao: "That certain someone gave me a great hint when I was running out of time. I'm disappointed the soybeans I had soaking in water were ruined, but I'm grateful that they created the opportunity for me to create this dish." Zhang: "Impressive! You amaze me, boy. This dish is more than suitable for the star dish of a banquet!" All: "Yes!" Xiang: "I can't believe he turned my interference in his favor. What's going on inside this boy's head?" Leien: "I don't like it." Leien: "How can he remain so calm after seeing the impressive dish Mao produced?" Zhang: "It's time to taste the final dish in this three round cooking battle. It's a shame you had to follow the panda tofu, Shao An." Shaoan: "Don't worry. My dish will send the judges tripping through another world." He: "It's tofu soba in a thick sauce." Mob: "It's exactly what it sounds like. Where does Shao An's confidence come from?" Zhang: "This feeling... Could it be?" Hu: "Hold on." He: "Sorry. Do you mind?" Zhang: "Hold on, you jerks." Shirou: "What are those expressions?!" Shaoan: "This sight is the reason I have surpassed Master Bei." Shaoan: "This is the skill on display in my tofu trio!" Shirou: "The tofu..." Sanjie: "...trio?" He: "I can hear the sound of three stringed instruments." Gov: "The three melodies harmonize, but each is different. Their rich sweet sounds are playing on my tongue. They transform into a light snow that melts together, then vanishes in the back of my throat like mist." He: "The earthy aroma spreads throughout my mouth and up through my nasal cavity." He: "It feels like mist tickling and dampening my throat. I see it. I see it shrouded in mists." He: "The fertile land of Szechuan." Shaoan: "Mao, I've won this contest."

Both: "What the heck is a tofu trio?" Mao: "The tofu trio." Mao: "The ingredients are tofu, noodles, and meat. That's all he used." Mao: "No, wait..." Mao: "Could it be?!" Sanjie: "Huh? Where's Shirou?" Xielu: "What are you doing?" Xielu: "What?" Xielu: "Man, you're as cunning as ever." Xielu: "You better have washed your hands properly." Shirou: "Yeah, of course." Xielu: "It's ordinary tofu after all." Xielu: "Could it be? This isn't meat. It's tofu!" Sanjie: "Tofu?" Meili: "What do you mean?" Xielu: "He sauteed the pulp produced during the tofu making process, seasoned it with chili bean sauce and soy sauce, coated it in mountain yam, and fried it." Sanjie: "Then what's the last ingredient?" Mao: "Noodles, and these noodles are the third type of tofu." He: "What? These deliciously plump but firm noodles are made from tofu?!" Shaoan: "Indeed. After removing the moisture from the tofu with a heavy stone, I mashed it and combined it with flour, which I then kneaded and formed into special tofu noodles. The starchy tofu sauce, meat made with tofu pulp, and tofu noodles! The 3-D mouthfeel they construct together is the true nature of my tofu trio!" Zhang: "I knew it. Then this dish must be that one." Zhang: "We won't be able to come to a conclusion without discussing it first." Zhang: "Men, come with me." All: "Yes, sir." Shirou: "This isn't good." Shaoan: "Mao, have you ever walked barefoot on a beach?" Shaoan: "I grew up deep in the mountains of Szechuan. That's what I did when I left Szechuan and reached the ocean for the first time." Shaoan: "The feeling of the water surrounding my bare feet. The smell of the seashore assailing my nose. The sound of the surging waves." Shaoan: "They take different forms, but they're all seawater. And it's a tri-sensory bliss that comes only from seawater." Shaoan: "Cooking works the same way. There is a certain 3-D sensation experienced only when a single ingredient takes multiple forms that are united as one." Shaoan: "You've lost this tofu battle." Mao: "He's huge. Shao An seems unbelievably giant." Mob: "Have they decided? Who won? It better not be a tie." Zhang: "Thank you for waiting." Zhang: "Unfortunately, we couldn't come to a single conclusion." Xielu: "What?!" Zhang: "We'll now have each judge announce whether he is voting for Mao or Shao An's dish. Regrettably, it was too difficult to choose between their dishes. We'll begin with Governor Hu." Hu: "Very well." Hu: "I'm voting for Shao An's tofu trio. He made the primary ingredient sing, producing a 3-D mouthfeel that comes at you from three directions. It's a marvelous tofu dish. A true masterpiece." Sanjie: "It's okay. There are still more judges." Zhang: "Next!" Gov: "I'm voting for Mao!" Both: "All right!" Gov: "The magic trick and depth of flavor that repeatedly stimulated the tongue were overflowing with originality." Gov: "I'm voting for Mao, as well. This is the first time I've experienced such pleasure while eating." Both: "Yes!" Sanjie: "One more vote." Shirou: "And Mao wins." Zhang: "Next!" He: "I struggled to choose a winner." He: "But I'm voting for Shao An. He knows everything there is to know about the ingredient's properties and drew out its true flavor in multiple ways. I'd pay all the money in the world for that top-tier skill." Mob: "That makes it two for two. The next vote will determine the winner. Who will it be?" Zhang: "Both dishes are masterpieces that approach the limits of what a tofu dish can be. Both are equally well-made. But as the man who runs the cosmopolitan city of Shanghai, my decision came down to" Zhang: "creativity and universality." Shaoan: "Creativity..." Mao: "And universality?" Zhang: "Mao's dish began with a performance before the meal. Everything down to the clever treatment of the two-tone, dual black and white tofu demonstrated a spectacularly inspired creativity. It overflowed with a universality that would make anyone in the world happy in an instant." Zhang: "Then there's Shao An. He transformed the tofu into a variety of forms. The starchy tofu sauce, the tofu pulp meat, and tofu noodles. The unique appeal of each was drawn out by the culinary creativity of the 3-D mouthfeel that enthralled us. Using only the limited ingredient of tofu, he granted us an image that turned its universality on its head, reviving the land of Szechuan before our eyes." Zhang: "However, this is my answer." Shaoan: "Silence!" Shaoan: "Governor Zhang, tell me! I left Szechuan, studied cooking all across China, and even mastered the Underworld's techniques." Shaoan: "My dish surpasses even Master Bei's cooking. I cannot understand how it loses to Mao's dish in creativity or universality." Zhang: "Shao An, your dish isn't original." Mao: "Not original?" Shaoan: "What do you mean?" Zhang: "I've eaten this dish before." Shaoan: "You... what?" Zhang: "It was seven years ago. Though I've since settled down in Shanghai's marketplace, at the time I was a foodstuffs merchant who traveled up and down the Yangtze River basin. That's when I encountered that dish at a certain restaurant." Zhang: "Meat, but not meat. Noodles, but not noodles. I was intoxicated by the earthy fragrance that spread through my mouth and fleetingly gentle feel of the dish sliding down my throat." Mao: "That restaurant... Could it be?" Zhang: "That's right. It was the Chrysanthemum Tower. In other words, Shao An, your tofu trio is Master Bei's original dish." Mao: "You learned that dish from my mom?" Shaoan: "Impossible. She didn't teach me. The tofu trio is my original dish! I was able to produce that dish because I left Bei, crossed the mountains, and swam in the ocean!" Shaoan: "It's mine. Mine..." Zhang: "It's ironic, Shao An. You tried to put distance between yourself and Bei, but the destination you arrived at was Bei's own dish, and one she never taught you to make." Zhang: "People's hearts always return to their homeland. Perhaps the city of Shanghai at the end of the 16,000 kilometer Yangtze River was your limit." Bei: "That's it." Bei: "Place the first knuckle of your left middle finger against the knife." Bei: "You pass. Shao An, you have great instincts. I'm excited for your future." Shaoan: "Thank you, Master Bei." Zhang: "And Mao, the deciding factor for your dish's flavor may have been the aroma of the bamboo leaves." Mao: "The aroma of the bamboo leaves?" Zhang: "This sweet fragrance added depth to your otherwise flashy dish. It added the beautiful color of nostalgia." Zhang: "And now for the results. With a score of three to two, the winner is Super Chef Liu Maoxing. The winner of the three round cooking battle is the Shanghai Chef's Grand Alliance." All: "Yes!" ei: "Hey, are you okay?" Man: "Sir, how did the match go? Wait, who are you?" ei: "That's my line. Why were you sleeping here?" Man: "I was guarding an important document hidden in the ceiling." Man: "What's the meaning of this?" ei: "Looks like they put you to sleep." Man: "Damn! More importantly, how did the contest turn out?" ei: "Contest?" Man: "The young master's acquaintances are facing off against the Cooking Underworld. Crap, I don't have time for this!" ei: "Do you work for at the Longzhen Restaurant?" Man: "What? Yeah, I do." ei: "I want to ask you about Master Tang Li." Man: "What are you talking about?" Man: "There's nobody here." ei: "They were here a moment ago." Man: "Master!" Man: "Are you all right?" Man: "Let's leave this place immediately." ei: "Let's hurry off this ship. It's odd that there aren't any guards." Man: "The young master and his friends are still up above. We need to notify them." ei: "Young master?" Man: "Yeah. He's battling the Underworld on the rooftop deck right now." ei: "We should prioritize rescuing the wounded Master Tang Li for now. If we lose this opportunity, it will become even more difficult to rescue him." Man: "Got it." Cape: "This is the document. Is this what you wanted?" Xiang: "Now that defeat is a possibility, we must proceed to the next course of action." Cape: "Yes, ma'am." Xiang: "The result of the battle is not our priority. This is all that matters. I must deliver this to him." Xielu: "What's the big hurry, Miss? You haven't heard the results of the contest." Xielu: "I know exactly what you're thinking. Now return that piece of paper." Xielu: "Xiang, you bitch!" Xiang: "Your thinking was too shallow, Dim Sum Master." Mob: "What's going on?!" Meili: "Mao, hurry!" Mao: "What have you done, Shao An?!" Shaoan: "We've been forsaken, myself included." Shaoan: "I guess they never expected me to succeed." Mao: "What?" Shaoan: "We're 100 kilometers offshore from the mouth of the Yangtze River. Not a single person will survive. We'll all disappear into watery graves." Zhang: "Lead our guests! The lifeboats are on the rear port side!" All: "Yes, sir!" Xiang: "The legendary utensil is mine. Judges who underestimated our strength, foolish losers, and the foolish chefs who naively challenged us to a contest..." Xielu: "Whoops. Taking that woman down will be easy enough, but I've got to take back that document, first. Hold it right there, Xiang! I won't let you have your way!" Xielu: "Crap!" Xiang: "How unsightly." Xielu: "Nobody likes a stubborn man, Dim Sum Master." Xielu: "Mao, the rest is up to you." Man: "Sir, your father is all right! You need to flee!" Sanjie: "Got it!" Sanjie: "All right, let's go." Shirou: "Yeah!" Shirou: "Oh man, we'd better hurry!" Zhang: "Those assholes. How dare they?" Man: "Are there no other boats?" Zhang: "No. We'll have to swim back to Shanghai." Cape: "Do you have it?" Xiang: "I failed to steal it. But no one will escape this ship alive." Xiang: "Cast off. We're leaving this place." Leien: "Turn back, or else leave this place." Leien: "You can't seriously think you're the only ones who will escape on this boat." Xiang: "How will you fit all those people on this little boat?" Leien: "She's right." Xiang: "This isn't over. Today is just the start of the war!" Xielu: "Let's turn this boat around, Lei En. All we can do is prioritize people who can't swim." Leien: "Right." Shaoan: "In other words, not only did I fail to surpass Bei, but I'm still standing in the palm of her hand." Man: "Sorry, Boss. We're heading out." Sanjie: "Take care of my dad!" Meili: "Huh? Fei?" Shirou: "Who's that?" Meili: "It couldn't be him." Shirou: "Huh? Come to think of it, where's Mao?" Meili: "What?" Sanjie: "Impossible. He was with us until a moment ago." Shaoan: "It seems I've been completely abandoned by the heavens." Shaoan: "I can't believe I even failed in my duty as an Underworld chef." Mao: "Who cares about the Cooking Underworld anymore?" Mao: "They abandoned you!" Shaoan: "That's right. It's what I deserve for abandoning the Chrysanthemum Tower and Master Bei. Go ahead and laugh, Mao. I never got away from the person I thought I'd left behind." Mao: "If we don't leave now, we won't make it back alive." Shaoan: "Then you alone should live, Mao!" Mao: "Shao An!" Shaoan: "What do you think you're doing?" Mao: "Hurry. Grab onto me with both hands!" Shaoan: "I'm the man who betrayed your mother and drove her to her death. Why, Mao? Why save me?" Mao: "I don't know. But you made a dish of my mom's that even I didn't know about. I won't let you die!" Shaoan: "Take this, Mao. Someday it'll prove useful." Shaoan: "I'm not going back to the mountains of Szechuan. Shanghai is my final resting place. I'll lay myself to rest in the ocean I long admired and dreamed of." Shaoan: "As long as you live, remember me, Mao! Master Bei's top student, Shao An!" Zhang: "Men, let's get this fun long-distance swim started! If you're not confident in your swimming, tie some planks to yourself and swim! Got it?!" All: "Yeah!" Meili: "Yeah!" Shirou: "Sis, won't that make you sink instead?" Meili: "What?" All: "What?" Sanjie: "That's..." Shirou: "That's the boat we rode to Shanghai." Hu: "Captain." Captain: "That's Master Hu of the Shipping Federation. Men, pull up alongside!" All: "Yes, sir!" Mob: "Good grief. We're saved!" Captain: "Are you all right, Governor Hu?" Hu: "Yeah. Tend to the wounded." Captain: "Got it." Xielu: "It's ironic." Mao: "Huh?" Xielu: "He was once kicked out of the culinary world because he couldn't make his master's dish." Xielu: "And in the end, he made the same dish as his master and lost everything." Mao: "The smell of bamboo leaves. My mom's smell. If my mom has been guiding everything, then maybe I'm still a fledgling in the palm of my mom's hand." Shirou: "Huh? Isn't this..." Mao: "The second legendary utensil," Mao: "the Coiled Dragon Pot!"

Mao: "This pot will bring peace to the Shanghai Alliance. It belongs to the Grand Alliance." Leien: "We'll need it eventually for our all-out confrontation with the Underworld. When that time comes, we'd like your help." Mao: "Master Tang Li, please hold onto this pot until then." Tangli: "I shall." Xielu: "Mao, go without us to the Jiuhua Mountains, where the next utensil awaits. Lei En and I have something we want to look into." Mao: "At least, that's what he said. I wonder what they wanted to investigate?" Mao: "We finally made it. This is the village of Jiuhua. Huh?!" Mao: "What is this?" Shirou: "The people of Jiuhua developed the mountains... shouldn't they be hard workers, then? What's going on?" Villager: "It's time. Time for soup. Hurry, to the Devil's Palace. It's time for God's food!" Mao: "What is this? What's happening?" Shirou: "Huh? What?" Villager: "God is coming!" Mao: "God?" Meili: "What's going on? Those people wouldn't even lift a finger a moment ago." Mao: "There's a castle this deep in the mountains?" Meili: "And everyone has expensive-looking items and dishes. I think they're waiting for something." Official: "We get to drink it again. That soup..." Shirou: "Hey, what are you going to do with that?" Official: "It's an offering for the god. The more you give, the more of god's soup you get." Shirou: "God's soup?" llower: "Stand back!" Mao: "A giant pot?" Official: "Thank you so much." Mao: "They're trading valuables for soup?" Villager: "It's divine. This is the flavor of God! God has visited us again today." Meili: "What is that soup?" Mao: "Could we get three helpings?" Both: "What?" Shirou: "Mao, where'd you get that money?" Shirou: "That's the traveling allowance Sanjie gave us!" Meili: "Why'd you have to spend it all, Mao?!" Mao: "This is God's soup. All that's in it are some small scraps of abalone. Judging by the smell, color, and refraction, it's hard to imagine much extract has dissolved into the soup." Mao: "What's so great about this soup?" Shirou: "Why'd you freeze in place, Mao?" Meili: "Mao?" Mao: "It's shockingly good." Both: "What?" Mao: "The sweetness of the soup clings to the tongue. The velvety mouthfeel of the abalone melts in your mouth, while still retaining its crunchy texture. It's impressive." Meili: "How is it this delicious?!" Shirou: "It's so good, it's driving me crazy!" Mao: "On top of that, it's refreshing, like a lungful of air from high up in the sky. Could it be?!" Mao: "Is someone here using a legendary utensil?!" llower: "Silence!" Villager: "The Devil is coming." Mao: "The Devil?" Shirou: "Mao, something's coming!" Mao: "It's an elephant!" Shengyu: "You've gathered again today," Shengyu: "you rotten scum." Mao: "He's the one using the legendary utensil?!" Shirou: "Why's he acting so high and mighty?" llower: "You will tell us! Who is your heavenly father?!" All: "The Great Abalone Devil, Wang Shengyu!" llower: "To where do you return?!" All: "Our holy land, the Devil's Palace!" Shengyu: "That's right. You scum have nowhere to return to" Shengyu: "besides me, your god." Meili: "He called himself a god?" Shirou: "That shady old man?" Mao: "What's in that box?" Shengyu: "I will permit you scum to gaze upon it. This..." Shengyu: "is the Holy Copperware! A miraculous pot that only I, the Abalone Devil, am capable of using." Mao: "Holy Copperware?" Shengyu: "This is your typical dried abalone. Normally it's rehydrated to an edible level of softness after being boiled for three days and three nights with the utmost care. But in my hands, behold." Shengyu: "It'll aba-blow your mind!" All: "Aba-blow your mind!" Meili: "What's that light?" Mao: "That luster, that bounce... The abalone's been rehydrated!" Villager: "It's a miracle of God! Oh, divine Shengyu!" Mao: "Could that be the power of a legendary utensil?" Shirou: "There's no way that sketchy guy has something like that. It must be a trick. The pot has a false bottom, and he stuck some already rehydrated abalone in there." Meili: "Then how did he produce that light?" Shirou: "Glowing mushrooms. He keeps a bunch stuffed under the false bottom, too." Shirou: "Besides, don't legendary utensils choose their users? There's no way he could use one." llower: "What are you doing?" Old Woman: "Please, could you give me some abalone?" Shengyu: "If you don't have money, hand over ownership of your home. You scum couldn't survive without my charity." Shirou: "That jerk." Shengyu: "Here." Villager: "Give me that. It's mine! I offered more!" Shengyu: "That's right. That's how scum should behave." Mao: "Everyone, don't be fooled!" Villager: "What?" Mao: "He wastes food and looks down on people. That's not something a god does, much less a decent chef." Shengyu: "Some outsiders are mixed in with the villagers. Everyone, there's someone here who dares to sully our spiritual home, the Devil's Palace." Villager: "The heretics must pay. The heretics must pay." Mao: "What?" Villager: "Throw them out!" Shirou: "Mao!" Mao: "Hey, wait. What?!" Mao: "Damn!" Shirou: "Mao..." Mao: "He won't get away with this. An entire peaceful village is about to be destroyed because of him." Meili: "But there's not much we can do when the villagers are so agitated." Shirou: "And your influence as a Super Chef isn't worth much here." Old Man: "They all changed." Old Man: "They used to pray diligently at this shrine every day." Old Man: "Jiuhua is a sacred place." Mao: "What?" Old Man: "It's said that this land was cleared a thousand years ago by a comet that fell from the heavens. The people of Jiuhua who cultivated fertile crops here worshiped the comet." Mao: "Sir, could you tell me more about that?" Shengyu: "Yahoo. They're all idiots. I can't believe it worked so well." Shengyu: "Anyway, who were those kids? Not that there's anything they can do to stop me now." Shengyu: "I'm going to use this utensil to make even more money." llower: "Who is your heavenly father?" All: "The Great Abalone Devil, Wang Shengyu!" llower: "To where do you return?" All: "Our holy land, the Devil's Palace!" Shengyu: "That's right. That's exactly right, scum." Mao: "Wrong, you false god." Mao: "You're not fooling anyone else with your shady cooking." Shengyu: "Who's there?! Show yourself!" Mao: "The Comet God has descended to pass judgment upon you." Shengyu: "What?" Mao: "With his miraculous comet cooking!" Mao: "Listen to me! People of Jiuhua, have you forgotten the legend? You've been seduced by an evil deity, and now your fertile fields lie in ruin." Shengyu: "This is ridiculous. You're that boy from the other day. You're not a god!" Mao: "No, I am." Shengyu: "What?" Mao: "Because I can create true miracles. The miracle of comet cooking!" Shengyu: "Is he challenging me to a cooking battle?" Shengyu: "The fool. In that case, I'll play my trump card." Shengyu: "Very well. I'll prove to you which of us can create true miracles. Bring that to me." llower: "Yes, sir." Shengyu: "Behold, never before seen, the first and last of its kind, the miraculous dried food." Villager: "What a giant abalone. So magnificent! It's like a fossilized dragon!" Shengyu: "In you go." Shengyu: "Only one as divine as myself possesses such a dried food. It would take an ordinary person seven days and nights of boiling to rehydrate it, but in my hands..." Shengyu: "Now eat, scum. Today's lavish feast requires no offerings." Villager: "It's even richer than usual. The meaty flesh is so filling. The plump texture clings to my teeth and won't let go. I can't breathe. I can't resist the pull of gravity. Truly miraculous." Mao: "Is that the best miracle you can produce?" Shengyu: "What?" Mao: "Watch this." Mao: "This is my cooking." Villager: "A large plate? It's just a big, empty plate." Shengyu: "What is this, scum? Will your dish spring forth from the plate?" Mao: "Stay back, evil deity! You'll corrupt the plate!" Mao: "Heavens, please save the people of Jiuhua. Show them that thousand-year-old miracle once again." Villager: "What? What's going on? Huh?! What?! What's that?" All: "It's a comet!" Mao: "The Special Miracle Comet Fried Rice has descended!" Villager: "I don't believe it! His dish came... ...from the sky!" Mao: "Do not fear. Eat. And remember the fragrance of the land that birthed and raised you." Villager: "Delicious! This overpowering green smell. It's refreshing like a lungful of the land's own breath, brimming with the smell of the sun!" Villager: "Why? My limbs that were as heavy as lead feel so light." Meili: "Ingredients drawn from the fields of Jiuhua by divine power and flung through the air, instantly cooked by the heat of the sun for the Comet God's miraculous dish." Villager: "So this is a miracle! The Comet God's miracle has returned." Villager: "Spinach, bok choy, spring onions. A jade-colored fried rice dish full of fragrant, fried Jiuhua vegetables." Villager: "That comet glowing green. The smell of the earth I'd forgotten. I remember now. We were raised surrounded by the abundance of green given to us by the Comet God." Shengyu: "What?!" Meili: "The listless villagers seem so lively now. What happened to them, Mao?" Mao: "The people of Jiuhua were raised in these mountains, and had never seen abalone before. They were convinced that it was the ingredient of the gods. Abalone is delicious. But eating only abalone causes vitamin deficiency, making the body feel fatigued and leaden. I instantly replenished their vitamins with green vegetables and super healthy brown rice." Mao: "I tossed it through the air to make it look like a comet, and to absorb the sunlight. It tossed the rice nicely, too." Meili: "Shirou did a great job." Shirou: "I'm glad it reached the plate. Mao's ideas are always reckless. Gramps, the vegetables you protected and cultivated in your field saved the people of Jiuhua." Villager: "What? You're the young Super Chef Liu Maoxing? Our eyes have been opened. We'll work and cultivate our ravaged fields." Shengyu: "Silence, silence! You scum..." Meili: "No, you shut up! Listen, everyone." Meili: "The Holy Copperware is just a pot with a false bottom." Mao: "He used abalone to force you into unbalanced diets, and got rich off of your offerings. Him, a god? The idea is absurd! He's just a little scoundrel!" Villager: "The pest that ruined Jiuhua." Villager: "How dare you deceive us! Jerk! Get him!" Shengyu: "Stop. Stop this, you rotten scum!" Villager: "You're the scum, here!" Shengyu: "How awful." Shengyu: "That was horrendous. Those brats. They'll pay for this. For now, to the Devil's Palace..." Shengyu: "My spiritual home, my Devil's Palace..." Xielu: "You're late." Xielu: "The Comet God isn't the only deity. There are as many as there are prayers. The lords of destruction..." Leien: "...have arrived!" Xielu: "We looked into your background, Shengyu the con artist. You use expensive ingredients to trick people and were still at large with their money." Leien: "We already learned in Shanghai that you were hiding in the Jiuhua Mountains." Leien: "We doubted it was possible, but we examined your ties to the Underworld." Xielu: "Turns out you're just a scoundrel acting to fulfill his own selfish desires. Some officials will be arriving shortly to arrest you." Xielu: "Admit to your wrongdoings and let the authorities take you away." Shengyu: "Fools! Let's return to our other hideout before the officials arrive!" llower: "Yes, sir—" Shengyu: "Huh?!" Xielu: "You won't be returning anywhere." llower: "Shengyu!" Mao: "Xie Lu! Lei En!" All: "The devil has been defeated!" Xielu: "The villagers are going to build a new shrine to the Comet God here." Leien: "The evil castle has fallen." Shirou: "This all started because of this bogus pot." Xielu: "An ironmonger at the base of the mountains was going to melt it down into something else when Shengyu took a liking to it and stopped him." Mao: "But we never learned the secret behind Shengyu's abalone soup." Meili: "You're right. I doubt Shengyu was skilled enough to achieve—" Shirou: "Aba-blow your mind!" Meili: "What are you screaming about?" Shirou: "There's no trick to this pot!" Meili: "What do you mean?" Shirou: "There's no false bottom, and there aren't any glowing mushrooms. It's a plain old copper pot!" Mao: "Impossible. Then how did he rehydrate that dried abalone instantaneously?" Shirou: "What?" Xielu: "The pot is responding to Mao." Leien: "This bright blueish-white light cutting through the air in all directions. Like the Ever-Soul Knife, it's the light a utensil releases only when it's touched by its successor." Meili: "You mean..." Xielu: "Yeah, definitely." Xielu: "This is a genuine legendary utensil!" Meili: "That explains the flavor!" Shirou: "But how was Shengyu using it?" Xielu: "Maybe the pot shared a little bit of its power with Shengyu to thank him for saving it from being melted down. None of that matters now, though! Right, Mao?" All: "The third legendary utensil is ours!" Mao: "What are these ominous clouds?" Xiang: "The second and third utensils have fallen into their hands. I am sorry," Xiang: "Lord Ya Kan." Xiang: "Lord Kai You."

Chef: "What? They took the third utensil? Li Yan, Lei En, and Shao An may be talented, but they're still fools lacking in training. Acquiring the legendary utensils is our great ambition. It's time for us Kirin Chefs to deal with them! Yeah!" Yakan: "Ten Feet of Blue Xiang, if you had a tighter grip on Shao An, you could have predicted his failure at Shanghai." Yakan: "It seems we can no longer rely on you Kirin Chefs." Kaiyou: "Enough, Ya Kan." Yakan: "Kai You." Kaiyou: "Look at the poor girl. Her beautiful face trembles so. There must be something you want to say, Xiang. Go ahead. Speak." Xiang: "I-I have a suggestion." Kaiyou: "I see." Kaiyou: "Enlighten us." Xiang: "The little chef Liu Maoxing... He may be young, but he possesses god-like power. He is also accompanied by Xie Lu of the Steel Staff and Lei En of the Seven Star Knives. They are not only talented chefs, but mighty warriors, as well." Xiang: "They're far stronger than we imagined." Kaiyou: "And?" Xiang: "Therefore, we should make separating them our top priority." Kaiyou: "You just don't get it, Ten Feet of Blue. It's true that Liu Maoxing has mastered the use of the legendary utensils, and also that he has acquired them before us. It's as though the utensils drew Liu Maoxing to them. Furthermore, he even calmed the villagers in the Jiuhua Mountains who had become agitated by a legendary utensil." Kaiyou: "He controls people's hearts with cooking. Don't you sense in him a similar nature to ours?" Xiang: "What do you mean?" Kaiyou: "Who knows?" Kaiyou: "Things were difficult for you in Shanghai. Drink this." Xiang: "Yes, sir." Xiang: "Is this lamb and green onion soup?" Xiang: "It has such an acrid smell. I can't believe I'm getting to taste Lord Kai You's cooking. What does it taste like?" Xiang: "It burns!" Xiang: "My chest is on fire... It's like my body is burning!" Kaiyou: "The leaves of the green onion are hot. They work by emanating heat. Lamb is hot as well. When consumed with liquor, it confounds the mind." Kaiyou: "Green onions and lamb are both hot foods. Drinking this concentrated soup that was simmered for seven days and seven nights causes extreme perspiration. With the absorptive power of alcohol, its effects are amplified." Kaiyou: "This is love." Kaiyou: "Your skin looked a little warm, and your neck was swollen as well." Kaiyou: "Keep sweating until you're healthy again. You won't be able to move for a while, so you'll have time to reflect on your failures." Yakan: "Possessing mastery over all manner of disciplines, including military arts, feng shui, divination, and of course, medicinal cooking, we are the wondrous Underworld Specialists." Kaiyou: "You don't need to worry anymore, Xiang." Yakan: "It seems the time has come for Zhu Qi, Mi La, Yan Xian, you, and I to act." Xiang: "What did you say?" Chef: "C-Could it be? It's them!" All: "Dragon in the Clouds, Kai You!" All: "Panther Head, Ya Kan!" All: "Sky Soaring Great Sage, Zhu Qi!" All: "The Wanderer, Yan Xian!" All: "Green Eyed Tiger, Mi La!" Chef: "They're the five most powerful chefs of the Underworld, the Five Tiger Stars!" Yakan: "I, Ya Kan, shall be our vanguard." Like: "I shall accompany you, Lord Ya Kan." Like: "I'd like to see the power of the Flaming Chef again." Yakan: "Your presence gives me confidence." Xielu: "The fourth utensil, huh?" Xielu: "According to legend, a mysterious utensil is hidden in Szechuan. We heard similar rumors in Shanghai and Jiuhua." Leien: "Yes. It's likely that it's a legendary utensil." Meili: "I've always wanted to visit Mao's homeland." Shirou: "The Chrysanthemum Tower where you were born and raised is there, too. What's Szechuan like?" Mao: "It's foggy and humid, but it's rich with nature. Once you get used to it, it's a nice place." Shirou: "Huh..." Mao: "I haven't been back in forever. I've missed it." Like: "Would you like a ride?" Xielu: "What a cute ferryman." Shirou: "The weather is nice." Xielu: "But the wind is strong." Mao: "The boat's swaying a lot." Yakan: "So hot." Yakan: "So hot. My body is on fire." Mao: "Is it that hot?" Like: "Excuse me. It's past noon. Shall I prepare something?" Mao: "You're going to cook here?" Like: "Yes." Mao: "That sounds a little dangerous." Mao: "The boat is swaying quite a bit. I don't think you can cook with fire on a boat this small." Yakan: "Is that the best you can do, Liu Maoxing?" Leien: "What's this massive column of fire?" Mao: "What?" Mao: "He quelled that massive flame in an instant." Shirou: "It's that ferryman who was chugging water earlier." Yakan: "Fire is the essence of Chinese cuisine. But you can't even control it." Yakan: "I am one of the Cooking Underworld's Five Tiger Stars, Panther Head Ya Kan." Like: "This man can control fire, the heart of Chinese cuisine. He's also known as..." Both: "The Flaming Chef!" Mao: "The Flaming Chef?" Leien: "The Five Tiger Stars have finally appeared." Xielu: "Lei En?" Like: "The five strongest chefs from among the Underworld's Kirin Chefs chosen to rule over the others are known as the Five Tiger Stars." Mao: "The Five Tiger Stars. The strongest chefs of the Cooking Underworld." Yakan: "I thought I'd challenge you to a contest for the legendary utensils," Yakan: "but it seems I didn't even need to show up. They said you were the youngest Super Chef ever who defeated Li Yan, Lei En, and Shao An and mastered the legendary utensils, so I had high expectations." Yakan: "But you're a mere beginner who doesn't understand the basics of cooking. If you can't even cook with fire under these circumstances, then I can already see the outcome of our battle!" Meili: "Mao!" Shirou: "Mao." Mao: "All this over one careless remark." Mao: "At this rate, I'll be letting down Zhou Yu, who trained me in the use of fire." Leien: "Wait, Mao. Don't be hasty!" Mao: "It's on, Flaming Chef Ya Kan! I'll show you the fire techniques I learned from Guangzhou Super Chef Master Zhao Yu himself." Yakan: "You challenge me to a contest of fire techniques, Liu Maoxing?" Mao: "I do." Like: "He challenged Five Tiger Star Lord Ya Kan without even flinching," Like: "and he's still only 14, like me. What an interesting boy..." Leien: "Don't do this, Mao." Leien: "You're not ready to face him!" Mao: "No." Mao: "Let me do this, Lei En. Even if he's a Five Tiger Star, as long as I fight with all my might, I should be able to win. For the honor of my master Zhou Yu, I will win!" Yakan: "Very well. Everything has been prepared. Li Ke." Mao: "What is this? More ships?" Shirou: "We're chained together." Yakan: "We'll conduct our battle there." Mao: "I see. So we'll fight on the Yangtze River. Interesting!" Yakan: "We'll need someone to judge our dishes. Liu Maoxing, we'll have your allies do the judging." Mao: "What?" Meili: "He's so confident." Shirou: "He's nothing like Xiang." Leien: "That's right. The Underworld chefs we've faced so far can't compare to him. The title Five Star Tiger title is synonymous with "undefeated."" Yakan: "Lei En of the Seven Star Knives. As one halfway between both sides and so emotionally unstable, you are incapable of judging this contest. Zhou Yu's daughter Mei Li, and Yang Spring Restaurant apprentice Shirou, your tongues are inexperienced and inadequate." Meili: "What was that?" Shirou: "Hey, wait!" Yakan: "Therefore, this contest will be judged by the Dim Sum Master familiar with all the land's flavors who possesses a dependable tongue and sound judgment, Xie Lu of the Steel Staff." Xielu: "All right. Sounds interesting. You know what you're talking about, Flaming Chef." Like: "You'll have three hours. In order to fully demonstrate your skill with fire, you'll prepare 30 portions. Feel free to use any of the ingredients on the boats." Like: "Let the Yangtze River fire technique battle begin!" Mao: "Shirou." Shirou: "Sure thing. What are we starting with?" Mao: "A set of vegetables and spices. Boil a bunch of water, too." Shirou: "Got it." Shirou: "The wind's so strong. A high flame will fly all over the place. Mao, you won't be able to cook with fire properly unless you keep it low." Mao: "No. Zhou Yu taught me something." Shirou: "What?" Mao: "The flame isn't the only part of cooking with fire." Like: "Let's see these fire techniques Master Zhou Yu taught him. I, Jade Arrowhead Li Ke, shall see what he can do." Shirou: "The water's finally boiling." Mao: "Thanks." Shirou: "Why are you boiling that huge block of pork right away?" Xielu: "I see. You're trying to make Szechuan's famous twice-cooked pork." Mao: "That's right!" Xielu: "Pork that has been boiled once is sauteed with vegetables. In other words, it's twice cooked because the pork is returned to the pot." Meili: "Since it's already been boiled, just frying it briefly allows the pork to absorb the fat and seasoning, producing a rich flavor." Like: "But what will he do? The large amounts of water released when vegetables are cooked will ruin the pork. In the case of twice-cooked pork, high heat is required to instantly burn off all the water." Xielu: "Hey, Shirou!" Xielu: "It's time to get the pan ready!" Shirou: "But Mao said he doesn't need it." Xielu: "What? How's he going to fry his dish without a pan?" Mao: "All right." Mao: "The pork has been boiled." Mao: "I'll slice it thinly while it's still hot." Mao: "I'm ready to go!" Like: "Time to demonstrate his skill with fire. He can't use a high flame in this wind." Like: "He's not even using a pan. What will he do?" Xielu: "A red-hot pan." Xielu: "There was a red-hot pan inside his oven. When did he put that in there?" Mao: "The flame isn't the only part of cooking with fire." Mao: "Oil, water, steam, air. It comes in many forms as it releases the flavors of the ingredients. But among them, the pan is the physical embodiment of fire." Mao: "It's a flame-shaped pot." Mao: "The Explosive Twice Cooked Pork is done!" Xielu: "The fragrant and glossy oil and juices. The crisp vegetables." Meili: "All cooked in strong winds that prevented high flames! Impressive as always, Mao!" Shirou: "You see that, you flaming jerk? This is the essence of cooking with fire!" Shirou: "He's still drinking water?" Xielu: "He hasn't started cooking at all. Is he showing off?" Like: "The Flaming Chef is concealing his power and quelling the fire inside him with cold water. It's proof that he's not taking this contest seriously." Shirou: "What?!" Yakan: "Clever use of heat and precise knife skills. I see. Your techniques are first-class. But you can't cook with a low flame and call it the essence of cooking with fire, boy." Mao: "I know that." Mao: "You're not the only one who can use a high flame." Shirou: "What? The adjoining boat is on fire?" Like: "Since he can't cook with a high flame, he set the entire boat on fire. I see. The scale of his techniques is even larger than we heard. Things are getting interesting." Shirou: "Xie Lu, I know you're the judge, but why are you eating already?" Xielu: "Can't you smell the irresistible aroma coming off of it? Sauteed dishes taste best when they're freshly cooked and piping hot." Shirou: "W-Well, then! How is Mao's Explosive Twice Cooked Pork?" Xielu: "Delicious!" Xielu: "Within the spiciness there's a delicate sweetness. Instead of the roughness of fried raw meat, the pork absorbed the fat, producing a smooth texture that melts in your mouth. Most of all... The crispness and fragrance of the vegetables. The effectiveness of the red-hot pot heated to the limit over a low heat exceeds that of a kitchen's high flame!" Shirou: "Delicious! The fire techniques Zhou Yu taught Mao are the real deal!" Mao: "Xie Lu, if you're that surprised by my twice-cooked pork, your heart won't be able to handle what's next!" Xielu: "You little..." Like: "Now then, what kind of treasure has he hidden inside that burning boat?" Shirou: "This is seriously heavy." Mao: "Be careful, Shirou." Mao: "Here we go. We're going to drop this on the bow." Shirou: "Okay." Mao: "Ready, and..." Both: "Go!" Meili: "What is that?" Meili: "A cow?" Shirou: "It's a flaming cow!" Shirou: "Mao, this is over-the-top, even for you! You're cooking a whole cow?!" Xielu: "Hold on, Mao. This cow..." Meili: "Mao, your cow is burnt to a crisp." Like: "If throwing an entire cow into a fire counted as cooking, nobody would struggle with fire techniques." Meili: "I can't believe Mao made a mistake..." Mao: "I'm not making a beef dish." Shirou: "A whole cooked piglet was inside the cooked cow!" Mao: "Liu Maoxing's Special Roast Suckling Pig is complete!" Meili: "The grand champion of Guangdong cuisine. Roast pig. That's my father's specialty!" Mao: "Roasting the pig directly inside the high flame would burn it. That's why I guarded it with a thick shell. That way, even a high flame can be used like a low flame to cook meat evenly." Shirou: "But why did you use beef to guard it?" Mao: "Because among the meats, beef has the best flavor. I used its juices to give the roast pig a unique flavor. The fat oozing out of the cowhide produces a fragrance not at all inferior to a charcoal fire." Mao: "This is truly a special roast suckling pig dish." Leien: "I see. Impressive use of fire. For the twice-cooked pork, you used a low flame as a high flame, and for the roast pork, you used a high flame as a low flame." Xielu: "You made a flaming cow give birth to a pig. Your techniques are fearless, Mao! This fragrant smell! This glossy and dark caramel color! You prepared this by coating it in sugar water, didn't you? And the skin looks ready to burst. Has this contest been decided before I even take a bite? I'll still be eating it, though." Xielu: "Hey, wait..." Like: "Not bad." Mao: "See that, Ya Kan? This is the essence of cooking with fire." Yakan: "So you managed to impress Li Ke's tongue." Yakan: "No wonder the Kirin Chefs couldn't beat you." Shirou: "Feign composure all you want. We know you're so impressed, you can barely stand. You're running out of time. Why don't you start cooking already, Panther Head?" Leien: "What is this? Mao fought with impeccable techniques that reach to the essence of fire." Leien: "So what is this uneasiness I feel?" Yakan: "Li Ke, how much time is left?" Like: "Less than ten minutes." Yakan: "A little more than I need." Xielu: "Wh-What's happening?" Shirou: "Steam is pouring off his body." Like: "Panther Head Ya Kan's Explosive Steam. The drinking water Lord Ya Kan always carries with him is for suppressing his incredibly high body temperature said to be several times hotter than a normal human's." Yakan: "Behold the land's largest fire!" Like: "When he unleashes that heat, everything he touches is enveloped in flames!" Yakan: "I see that you are a chef of an extraordinary scale, Liu Maoxing. But that's not enough to defeat me!" Yakan: "Great Heavenly River of Fire!" Mao: "The Yangtze River..." Shirou: "...is on fire!" Yakan: "I am the Cooking Underworld's Five Tiger Star Ya Kan! Liu Maoxing, if you'll burn a boat, then I shall transform the Yangtze River into a sea of fire!"

Yakan: "Behold the land's largest fire!" Like: "When he unleashes that heat, everything he touches is enveloped in flames!" Yakan: "I see that you are a chef of an extraordinary scale, Liu Maoxing. But that's not enough to defeat me!" Yakan: "Great Heavenly River of Fire!" Mao: "The Yangtze River..." Shirou: "...is on fire!" Yakan: "I am the Cooking Underworld's Five Tiger Star Ya Kan! Liu Maoxing, if you'll burn a boat, then I shall transform the Yangtze River into a sea of fire!" Like: "Explosive Twice Cooked Pork and Roast Suckling Pig. Maoxing, you're quite impressive. However, Lord Ya Kan is a bit more impressive." Yakan: "Let's go, Li Ke." Like: "Yes, sir!" Meili: "Why is she acting like she's our friend?" Xielu: "He's not taking any ingredients or utensils. What's he planning to do with that boat?" Leien: "What's that sound?" Xielu: "Look. A ton of fish are floating to the surface." Like: "Lord Ya Kan, how are these?" Yakan: "You've chosen well as usual, Li Ke." Mao: "Look at that bluish black back. She's chosen exceptionally fresh black carp." : "Black carp. One of four major Chinese freshwater fish and luxury ingredient in Chinese cooking. Its powerful jaw as well as the tail it waves when it uses said jaw are considered delicious." Shirou: "But why did all those fish rise to the surface?" Xielu: "Gunpowder." Xielu: "They set off gunpowder underwater. The fish knocked out by the blast floated to the surface. It's an effective method for catching large numbers of black carp, which live on the riverbed." Meili: "It's raining. I have a bad feeling about this." Shirou: "What are you talking about? That's lucky for us. This'll put out his fire. His dishes will be ruined." Leien: "No. If anything, the fire appears to be burning even higher as though it's fighting back against the rain." Yakan: "Let's go, Li Ke." Like: "Yes, sir!" Mao: "They've already removed the guts and made deep uniform cuts. Such speed." Xielu: "He doesn't mind this rain at all. What an unbelievable guy." Xielu: "He's heading straight into the flames. Is he trying to kill himself?!" Yakan: "Behold my fire dance!" Yakan: "Great Heavenly Wheel of Fire!" Xielu: "What's this? Ya Kan is swinging a bundle of carp inside the fire while the girl splashes something on the fish." Meili: "This isn't cooking, it's more like an exciting and magnificent dance!" Xielu: "The power it takes to swing the fish is certainly impressive, but we should be focusing on the point where the carp cuts through the flames." Shirou: "He's just swinging them around like a madman." Mao: "No, it makes sense. He's making the most of the centrifugal force resulting from the carp's weight." Meili: "Centrifugal force?" Mao: "Li Ke is probably splashing them with sauce. Since the cuts on their bodies cut deep towards the head, the force causes the sauce to be absorbed rapidly as the fish is cooked, while any excess sauce is removed." Mao: "Repeatedly applying the sauce and cooking the fish deepens the flavors." Leien: "Looks like he's finished cooking." Yakan: "Have a taste" Yakan: "of my Great Heavenly Grilled Black Carp." Shirou: "You put on quite the show, but all you did was fry some fish over a fire." Xielu: "No, grilling fish is incredibly rare in Chinese cuisine. Because grilling a fish is such a simple cooking method, it requires great skill in the use of fire. I can tell you're quite confident in your fire techniques." Xielu: "It's so fragrant, the mucus membrane of my nose is melting." Mao: "Xie Lu?" Xielu: "It's good. It's delicious. I hate to admit it, but it's so good, it's giving me goosebumps!" Xielu: "The centrifugal force allowed the sauce to permeate the fish. Hard to believe he achieved this depth of flavor with such a short time. The force may have cast the mud off the fish, because there isn't the slightest whiff of it on the fish." Xielu: "But most unbelievable of all... is how well it's cooked! It's lightly browned, as though it was slowly cooked. Not only that, but it falls apart no matter where I stick my chopsticks. It's so uniformly cooked!" Mao: "Uniform? That's impossible." Shirou: "Impossible?" Mao: "Uneven browning is a distinctive quality of grilling anything. Swinging the fish around inside that blaze should've dispersed the flames, making the browning even more uneven." Mao: "What technique did he use?" Yakan: "It's not about my skill with fire, Liu Maoxing." Yakan: "Let's move onto the main dish." Shirou: "Well, Xie Lu? Which dish is better?" Xielu: "You idiot! I can't make that decision until I've eaten Ya Kan's second dish." Like: "Who's currently winning, then?" Like: "How does Lord Ya Kan's dish compare to Maoxing's dishes?" Xielu: "Don't be ridiculous! The nation's best Super Chef cooked two incredible dishes for me. They can't be compared to a single dish. That would give Mao the advan..." Xielu: "Sorry. Let me think about it." Mao: "Xie Lu." Xielu: "Think about Mao's Explosive Twice Cooked Pork." Xielu: "The crisp texture of the vegetables cooked in that red-hot pan. The rich pork that absorbed the fat and slightly sweet and spicy sauce." Xielu: "Then there's his Roast Suckling Pig. The flavor of the beef fat and browned suckling pig were to die for. There shouldn't be a dish that can stand against these two great dishes that utilized both high and low flames. But that flaming jerk's dish involved swinging fish around like a madman inside a fire. The sauce permeated the fish, and the fish itself was fragrant. It was delicately and uniformly cooked. That said— Huh? No, wait. That's not... Could it be?!" Like: "They're evenly matched, aren't they?" Like: "Maoxing's two dishes and Lord Ya Kan's one dish. It's reasonable to think they're evenly matched. Right, Xie Lu?" Xielu: "Damn it! That's right! They're equal!" Xielu: "I'm sorry, Mao. But as a chef, I can't lie to my tongue. When it comes to heat and flavor, your dishes can't compare to Ya Kan's individually!" Shirou: "Why? Why would you rule in favor of the Underworld?!" Xielu: "Use your head, Shirou! This is hardest for me!" Shirou: "But..." Shirou: "It's time for his second dish. What's that flaming jerk going to do this time?" Yakan: "My second dish shall be fried and boiled fish." Shirou: "Boiled fish? But he doesn't have a pot. How's he going to boil a fish?" Shirou: "What? Ya Kan's fire is causing the surface of the Yangtze River to boil! That shouldn't be possible!" Leien: "No, Panther Head Ya Kan always does what he says he'll do." Leien: "The leaders of the Cooking Underworld are more powerful than we imagined." Shirou: "Since Mao's two dishes are equal to his one, if he makes a second dish..." Meili: "Mao's undefeated record..." Leien: "Not even Mao could overcome the Five Tiger Stars' undefeated record." Xielu: "The rain is suddenly coming down harder. Look, there!" Xielu: "It's putting out Ya Kan's wall of fire." Leien: "Not even Flaming Chef Ya Kan can use his fire skills in this pouring rain." Yakan: "It's a tie." Like: "Indeed. Regardless..." Like: "You're quite the lucky boy, Maoxing." Yakan: "You're wrong, Li Ke." Yakan: "I finally understand what's holding you up, Liu Maoxing." Like: "What do you mean?" Yakan: "Mengzi once said, "Those who follow heaven live, while those who defy heaven perish."" Yakan: "Liu Maoxing. You are beloved by the heavens. That is why the superior chef Shao An lost two contests that determined his fate." Yakan: "None can defy the will of heaven." Yakan: "The heavens are continuing to choose you for now." Yakan: "Let us leave for today." Yakan: "However, next time will be different, Liu Maoxing. You should hone your skills until then." Mao: "The Cooking Underworld's Five Tiger Star Ya Kan was an incredible chef." Mao: "I want to beat him. To do that, Ya Kan, I'll unravel your mysteries!" Meili: "We successfully defended the legendary utensils, but the undefeated Mao nearly suffered his first loss." Shirou: "That Ya Kan guy seemed awfully different from the other Underworld Chefs we've met until now." Xielu: "Yeah. He's not only skilled, but he has a dignified demeanor." Xielu: "He knew when to quit, too. It's a shame he has to be our enemy." Leien: "He's a true Five Tiger Star, one of the Underworld's strongest chefs." Mao: "It's true that at my current level, I couldn't possibly compete against him." Mao: "But I'll train 10—no, 20 times harder." Mao: "Next time, I'll win!" Xiang: "Panther Head Ya Kan went too easy on you." Xiang: "His weakness is his immovable pride." Meili: "This voice." Xiang: "I can't believe he left behind the utensils that were right before him." Leien: "Oh, no. The Holy Copperware!" Xielu: "Who's there?!" Xielu: "Ten Feet of Blue Xiang! I've been wondering where you went since you went missing in Shanghai." Leien: "You failed to learn your lesson and showed up again." Xiang: "Liu Maoxing, beloved by heaven? Then I'll change the will of heaven myself." Xielu: "You still don't get it, you vixen? No matter how many times you challenge us with your shallow wit, it's pointless. Return the utensil, now!" Xielu: "Who are you?" Luoke: "I am Luo Ke the Multicolored Tiger. Are these the chefs from Guangdong who defeated Shao An in Shanghai?" Xiang: "That's them." Xielu: "Crap! Protect the maps!" Shirou: "Mao!" Mao: "Master Luo gave us these important maps. We won't let you have your way." Xiang: "What's the point in resisting, weakling?! Let go of the maps, Liu Maoxing." Both: "Mao!" Mao: "Lei En! The maps!" Xiang: "They're mine!" Xielu: "Lei En!" Mao: "Xie Lu, Lei En!" Xiang: "Three more to go." Mao: "Why, Xiang? How can you be so cruel?!" Xiang: "Two thousand years ago, Liu Bang chased down and destroyed Xiang Yu after supposedly making peace with him, then founded the Han dynasty. Even so, future generations don't call him a coward. Heaven's favor comes to those who seize opportunities, are unconstrained by feelings, and stick to their purpose. I'll rip the utensils, the maps, and your divine favor right out from under you." Mao: "You'll pay for this, Xiang!" Mao: "What?" Leien: "Stay back, Mao." Xiang: "What?!" Xielu: "You won't be taking anything!" Xielu: "Mao! Hold onto the utensils and stay right there." Xielu: "I won't let you trash lay a finger on Mao!" Leien: "He's the culinary world's last ray of hope." Mao: "Xie Lu, Lei En..." Leien: "This is your last chance to go, Xie Lu. I can settle this on my own." Xielu: "Idiot, you think I'd let you heroically die alone?" Leien: "You truly are an idiot." Xielu: "Right back at you! Now move!" Luoke: "What are you doing?!" Luoke: "They severed the chains! The boats are drifting apart!" Xiang: "Let's steal the remaining maps and utensils!" Luoka: "Got it—" Xielu: "Stay down, morons." Mao: "I'm coming!" Xielu: "I told you to stay put!" Leien: "Get to land and head to the next utensil!" Mao: "Not like this. Xie Lu, Lei En!" Xielu: "Don't worry, Mao. We've got two maps." Xielu: "If we split up, we'll be able to gather the utensils faster." Mao: "But, Xie Lu..." Xielu: "Mao, let's hold another shumai contest in the Yang Spring Restaurant's kitchen." Leien: "Smile, Mao. You're best when you're smiling." Mao: "Xie Lu, Lei En..." Xielu: "You know what do yo, Shirou and Mei Li! You've gotta support Mao!" Shirou: "Xie Lu!" Meili: "Lei En!" Both: "Let go!" Xielu: "I don't think so." Leien: "This is your destiny." Mao: "Xie Lu, Lei En!" Shirou: "Mao, how much farther to the Chrysanthemum Tower?" Mao: "We're almost there." Shirou: "You've been saying that for three days, Mao." Shirou: "Your home, the Chrysanthemum Tower... is Szechuan's greatest state-run restaurant, right? How are they managing without you?" Mao: "The shop's closed for now." Mao: "Keling is supposed to be taking care of the shop." Shirou: "This is how you spin a bamboo-copter. There." Shirou: "You suck, Mao." Mao: "Now you've said it, Shirou!" Mao: "You little brat." Shirou: "Ow. That hurts, Mao!" Meili: "Why is Mao trying so hard to smile? It's only been half a month since then." Shirou: "Hey, Mao." Mao: "Huh?" Shirou: "Quit spacing out, Mao! A Super Chef shouldn't burn his cooking!" Mao: "Shirou, your dinner is ready." Shirou: "You're making me eat this? You suck, for real!" Shirou: "Jeez, Mao. I can't eat this." Meili: "Mao is doing his best to pretend to be cheerful, but..." Mao: "Hey, cut that out." Meili: "I want to do whatever I can to help Mao. I'll harvest some rare and delicious mountain vegetables." Meili: "That's an unusual mushroom. Isn't that..." Meili: "Oof. I'm sure Mao will cheer up if I bring these to him. Almost there..." Meili: "I've been saved?" Zhuqi: "That was close." Meili: "Who are you?" Meili: "Thank you. I'm so clumsy." Zhuqi: "Indeed. Given how clumsy you are, it's no wonder you fell down that ravine." Meili: "Listen, you—" Zhuqi: "Hey, you're hurt." Zhuqi: "What a hopeless girl. Not only are you injured, but your hair's a mess, and your clothes are ruined. You couldn't be less attractive." Meili: "What do you know?! I've got my reasons! I've been through a dangerous journey to get this far." Zhuqi: "I'm saying you're putting your unparalleled beauty to waste." Meili: "What?" Meili: "Don't tease me!" Zhuqi: "So, what are you doing here in these mountains?" Meili: "What? I was trying to get those mushrooms." Zhuqi: "And if you'd safely gotten your hands on them, you would've died." Meili: "Why?" Zhuqi: "Those are poisonous east Asian brown death caps. Put one in your mouth, and you'll be dead within minutes." Meili: "What? Who are you?" Zhuqi: "I'm Zhu Qui, head chef of the Chrysanthemum Tower. Don't you forget it." Meili: "Head chef of the Chrysanthemum Tower?"

Meili: "It's true, Mao." Mao: "That's not possible, Mei Li." Meili: "He seemed to know a lot about cooking ingredients. I bet he's the temporary head chef at the Chrysanthemum Tower." Shirou: "Yeah, right. He's not Mao. That brat couldn't possibly be the head chef." Mao: "I'm the head chef. Beijing's Admiral Li decided that until I returned from my training, the Chrysanthemum Tower would stay closed." Shirou: "The restaurant's open, Mao! And it's bustling." Mao: "That's not possible..." Keling: "Mao? Is that you, Mao?!" Mao: "Sis!" Mao: "Sis!" Keling: "Mao!" Mao: "I haven't been back in forever. It's been a year and a half. The inside of the shop hasn't changed at all— Huh?" Mao: "You changed to an open kitchen?" Mao: "Sis, the shop was supposed to be closed. Why is it open? Did something happen?" Keling: "Well, there's actually a reason we had to open again..." Zhuqi: "I'm delighted, my beautiful lady! You came to see me after all." Meili: "Let go of me, you pervert!" Zhuqi: "You're no fun. I saved your life." Mao: "Mei Li, is this guy..." Zhuqi: "Nice to meet you. I've been temporarily put in charge of the Chrysanthemum Tower's kitchen. My name is Zhu Qui. I can't believe I'm actually meeting the boy who became a world-famous Super Chef at my age, Master Mao. I'm overjoyed!" Mao: "N-Nice to meet you." Mao: "Who is this guy?" Zhuqi: "I know! Let's hold a banquet tonight to celebrate Mao's return." Zhuqi: "All right. The shop is reserved for today. Scribble, scribble, scribble... Check this out! For the seventy of you gathered here, in honor of Master Mao, I, Zhu Qi, shall prepare seven servings of these ten dishes by myself with all my heart and soul right before your eyes!" Mao: "Seventy servings of ten dishes by himself?" Shirou: "He's showing off." Keling: "I think he might be a little different from the chefs you've met so far, Mao." Mao: "What?" Zhuqi: "All right." Man C: "Hey." Man A: "We've been waiting!" Man B: "Looking good, Zhu Qi!" Mao: "Those are silver cooking chopsticks." Shirou: "They're so long!" Zhuqi: "Here we go." Zhuqi: "All right!" Shirou: "What?" Mao: "He's so dexterous!" Zhuqi: "Yes! Let's crank it up!" Zhuqi: "Yakisoba. Fried dough. Steamed buns. Soup." Shirou: "His technique's incredible!" Mao: "You're right." Mao: "That's not all, though..." Zhuqi: "Kung Pao chicken, mapo tofu, fish and eggplant, twice cooked pork..." Mao: "His long chopsticks are full of joy, and create a beautiful and comforting rhythm. It makes the customers start dancing, caught in a whirlpool of pleasure." Zhuqi: "All right. Things are heating up." Mao: "This chef cooks in such a fun way." Shirou: "Wow. Looking good, buddy!" Shirou: "It's delicious! They're all excellent dishes, Mao." Mao: "Yeah. At first glance, it looks like he's carelessly striking the pot as a stunt, but everything is cooked perfectly with just the right amount of oil." Zhuqi: "How's your injured foot?" Meili: "Stop staring at me!" Mao: "L-Listen, Zhu Qi... I've never seen a chef have so much fun while he cooks. You're amazing, Zhu Qi." Zhuqi: "Is that right?" Zhuqi: "Did it look like I was having fun to you?" Zhuqi: "I hate cooking." Mao: "Huh?" Man V: "Hey, Zhu Qi. This is great." Zhuqi: "Is it?" Zhuqi: "Mei Li, let's go check out the Leshan Giant Buddha sometime. How 'bout it?" Meili: "What's wrong with you?!" Man C: "Mei Li, be careful." Zhuqi: "Come on, Mei Li. It'll be fun." Mao: "He hates cooking?" Zhuqi: "Come on, Mei Li. The Chrysanthemum Tower is closed today, anyway." Zhuqi: "It's incredible. I promise you won't regret it." Meili: "I need to ask Mao, first." Zhuqi: "Don't be ridiculous. It's such a waste of your beauty to stay cooped up inside. You should dress yourself up and put yourself out there." Zhuqi: "Think about it." Meili: "But..." Keling: "Mao. I'll leave a change of clothes for you here." Mao: "Sis, the restaurant was supposed to stay closed while I was gone. Why is it open?" Keling: "Oh, I forgot to tell you yesterday. It happened a month ago..." Keling: "What? We need to open shop immediately?" Luan: "That's right. Do it for Szechuan. Forty days from now, Prince Jiang will be visiting from Beijing as part of a tour of the western border. We must entertain him with dishes from the Chrysanthemum Tower, Szechuan's greatest state-run restaurant. If you can't do it, then the Chrysanthemum Tower will be closed forever." Keling: "It's such short notice, and Mao isn't around... What are we going to do? Just as I was at a complete loss..." Zhuqi: "Beautiful girls shouldn't worry so much." Zhuqi: "This little chef would throw himself in harm's way to help a beautiful girl." Keling: "The confident young chef who showed up out of nowhere was Zhu Qi. Though I was suspicious, I called the official to test Zhu Qi's skills." Luan: "He uses those silver chopsticks so skillfully. It's beautifully made and has all the originality of Szechuan cuisine!" Luan: "Marvelous! This will do! Let's have him do it!" Zhuqi: "Cooking should be so fun it makes your heart soar. Just like love." Keling: "In any case, we asked Zhu Qi to temporarily serve as head chef until the prince's visit. He's quite popular for saving the Chrysanthemum Tower and his exquisite flavors." Mao: "Sis, where did Zhu Qi come from?" Keling: "He said he's from Inner Mongolia. He lost his parents, who were also chefs, when he was young. Between his natural talent and the way he cooks so joyfully," Keling: "Zhu Qi is kind of like you, Mao." Mao: "Me and Zhu Qi?" Zhuqi: "Come on, Mei Li." Mao: "But he..." Zhuqi: "Mei Li, are you listening?" Zhuqi: "I hate cooking." Mao: "Huh?" Meili: "Mao, I asked you to hold onto that floral hairpin." Mao: "That's odd." Meili: "It's a keepsake from my mother. You take great care of your cookbooks, but you don't care about my stuff." Mao: "You haven't used it in months. Why do you need it all of a sudden?" Meili: "Wh-Why does that matter? I just felt like wearing it..." Zhuqi: "You should dress yourself up and put yourself out there." Mao: "If it's that important, you should've held onto it yourself." Meili: "You jerk, Mao!" Meili: "Forget it!" Mao: "M-Mei Li!" Zhuqi: "Hey, that looks great on you." Meili: "But I could never wear something so expensive." Zhuqi: "What are you talking about? The highest quality products look best on a beautiful girl!" Shirou: "Well, they do say even a plain girl looks beautiful at the peak of her youth." Meili: "Mind your own business." Mao: "I've got to defend my pride as a Super Chef." Shirou: "Why are you cooking something so elaborate, Mao?" Mao: "I made Mei Li a little angry earlier. I'm making this as a sign of reconciliation." Shirou: "Huh." Mao: "Mei Li will be so surprised. She might even say, "Oh, wow!"" Meili: "Oh, wow! Rainbow mooncakes!" Zhuqi: "I made them for you, beautiful. I know. Since you're from the east where the moon rises, I'll call you "Moon Empress."" Zhuqi: "As is the custom, I offer these mooncakes to the moon goddess." Zhuqi: "Let's eat these together at the Leshan Giant Buddha." Man A: "Zhu Qi, you jerk." Zhuqi: "Huh?" Man A: "You move on girls as quickly as you cook, huh?" Zhuqi: "Don't tease me." Man B: "Be careful, Mei Li. He's got a silver tongue." Zhuqi: "Seriously, stop." Shirou: "Looks like you're too late." Zhuqi: "Come on, Mei Li." Meili: "But..." Zhuqi: "Hold on tight." Meili: "Wait a second, Zhu Qi." Zhuqi: "I promise you won't regret it." Meili: "What?" Zhuqi: "Hup!" Mao: "What?" Mao: "No way. Mei Li..." Zhuqi: "Impressive, right? Its head is 13.3 meters tall, and the whole thing is 64.5 meters tall. It's the biggest Buddha in China." Meili: "It must've taken a long time to carve this into a cliff." Zhuqi: "It took 90 years to sculpt during the Tang dynasty. I just looked that up earlier." Zhuqi: "Have some of these." Meili: "They're so good!" Zhuqi: "Broad beans, tomatoes, kabocha squash. I mixed all kinds of stuff into the skins." Meili: "Lotus seeds, coconut, rainbow bean jam... Not only are they delicious, but they're varied and small, so you don't get tired of them." Zhuqi: "Whether it's cooking or a date, once you bore someone, it's over." Meili: "A date? But, I..." Zhuqi: "Hey, Mei Li. Why don't we go make another rainbow-colored memory together?" Meili: "What?" Zhuqi: "We're here." Meili: "Huh?" Meili: "What's supposed to be here?" Shirou: "I found Zhu Qi's white horse. Looks like the two of them are here, boss." Shirou: "This way." Zhuqi: "Turn around on my signal." Meili: "O-Okay..." Zhuqi: "Ready, and..." Meili: "There's a rainbow around our shadows." Zhuqi: "This is the legendary Buddha's light. They say it only appears for highly compatible couples." Meili: "It's so pretty..." Mao: "What?" Zhuqi: "Sorry about earlier, Mei Li." Zhuqi: "But since the moment we met, I've been serious about you." Mao: "Welcome back, Mei Li." Mao: "You went to see the Leshan Giant Buddha with Zhu Qi, huh? How was it?" Meili: "Yeah. It was fun." Mao: "I'm sure it was. Zhu Qi is a fun guy." Meili: "Listen, Mao. We went to Mount Emei afterward, and... While we were there..." Meili: "While we were there, Zhu Qi suddenly told me that he..." Meili: "He said he loves me. I'm sure he was joking, but since it was so sudden, I was surprised." Mao: "Really? Zhu Qi sure is assertive. I can't beat him. Maybe I'll have him teach me what to do for when I finally fall in love with a girl." Meili: "I bought you something." Meili: "Bean sprouts." Meili: "Apparently they're quite rare." Mao: "Bean sprouts? Let me see." Mao: "What was that for?" Mao: "This pendant..." Mao: "This is the jade pendant I gave to Mei Li..." Meili: "Thank you, Mao! I'll cherish it! I'll think of this as part of you and treasure it for life!" Mao: "Does this mean..." Mao: "she's returning this?" Mao: "Mei Li. Mei Li. I'd always just assumed." Mao: "That even if I didn't say anything, you'd always stay with me!" Kaiyou: "Sky Soaring Great Sage Zhu Qi. Liu Maoxing holds the key to acquiring the legendary utensils." Kaiyou: "You must do whatever it takes to drag him into the Underworld. And to do that, you must crush his spirit." Keling: "Mao, it's hard to believe you made these dishes. Even my unrefined palette can tell." Keling: "Isn't unleashing the eight utensils your new goal? Pull yourself together. Fortunately, Zhu Qi has come to the Chrysanthemum Tower. You don't need to worry anymore." Zhuqi: "Yeah, you can rest easy now." Mao: "Zhu Qi." Zhuqi: "You don't need to worry about the restaurant, Mao. The customers keep pouring in, and business is booming. I'll make sure to properly entertain the prince, too." Mao: "You don't get it, Sis." Mao: "Zhu Qi and I are opposites." Mao: "After all, this guy hates cooking!" Mao: "I can't trust this clown to cook for the prestige of Szechuan!" Mao: "I'll say this, Zhu Qi. I'm the one who inherited Master Bei's flavors. The Chrysanthemum Tower is my restaurant! Now that I'm back, I'll cook for the prince!" Zhuqi: "I don't think so." Zhuqi: "Does it really matter whether I love or hate cooking?" Zhuqi: "All that matters is how the final product tastes." Zhuqi: "Besides, Mao, don't you think you're being a bit too selfish? You spend your time wandering aimlessly, but now that you're back, you're trying to take this job from me?" Mao: "What?!" Zhuqi: "That's enough of that. The country's best Super Chef shouldn't lose his temper. Or is there some other reason you're angry with me?" Mao: "No! In any case, I can't trust you to handle it!" Zhuqi: "Then we'll have to settle this with a cooking contest." Mao: "Bring it on." Keling: "Mao..." Mao: "Your chopstick waving antics can't beat me, Zhu Qi!" Zhuqi: "Oh, yeah? Then let me tell you this. About your dishes, Mao..." Zhuqi: "Your Yuxiang shredded pork contains too much ginger. You forgot to put sesame oil in your dandan noodles. And your mapo noodles would taste better with a single teaspoon of grated garlic." Mao: "How... How did you know? You haven't even tasted them." Zhuqi: "I have a warning for you." Zhuqi: "Until you solve that mystery, you'll never be able to defeat me." Official A: "Did you hear the news?" Official B: "You mean the cooking contest at the Chrysanthemum Tower?" Official A: "I thought that skilled young chef Zhu Qi was going to cook for the prince. Apparently a second skilled young chef has returned from Guangdong." ei: "Really? Who?" Official B: "They say he's a prodigy who became the youngest Super Chef ever. His name is Liu Maoxing." ei: "I see. So you've returned to the Chrysanthemum Tower, Mao."

Luan: "The sacred cooking contest to determine which chef will cook for the prince will now begin!" Mao: "I refuse to lose to you, Zhu Qi!" Zhuqi: "Please go easy on me, Mr. Super Chef." Luan: "First, the subject and judge of this contest shall be—" Meili: "Wait, please." Mao: "M-Mei Li!" Luan: "What is it, girl?" Meili: "Governor Luan, forgive my insolence, but for the battle between Guangdong Super Chef Master Mao and Master Zhu Qi of Inner Mongolia..." Meili: "I request that I be allowed to judge their contest." Luan: "Mei Li, do you understand how important this contest is? To start, you're Mao's traveling companion. Wouldn't your judgment be biased?" Meili: "Master Mao is merely my traveling companion. I have no further feelings for him. Furthermore, I am the daughter of Zhou Yu of the Yang Spring Restaurant in Guangdong. I swear by Heaven and Earth that my tongue will not be affected by any personal biases." Luan: "What a fortunate coincidence! It just so happens that I have a terrible sense of taste! And if it comes to it, I can dump all responsibility on this girl. Very well! Mei Li, I appoint you judge of this contest." Meili: "Thank you." Shirou: "Sis, what do you mean you're just traveling companions? What was all that time we spent together? Mao's gonna be too shocked to cook—" Mao: "Thank you, Mei Li." Mao: "I've made up my mind. Once I've cooked a dish tastier than Zhu Qi's, for the first time, I'll be able to tell you how I truly feel." Mao: "I'll cook you a dish that will reach your heart." Mao: "All right!" All: "He's really fired up! That's it, Mao!" Keling: "Keep it together, Mao!" Shirou: "They're competing both for the right to cook for the prince, but also for Mei Li." Shirou: "Zhu Qi possesses some kind of strange power, though. It might be a struggle." ei: "I wouldn't worry about that." Shirou: "Huh?" ei: "Nobody can compete with that spirit." ei: "Just like I couldn't then." Shirou: "You're right. There's no way Mao will lose! You know what you're talking about, Mister!" Zhuqi: "I can't believe you're judging this contest." Zhuqi: "But there's no turning back now. This must be fate." Zhuqi: "Forgive me, Mei Li." Luan: "I shall now announce the theme of this contest. An ingredient as high-class as pork or chicken... Duck!" Shirou: "They're so big and round!" Keling: "I've heard of these high-class ducks... They're Peking ducks!" Luan: "Indeed. I had the genuine article shipped in from Chengdu this morning." Luan: "You have two hours to cook. You may use any and all ingredients." Luan: "Let the cooking begin!" Mao: "All right. These will do." Keling: "He's choosing fat ducks with lustrous feathers." Shirou: "Mao's full of determination. How about Zhu Qi?" Shirou: "He's so fast. He already finished removing the feathers and is starting to boil his duck." Zhuqi: "Here we go. You can't have duck without these." Shirou: "Century eggs?" Keling: "What's he going to do with those?" Man A: "He's crushing the yolk of the century eggs and mixing it into his dough? Which means..." Shirou: "Noodles. He's using century eggs instead of normal eggs as a thickener?" Keling: "I'm not sure what's happening, but it's amazing." All: "His long chopsticks are stretching the noodles right before us! Duck broth and century egg noodles! A duck noodle dish featuring all kinds of duck!" Zhuqi: "Watch this, Mei Li. This..." Zhuqi: "is how I feel!" All: "Showoff! That's it, lady-killer!" Zhuqi: "What do you think, Mao?" All: "He's hanging his plucked ducks by their necks! Which means he's making the quintessential duck dish!" Mao: "Exactly. China's most luxurious dish, Peking duck!" All: "Peking duck... The extravagance of roasting a whole duck and consuming only the crisp fatty skin, discarding the interior. The moment you stuff your mouth full of duck wrapped in thin skins with onions and soy mash is supreme bliss." Shirou: "It's truly the most quintessential dish! Impressive as always, Mao!" ei: "This aroma... This is no ordinary Peking duck, Mao." Mao: "Mei Li, you won't be disappointed by my special Paradise Peking Duck!" All: "Zhu Qi's ingenious duck noodles versus Mao's quintessential Peking duck! Neither one is backing down! What kind of Peking duck will you cook, Mao?" Zhuqi: "You've become self-complacent, Mao." Zhuqi: "You're about to lose everything." Zhuqi: "That's right. Everything." Luan: "Time's up." Luan: "Chefs, have you finished cooking?" Zhuqi: "Yup, I'm all done! Judge my dish first." Meili: "Why are you sticking your face right in mine?" Zhuqi: "I want to see your cute look of surprise up close." Meili: "Don't try to flatter me." Zhuqi: "I know. Come on. Taste my noodles before they get soggy." Zhuqi: "Zhu Qi's special Sunshine Dandan Noodles!" Meili: "It's... It's beautiful..." Zhuqi: "I modeled it after your sunflower-like qualities." Shirou: "He's using tricks she'll fall for again." Meili: "What are the petals made of?" Zhuqi: "Ground duck breast and steamed duck feet. It's a Zhu Qi original." Meili: "D-Duck feet?" Meili: "The texture is so soft and springy! Have these always tasted so good?" Zhuqi: "Now try some of that mashed fish underneath the sunflower with the noodles." Meili: "O-Okay." Meili: "The noodles are endlessly rich and powerfully springy. It's the power of the century eggs he mixed in. The mashed fish was fried with plenty of chili bean paste, and the rich duck broth soup comes oozing out." Meili: "It's a luxurious dish that allows you to fully experience all the duck's flavors." Meili: "It's ideal for Szechuan-style imperial court cuisine!" Luan: "Impressive. I'm sure the prince would enjoy it, as well." All: "Nice work, Zhu Qi!" Zhuqi: "This multi-layered duck dish expresses the depth of my love for you, Mei Li!" Shirou: "Damn that Zhu Qi... He's getting ahead of himself." ei: "His dish is certainly excellent, but it's too ordinary a dish to compete with Mao." ei: "Could Zhu Qi be up to something?" Luan: "Next, Mao." Mao: "Mei Li, I made this dish as both a Super Chef and a man after your heart." Mao: "Liu Maoxing's special Paradise Peking Duck!" Keling: "How is that Peking duck, Mao?" Mao: "They're special steamed dumplings made only from stuffed Peking duck wings." Keling: "I see. Peking duck is typically eaten by wrapping it in thin skins. He reversed the idea by wrapping the ingredients inside the skin." Shirou: "What effect will it have?" Meili: "It's delicious. Truly." Meili: "The juices ooze out of the duck you used for the dumpling skins. They're perfectly steamed, but they haven't lost their crispiness. The stuffing uses vegetables such as the mushrooms and Manchurian rice Szechuan is famous for. The rich flavor of the duck is presented with an excellent texture." Meili: "Then there's this aroma. The sugar water you used to glaze and season the duck" Meili: "is mixed with the smell of fruit." Meili: "Pineapple, lychee, peach. They draw out the flavors of the duck in a refreshing and lustrous manner." Meili: "I alone understand, Mao. I know the meaning behind this dish you made as a man. I know why you used these fruits." Meili: "When the restaurant was closed, we ate pineapple on the beach." Mao: "This looks just like your hair." Meili: "Oh, come on." Meili: "We secretly ate lychee together on the roof." Mao: "Happy birthday, Mei Li." Meili: "On my 15th birthday, you made sweet buns filled with peach. This is the sweet and sour fragrance of paradise that we'd left behind in our homeland of Guangdong." Meili: "I understand the weight of all the precious moments we spent together, Mao. I hear you loud and clear." Meili: "You entrusted your feelings to this aroma." Meili: "Mao, thank you." Mao: "Mei Li..." Shirou: "Jeez. Those two are always causing trouble. If Mao wins this contest, that'll settle the issue." Mao: "Mei Li!" Mao: "Mei Li. Wake up, Mei Li!" Zhuqi: "Mei Li!" Shirou: "Sis!" Zhuqi: "Move! She's got a fever, and her pulse is weak. Keling, get a doctor!" Keling: "Got it." Keling: "Mei Li, hang in there." Mao: "Mei Li!" Zhuqi: "Mao." Zhuqi: "These mushrooms you put in your dumplings..." Zhuqi: "You know what these are, don't you?" Mao: "They're hen-of-the-woods, obviously." Zhuqi: "This is no laughing matter, Mao. They look similar, but these are east Asian brown death caps. They're poisonous mushrooms!" Mao: "You're lying! I can tell the difference between hen-of-the-woods and east Asian brown death caps!" Mao: "I made sure I was using the right ones." Mao: "This tingling sensation..." Mao: "No. That's impossible..." Zhuqi: "Hen-of-the-woods and east Asian brown death caps. Amateurs often confuse the two. But it's not a mistake a chef should make. Mao, you don't deserve to cook for the prince, much less be a chef!" Shirou: "Mao!" ei: "Wait." Shirou: "Huh?" ei: "There's something I want to ask you." Mao: "I checked. I know I checked." Mao: "I checked over and over that they weren't east Asian brown death caps." Mao: "I've lost everything." Mao: "Mom, I can't keep going." Mao: "If it's going to hurt this much..." Mao: "If it's going to be this painful, I can't keep being a chef." Mao: "I don't deserve to wear this Super Chef's crest." ei: "You're still just a kid." ei: "You're playing into the enemy's hands." Mao: "What are these?" ei: "The chopsticks Mei Li used. They're coated with a slow-acting poison." Mao: "Poison?" ei: "Mei Li had been using these chopsticks since she tasted Zhu Qi's dish." ei: "The poison finally started to affect her after she ate your dish." ei: "Think about it. Who would've thought to use her chopsticks and had the opportunity swap your hen-of-the-woods for east Asian brown death caps and frame you?" ei: "It's Zhu Qi." Mao: "Zhu Qi?!" Mao: "Who are you?" Mao: "Fei." ei: "It's good to see you again, Mao." : "Said to be China's most difficult and fiercest battle, Guangdong's previous Super Chef Test." : "Only two participants defeated numerous other chefs and passed the test. Praised as stars who would someday shake the world of Chinese cuisine, both were boys still in their teens. One was Liu Maoxing, while the other..." : "was Lan Feihong. After an entire year, the heavens have reunited these stars." Mao: "Fei, what are you doing here?" ei: "I'm currently a member of the kitchen staff accompanying the prince." Mao: "What? Which means..." ei: "That's right. I cook in the emperor's kitchen." Mao: "That's amazing! You've already become a court chef, Fei!" ei: "Save your admiration for later. I came running when I heard a cooking contest was being held at the Chrysanthemum Tower. I wasn't expecting to see you throw the match." Mao: "But, Fei, I refuse to believe that Zhu Qi poisoned Mei Li. This contest happened because he fell in love with her." Mao: "Poisoning her in order to win would be putting the cart before the horse." ei: "That's why I said you're still just a kid." ei: "Think carefully on Zhu Qi's actions." ei: "He entered the Chrysanthemum Tower and took your spiritual home from you. He made advances on Mei Li in order to upset you and challenged you to a cooking contest." ei: "Finally, he framed you during your competition." Mao: "No... But why?" ei: "You still don't get it? He has only one goal: to destroy Liu Maoxing the chef beyond any hope of recovery." ei: "You nearly fell for his plan. It should be obvious what kind of person would be willing to use Mei Li to accomplish that goal." Mao: "I see. So that's how it is... I'm a fool. Why didn't I notice who Zhu Qi truly is until now?" Mao: "Fei, you saved me again." ei: "I'm just making sure you keep your promise." ei: "We swore we'd face each other again at the top." ei: "Endlessly battling against you is my destiny. It's my dream. And it's also the promise I made to Master Bei." ei: "Mao, if you're defeated here, I won't be able to keep pursing my dream." Mao: "Fei..." Mao: "Thank you. I'll challenge Zhu Qi to another contest." ei: "What a troublesome kid." ei: "Your little chick is about to take flight again, Master Bei." Zhuqi: "Are you serious?! You think I'd accept that?!" Zhuqi: "What, you're back? What's the meaning of this?! Explain yourself!" Mao: "What are you talking about?!" Shirou: "Mao, huge news! Mei Li regained consciousness and gave her judgment. She said you won!" Mao: "Why?" Zhuqi: "Don't play dumb. You nearly killed the judge. How could you win?! I knew you were working together. You put on this farce in an attempt to set me up!" Mao: "No, we didn't do that. Things must have been hardest for Mei Li," Mao: "but she trusted me and my cooking." Mao: "Thank you, Mei Li." Zhuqi: "Are you listening to me?! I won't accept this. No matter how you look at it, I won this contest!" Zhuqi: "What?" ei: "You can have Mei Li's chopsticks back." Zhuqi: "Could it be?" ei: "If you refuse to accept her judgment, then there's only one way to solve this: with a rematch." ei: "The subject will be duck once again." ei: "We'll have Governor Luan judge the contest." Luan: "What? Who are you?" Zhuqi: "Yeah! Who do you think you are?!" ei: "I am the emperor's Dragon Chef Lan Feihong." ei: "I will oversee this contest." Luan: "D-Dragon Chef?! The one said to be the imperial court's top chef?" Luan: "As you wish!" Zhuqi: "I don't believe this. Not only did they figure out the chopsticks, but a Dragon Chef has shown up." Zhuqi: "Just when I'd finally driven him to the breaking point..." Mao: "Zhu Qi." Mao: "You're one of the Cooking Underworld's Five Tiger Stars, aren't you?" Zhuqi: "H-He even figured out who I am." Mao: "Now that I know," Mao: "I won't show mercy."

Chouyu: "It's been a while, Mao." Chouyu: "Tell me: what is the answer to your journey this time?" Chouyu: "What is the purpose of cooking?" Mao: "It's to make people happy." Chouyu: "That's right." Chouyu: "Chefs must grant all manner of happiness to people, large or small." Chouyu: "It is the mission of Super Chefs in particular to bring great happiness to people." Mao: "Yes, sir!" Chouyu: "Now, continue diligently forward." Mao: "Yes, Chef Zhou Yu." Mao: "I, Liu Maoxing, shall devote myself to cooking!" Shirou: "Guangzhou, the capital of food, has over a thousand restaurants." Shirou: "And this is Guangzhou's greatest and most famous, Yang Spring Restaurant." Shirou: "Come lunchtime, the kitchen becomes a battlefield! This is my brother Mao, the boss, Chef Zhou Yu," Shirou: "and Chef Zhou Yu's only daughter Meili." Shirou: "Then there's me, the pub's newest apprentice and lowest-ranking errand boy." Chef: "Shirou, I'm out of firewood. Shirou, me, too!" Shirou: "I know, I know!" Shirou: "Damn it. Mao's my only master." Shirou: "Then there's Head Chef Luo. I heard that even in Guangzhou, a genius like him" Shirou: "but to me, he just looks like an old drunk." Chouyu: "Master Luo and I are off to the Guangdong Chefs' Alliance meeting." Chouyu: "You're responsible for the kitchen for a while." Chouyu: "We'll be back this evening." Mao: "Yes, sir." Meili: "Mao's been so strong since we returned from our trip." Meili: "We began our journey after Dad told us to." Meili: "We went through a lot together." Meili: "I need to work harder so I can keep up with Mao." Man: "Hey! Hold up, kid!" Shirou: "Brother, I bought pork buns! Hurry up and pay him!" Meili: "Jeez! Nothing good happened on that trip after that. But still, Mao..." Shell: "One vegetable stir fry, please." Meili: "Got it!" Meili: "Mao, one vegetable stir fry." Shirou: "Huh? Mao..." Shirou: "Oh, right. Come to think of it..." Mao: "I'm going to the storage shed out back to get some spices." Shirou: "All right, I'll give it a shot!" Shirou: "How simple is this? Anyone can make a vegetable stir fry." Meili: "Oh, it's already done." Meili: "Mao could've said something." Mao: "Huh? Where'd this vegetable stir fry come from?" Shirou: "Oh, I made some so I could eat it myself." Mao: "Really? You did? Let me have some." Mao: "You can't skip key steps while cooking, Shirou." Shirou: "What? Key steps?" Mao: "I'm telling you—" Shell: "Hey! Get your manager out here, now!" Shell: "I heard Yang Spring Restaurant was supposed to be the best... But you have no problem serving soggy vegetable stir fry" Shirou: "Quick-fried? Oh, right. He means deep frying the ingredients before sauteing in order to harden their surface," Shell: "Hey, kid." Shell: "Bring me the man who made this vegetable stir fry." Mao: "I'm responsible for this kitchen." Shell: "What? You?" Shell: "Just so you know, your customers don't care that you're only a kid. Once he's received an order," Mao: "You're quite right to be angry." Mao: "If you don't mind, could you give me a chance to regain my honor?" Mao: "I'll cook you a dish that will satisfy all your demands." Shell: "Interesting. In that case," Shell: "cook me an egg dish." Shell: "But an ordinary egg dish would be boring. I want you to use three kinds of eggs!" Meili: "What?" Shirou: "Three kinds?" Shell: "I want to eat an egg dish that draws out the flavor of all three." Shell: "Well? Can you do that, kid?" Mao: "Your order has been received." Meili: "This is all your fault." Shirou: "It's your fault for being tricked by my cooking." Meili: "Anyway, it's ridiculously difficult to cook with three types of eggs." Meili: "And you can't draw out the flavors of all three. Whether you fry, steam, or saute, the flavors are sure to mix." Shirou: "The bigger mystery is this man. Normally no one would notice something as subtle as quick-frying, but he noticed immediately and made strange demands. Then there's that long stick wrapped in cloth. Who is he, anyway?" Mao: "Thank you for waiting." Shirou: "A steaming basket? All right, open it." Shell: "Ah, you made shumai." Shell: "Just so you know, I'm real picky when it comes to shumai." Shell: "Yellow skins topped with shiny black bits." Shell: "I see." Shell: "The first is chicken eggs." Mao: "That's right!" Shell: "The second is duck eggs. And the black bits glistening on top of these shumai are century eggs." Mao: "All that just by looking?" Shell: "It seems I'll have to try them to know what the third is." Shell: "So, this is the third egg." Shell: "Delicious! The sweetness of the chicken eggs mixed into the skins" Shell: "The lively melody of the third egg mixed into the stuffing" Shell: "The identity of the third egg is..." Shell: "Crab eggs." Mao: "That's right. I stuffed the meat jam full of Shanghai crab eggs," Shell: "Chicken, duck, and finally crab eggs." Shell: "Three choices with impressive synergy. I'm also impressed by your spirit to serve a shumai egg dish." Shell: "Interesting." Shell: "Bluntly speaking, you're quite interesting." Shell: "I'm Xie Lu, a dim sum chef from Shanxi Province." Shell: "When it comes to shumai, I consider myself the best in the land. I need you to accept my challenge" Shell: "I have no reason. No wager is necessary." Shell: "I challenge you to a shumai contest, man-to-man." Shell: "And besides, you can do better than this. The time has finally come for me to use this again." Mao: "What are those marks?" Shell: "My personal history." Shell: "I carve a mark into my staff for every top class chef I defeat." Luou: "Walking around with that vicious looking thing. You must be Xie Lu." Meili: "Xie Lu?" Luou: "Traveling all across the land," Luou: "Dim Sum Master Xie Lu of the Steel Staff." Cook: "The Dim Sum Master? I've never seen him before." Shell: "So the eminent Master Luo and Chef Zhou Yu have arrived." Shell: "Interesting." Shell: "You'll be the ones to judge this contest." Cook: "Who does he think he's talking to?" Luou: "I work here." Shell: "Regardless, you'll choose me." Luou: "You heard him, Mao." Mao: "I won't lose." Chouyu: "You have two hours. You can use any of the ingredients and tools available to you in this kitchen." Chouyu: "Your goal is to cook enough shumai for 50 people." Chouyu: "Master Luo will judge their taste." Chouyu: "Begin!" Shirou: "Fifty people?" Cook: "So fierce. I've never seen anyone use their hands like that." Cook: "Xie Lu set a bunch of dough balls in a row." Shell: "Now, then." Mao: "He's finally going to use his steel staff." Both: "What?!" Cook: "Unbelievable. He flattened dozens of skins in an instant." Mao: "H-He's amazing..." Shirou: "Mao, this is no time to be gawk! What are you going to do?!" Mao: "I'm actually going to spin mine, too." Shirou: "What?" Mao: "Here we go." Meili: "He's spinning the skin itself. The skin..." Meili: "The skin keeps..." All: "Getting bigger!" Mao: "Shirou, prepare the round table!" Shirou: "G-Got it!" Shirou: "Wow, Mao! They're super thin!" Both: "Yes!" Cook: "Xie Lu is choosing his ingredients for his filling!" Shell: "The Yang Spring Restaurant doesn't disappoint. I'm impressed that you have this." Chouyu: "He's taking the Kinka pork I planned to use in tonight's main dish." Meili: "Kinka pork?" Chouyu: "Famous for producing the highest quality ham," Cook: "What's he doing now?" Cook: "He split his staff in two!" Cook: "He's pounding the meat with brute force! I don't believe it!" Cook: "He knows exactly how to cut the pork!" Shirou: "Mao, this isn't good." Mao: "Don't worry, Shirou. I have a secret plan." Shirou: "A secret plan?" Cook: "The pouch is split into four sections! Each one has a different filling. How clever. What's up with their weird shape?" Cook: "You should've made all four the same." Shell: "You don't understand." Shell: "This is the ultimate form of shumai: the Golden Ratio Shumai!" Cook: "Golden ratio? What does that mean?" Shell: "Try one and you'll understand." Luou: "I shall." Luou: "Marvelous." Luou: "The tender mouthfeel of the minced shrimp. The brilliantly fresh crispness of the greens. The soft sweetness of the yolks. And finally, the supremely rich and smooth flavor of the Kinka pork. Its greatest achievement lies in the balance" Luou: "Isn't that right, Xie Lu? I'm impressed, Master Luo." Luou: "All my shumai follow the same ratio of meat to other ingredients. 8 to 5." Shell: "In other words, the golden ratio." Meili: "So that's why they have such a strange shape." Cook: "I see. They're delicious! The ingredients work so well together! I had no idea the ratio had such an effect on the flavor. And the techniques he used to create it were impressive." Cook: "No wonder they call him the Dim Sum Master!" Shirou: "What? That's nothing. After all, Mao has a secret strat—" Shirou: "Mao?" Mao: "I can't do it, Shirou." Mao: "I lost this contest." Shirou: "What?" Mao: "My dish is exactly the same as his. My secret strategy was to cook with four different ingredients." Mao: "What should I do?" Mao: "I chose to accept his challenge." Mao: "I want to fight back." Mao: "Is there anything I can do?" Shirou: "Mao, there's no time! Fifty people! You have to make at least enough shumai for 50 people!" Mao: "Fifty." Shirou: "Mao!" Meili: "Fresh flour? You're going to start over now?" Shirou: "What are you thinking, Mao?" Shell: "Th-This kid..." Cook: "But he has only half the time left! He can't cook a dish to beat Xie Lu's now. Not even Mao can pull that off." Shirou: "Believe in Mao!" Shirou: "Mao, what should I do?!" Mao: "Get the steaming basket in the back!" Shirou: "Got it!" Chouyu: "It's time, Mao. Present your dish." Cook: "What is that? What's he thinking?" Chouyu: "Open it, Mao." Mao: "I call it the Big Bang Shumai. It's done!" Cook: "This shumai certainly would feed 50 people." Shell: "A desperate bluff." Shell: "A giant shumai like that won't be cooked properly in the middle." Cook: "It's shaped like a shumai. But how does it taste?" Shell: "I knew it. It's not cooked properly." Luou: "Mao." Luou: "You used that, didn't you?" Luou: "Charcoal. Isn't that right, Mao?" Mao: "Yes. Before steaming it, I cooked the filling over charcoal." Mao: "A smokeless charcoal cooks from the inside out." Meili: "The master is taking bites from all over the place. Why is he eating with such poor manners?" Luou: "I see." Luou: "That's why you call it the Big Bang Shumai." Shell: "What?" Shell: "The cross section looks like marble?" Luou: "You understand the meaning of these ever-changing patches, don't you, Xie Lu?" Shell: "Could it be?" Luou: "Here he pounded tough flank meat," Luou: "These are boneless ribs. He pounded these, as well, producing a marbled fatty meat with juicy flavor." Shell: "This is the womb." Shell: "This is chewy stomach. This is pork feet." Shell: "You're one interesting guy." Shell: "In other words..." Mao: "That's right." Mao: "I captured the deliciousness of an entire pig in this shumai." Luou: "That's right." Luou: "In this single shumai is a universe of one single organism." Shell: "You can wrap however much of whichever part you want in this silky skin." Shell: "The flavor changes from place to place. You can't stop eating. Each section is delicious on its own," Cook: "Let me have some! Me, too!" Cook: "This is the head. I found some heart. You're taking too much at once! This is great! It's like a treasure hunt." Shell: "The Big Bang Shumai, huh? As someone who only saw shumai as dim sum," Cook: "So good!" Shell: "His imagination is on such an enormous scale." Shell: "It's amazing. You're truly amazing, Liu Maoxing." Shell: "You won this battle. Right, Master Luo?" Shell: "Kid, I now understand just how skilled you are." Shell: "But yours is no ordinary strength, is it?" Shell: "I see." Shell: "And you're the one who cooked that soggy vegetable stir fry, aren't you?" Shell: "Thanks. Because of you, I met Mao. And when Mao was cornered," Shell: "Thank you." Shirou: "What?" Mao: "Of course, Xie Lu." Mao: "After all, Shirou is..." Mao: "my one and only partner." Shirou: "Mao!" Shell: "A spirit that doesn't give up even on the brink of despair." Shell: "A heart that fervently believes in him." Shell: "The Big Bang was born when those two came together. You guys are the best!" Meili: "I couldn't believe in Mao back there." Shirou: "Believe in Mao!" Meili: "I've been studying cooking so I can be useful to Mao." Meili: "Maybe I'm not good enough. Maybe I can't become Mao's partner." Meili: "What's this?" Man: "An invitation to a dinner party. For you, your father, and one more." Man: "We'd like for your friend to come, as well."

All: "What an unusually large hot plate! And he's ready to go!" All: "Meanwhile, Mao..." All: "He's cooking with just one pot, huh?" ei: "The tasting will begin in two hours. The winner of this contest will cook for the prince." ei: "Now... Begin!" Zhuqi: "Check this out. Watch as my chopsticks dance along this hot plate in a demonstration of my tribe's greatest cooking skills. First, leeks. Then comes the duck meat marinated in soy sauce, alcohol," Zhuqi: "ginger sauce, sugar, and sesame oil." Zhuqi: "I'll use every last inch of this piping hot plate. The truth worth of these long chopsticks is their ability to flip ingredients without cease! The scent of the fragrant pine firewood I carefully selected passes through this slatted hot plate, giving the meat a superior aroma. This traditional Mongolian recipe is the land's greatest grilled dish: Mongolian Barbecue!" Zhuqi: "What do you think? For me, cooking is a performance. And cooking's ultimate performance is the aroma!" All: "Keep it up, Zhu Qi!" Zhuqi: "What do you think, Liu Maoxing?!" Zhuqi: "What?!" Zhuqi: "What's with that attitude? I don't like it. And what's this sweet, perfume-like smell?" Zhuqi: "It's Szechuan's famous Luzhou Laojiao liquor. What's he planning on doing with that?" Shirou: "Mao, he's winning over the hearts of the audience again." Shirou: "What are you gonna do about it?!" Zhuqi: "There! This coriander's the finishing touch!" Zhuqi: "Now my dish will become even more fragrant!" All: "Looking good, Zhu Qi!" Zhuqi: "How do you like that?" Zhuqi: "I don't get it. What is he doing?!" Zhuqi: "Hey, Liu Maoxing! What do you think you're doing? I'm cooking my heart out over here." Mao: "I'm taking this contest seriously." ei: "Everyone fears what they don't know." ei: "That's why Zhu Qi frightened and confused Mao. But now that your true identity has been revealed... Five Tiger Star Zhu Qi, it's your turn to fear him." Mao: "All right. It's done." All: "The flames are vanishing." All: "I see something." Shirou: "What is that?" Keling: "An egg?" Mao: "Zhu Qi, would you like a taste..." Zhuqi: "What?" Mao: "...of the immortal flavor breathing inside this egg?" Zhuqi: "What? Immortal flavor?" Luan: "It's huge! What kind of egg is this?" Mao: "You'll known once you taste it." Shirou: "Inside the egg is..." Keling: "A steamed duck?" Luan: "It's finally time. I have to taste the dishes. A steamed duck... It looks white and simple." Luan: "Damn it! I have a terrible sense of taste. There's no way I can taste subtle flavors!" Luan: "What? No! This is no duck!" All: "What?" Luan: "It's a super duck that has far surpassed the standard duck. This intense flavor was amplified a hundred times over within the egg and was reincarnated as..." Luan: "A phoenix! It's truly an immortal flavor that lives eternally in my tongue's memory!" Mao: "Liu Maoxing's special Phoenix Bowl is complete!" Luan: "How did you produce this flavor?! You hardly did anything that looked like cooking." Mao: "Look carefully at the egg shell." Luan: "Is this salt?" Mao: "I encased the whole seasoned duck inside salt hardened using egg whites to form the egg. I laid down a nest made from thin strips of taro, placed the egg in a pot full of Luzhou Laojiao, burned off the alcohol, and heated the egg while adding flavor." Mao: "All I had to do was wait for the alcohol to burn off." Mao: "It's not that I wasn't cooking. Waiting is part of cooking, too." Zhuqi: "This brat..." Mao: "The salt functioned as a steamer for evenly cooking the egg. It prevents the flavor of the duck from escaping, condensing and amplifying it instead. It not only adds the aroma of grilled salt to the meat, but also draws out the sweetness of the duck. It's the ultimate steamer. Additionally, the remaining fragrant grilled salt serves as the perfect seasoning just before you bite into the duck." Luan: "Simple and strong flavors and preparation! Mild flavor and dignity! From the idea to the presentation, it is a dish fit to serve the prince!" Shirou: "All right! Mao's as good as won! He's made a comeback!" Zhuqi: "I see." Zhuqi: "Then let me show you my power." Luan: "I believe you prepared Mongolian Barbecue, correct?" Zhuqi: "Give me one second." Zhuqi: "My dish..." Zhuqi: "is not yet complete." Zhuqi: "All right. The time is ripe." Shirou: "He dug something up." Keling: "It's a muddy pot." All: "Is that a soup?" Zhuqi: "Duck, Jinhua ham, dried sea cucumbers, dried squid, dried prawns, bamboo shoots, and shiitake mushrooms. I sealed the delicacies of land and sea inside this pot and boiled it low and slow to create the ultimate luxurious soup." All: "Its aroma is more complex and mellow than the grilled meat." Zhuqi: "I actually had this soup cooking from the start. The flame I used to heat the hot plate also heated the buried pot. Like Mao said, waiting is part of cooking." All: "Impressive, Zhu Qi! So clever!" Zhuqi: "This bottled barbecue that combines grilled meat and soup is my completed dish." Shirou: "Either way, that's odd." Shirou: "He dug up the pot like he knew when the soup would be done." Shirou: "How did he know when it would be ready?" Mao: "That's his ability." Shirou: "What?" Mao: "He guessed the flavors of my dishes without tasting them and determined the doneness of the soup sealed inside the pot without digging it up or opening it. There's only one sense that can do that." Mao: "It's smell. His keen nose allows him to determine the qualities of an ingredient without touching it and accurately identify them without tasting them." ei: "You noticed, Mao. Then you must already know what his other secret is." Zhuqi: "Go ahead, Governor." Luan: "This combination of grilled meat and soup are playing a marvelously fragrant duet." ei: "Zhu Qi's other secret will be revealed in this tasting." Luan: "Th-This flavor..." Zhuqi: "Well, Governor?! I've combined China's most fragrant Mongolian barbecue with a bottled soup bursting with flavors derived from luxurious ingredients!" Zhuqi: "The aromas of both dishes are mixed together in one miraculous dish! There's no way it doesn't taste good!" Luan: "It's disgusting." Zhuqi: "What?!" Zhuqi: "What did you just say, you pig?" Luan: "You're not qualified to be a chef." Zhuqi: "What?" Zhuqi: "Who do you think I am? You shouldn't casually make such shocking remarks!" ei: "Zhu Qi." ei: "We have the results of the governor's judgment." Zhuqi: "Hold on, Mr. Dragon Chef. I know this old man has an incredibly poor sense of taste. Why doesn't he tell us what fault he found in my flawless dish? Or are you working with them, too?" Luan: "Silence, monkey." Luan: "I may have a poor sense of taste, but it's obvious even to me. The exceptionally fragrant and richly flavored Mongolian Barbecue. The Bottled Soup flavored with luxurious ingredients of the land and sea. Each one is luxurious and well-made." Luan: "But when combined, they feel incomplete." Luan: "The crispy grilled meat becomes slimy, emphasizing its strong flavor. The powerful smell of the grilled meat erases the flavors of the soup, emphasizing only the unpleasant stench of the land and sea. When tasted using only the nose, they still appear to play a duet of aromas. But the contrasting strong flavors fight and erase one another." Luan: "It's a diffuse reflection of flavors!" Zhuqi: "That's impossible!" ei: "Zhu Qi." ei: "Let me ask you something. After mixing the grilled meat and soup, if you'd boiled your dish again, the flavors would've come together." ei: "Why didn't you do that?" Zhuqi: "B-Because if I had, the grilled meat would've lost its aroma." Zhuqi: "That's all. Are we done here?" ei: "Governor, could you please tell us your judgment?" Luan: "It's hardly necessary for me to repeat my judgment, Lord Fei." ei: "Very well." ei: "The winner of the Chrysanthemum Tower Duck Contest is Super Chef Liu Maoxing." Mao: "All right! I did it!" Shirou: "Yes!" Keling: "Now Mao will have the honor of cooking for the prince." Shirou: "You're the phoenix, Mao!" Mao: "I did it, Shirou!" Meili: "Mao!" Mao: "M-Mei Li..." Meili: "Mao, I... I..." Mao: "I'm glad you're all right." Meili: "Mao?" Meili: "This pendant..." Mao: "Mei Li." Mao: "Let's visit the Leshan Giant Buddha together." Meili: "Okay." All: "Good for you, Mao! Ladykiller! This contest is adjourned. See you later, Mao." Zhuqi: "What do you want? The contest is over. Because I skipped tasting my dish at the end, I—" ei: "You're wrong." ei: "It's not that you didn't taste it." ei: "It's that you couldn't." ei: "Zhu Qi." ei: "You don't have a sense of taste, do you?" Keling: "Zhu Qi has no sense of taste?!" Shirou: "You mean he can't taste anything?" ei: "That's your secret. It's the reason you hate cooking and acquired your exceptional sense of smell. Despite your skill as a chef, your fixation on smell and last minute failure prove it." ei: "Isn't that right, Five Tiger Star Zhu Qi?" Zhuqi: "I'm impressed, Dragon Chef Lan Feihong." Zhuqi: "That's right. I'm Sky Soaring Great Sage Zhu Qi." Zhuqi: "Top-ranking chef of the Cooking Underworld, Five Tiger Star Zhu Qi." Keling: "No way. Zhu Qi." Keling: "Why did you join the Cooking Underworld?" Zhuqi: "When I was a little kid, I lost my parents, who were chefs. I was all alone in the world. That day, standing alone in the middle of the Mongolian plains, I was just waiting for the wolves to eat me." Zhuqi: "Dad, Mom. I can't do it. I can't live alone out here." Kaiyou: "Don't rush to your death, boy." Kaiyou: "I shall grant you the power to live." Zhuqi: "The man who found me was Cooking Underworld leader, Dragon in the Clouds Kai You. I just happened to be gifted, so I trained my skills under Kai You and rushed up the Underworld's ladder. But one day, I fell ill. For ten days, I suffered from a high fever." Zhuqi: "And when it was over..." Zhuqi: "My tongue! I can't taste anything!" Zhuqi: "A chef without a sense of taste? Impossible. This means my death in the Cooking Underworld. What am I supposed to do?! What can I do from here?!" Zhuqi: "That's when the blood of my equestrian people was awakened. The ability to detect both distant enemies and prey on the wind blowing across the plains. The sense honed by my tribe. My sense of smell. Instead of my sense of taste, I'd hone my sense of smell" Zhuqi: "and rise up in the Cooking Underworld. I got on my hands and knees like a dog and trained my sense of smell like my life depended on it. And then, finally, I was promoted to Five Star Tiger." Zhuqi: "But I paid dearly for it. People were delighted by the flashy performances I put on using my long chopsticks and aromas. They happily ate my food." Zhuqi: "But I didn't know the joy of my own flavors. Of eating my own food." Zhuqi: "Gradually, I lost my love for cooking." Zhuqi: "All that's left now is hate." Zhuqi: "Mao, you're lucky." Zhuqi: "The more you cook, the more your love for cooking grows." Mao: "I understand now that you went through a lot of pain. But no matter the reason," Mao: "I can't forgive you for poisoning Mei Li." Zhuqi: "That was a miscalculation." Zhuqi: "That's right. My plans were already starting to go off track from that moment." Zhuqi: "My plan to crush your spirit, Mao." Zhuqi: "I wasn't expecting Mei Li to do that." Meili: "I request that I be allowed to judge their contest." Zhuqi: "Do you know how I felt when I poisoned Mei Li's chopsticks?" Zhuqi: "It really was love at first sight, Mei Li. From the moment I met you in the mountains, not realizing you were Mao's friend." Mao: "Zhu Qi..." Zhuqi: "Mao, I wish I could've met you sooner." Zhuqi: "But it's too late, now." Shirou: "His precious cooking utensils!" Mao: "What do you think you're doing, Zhu Qi?" Zhuqi: "I don't need these anymore." ei: "Zhu Qi, where are you going?" Zhuqi: "Who knows? I can't go back to the Cooking Underworld now. I'll go wherever the wind takes me." ei: "You know the Underworld won't allow a loser to escape." Zhuqi: "What a beautiful sunrise." Zhuqi: "Things would be so much easier if it would melt my body away." Meili: "Zhu Qi, I'll never forget." Meili: "The taste of those mooncakes." Meili: "I'll never forget!" Zhuqi: "Thanks." Mao: "That smile that seemed to melt into the deep red morning sun" Mao: "was forever burned into the back of my mind. I'll probably never forget the proud name of Five Star Tiger Sky Soaring Great Sage Zhu Qi." Prince: "This Phoenix Bowl is a marvelous dish." Prince: "Fei, who cooked this dish?" ei: "Guangdong Super Chef Liu Maoxing." ei: "The only man in this world who I consider my rival." Prince: "I want him. I want him to cook in the court kitchen! Do you think you could recruit him?" ei: "Recruit Mao?" ei: "I'm not sure I can." ei: "He may seem docile, but he's quite stubborn." Shirou: "You did it, Mao! Now that we know this is a map of Chengdu, this'll take no time at all." Mao: "Yeah. The legendary utensil is in Chengdu." Mao: "Thanks for your help, Sis." Keling: "I'm glad I was able to be useful. You're finally leaving, huh?" Keling: "Huh? Mei Li, what's wrong?" Meili: "Um, Mao. Here..." Mao: "Thanks, Mei Li! You mended it for me." Meili: "I caused a lot of trouble this time." Keling: "See you later!" Shirou: "All right! Fresh start!" Mao: "The fourth utensil is right before our eyes in Chengdu!" All: "Let's go!"

Xielu: "Sorry, I need a break." Leien: "At this rate, we'll never get there." Leien: "I'll acquire some horses from that village there. I'll be right back." Xielu: "He's full of energy." Kaiyou: "We've acquired a marvelous bit of information. Ya Kan, the next utensil is at Mount Tai." Yakan: "Mount Tai... That isn't so far from here at Mount Liang, Kai You." Kaiyou: "Indeed. It's just before our eyes." Yakan: "Are you suggesting that I go?" Kaiyou: "I knew you'd figure it out, Ya Kan. We can't allow them to plunder anymore of those treasures. We must acquire this utensil—" Like: "What's this?" Yaxian: "The utensil from Mount Tai that you were just fussing over." Like: "Five Tiger Star Lord Ya Xian the Wanderer. Did you acquire the utensil at Mount Tai by yourself?" Yaxian: "It wasn't easy." Yakan: "Ya Xian. You acted without our permission again." Yaxian: "Don't be angry, Ya Kan. You're way too uptight." Kaiyou: "Ya Xian, where did you acquire that information about Mount Tai?" Yaxian: "A toast. Let's share a drink." Xielu: "You're taking forever, Lei En." Xielu: "What's that?" Xielu: "Water! Oh, thank the heavens—" Xielu: "Damn it..." Xielu: "What a stylish performance." Xielu: "She's crying. What's she sad about?" Xielu: "Tears..." Xielu: "I see. The source of this oasis is this woman's tears." Xielu: "What a nice view." Xielu: "Who's there? Is that you, Lei En?" Xielu: "Did you take care of me?" Xielu: "Thank you. I really owe you one." Xielu: "Where are you headed?" Mila: "To Dunhuang." Xielu: "Dunhuang? What a coincidence. I'm also—" Xielu: "Wait. Why were you crying earlier?" Leien: "Sorry I took so long." Xielu: "What?" Xielu: "Lei En, where did she go?" Leien: "Who's "she"?" Leien: "What are you talking about?" Xielu: "What? Huh? Was she an illusion?" Xielu: "No, I clearly remember that feeling on my lips. She was definitely real!" Xielu: "Let's go, Lei En." Xielu: "To Dunhuang. Hurry up!" Leien: "What?" : "Dunhuang. The oasis on the Silk Road where Eastern and Western cultures first meet. It is an exotic city where all manner of peoples come and go." Leien: "The topography around here resembles what's shown on that map. Xie Lu, get the map out." Xielu: "Hey!" Xielu: "Did you see a pretty lady with green eyes and beautiful hair?" Leien: "That's enough. Don't forget about our important mission. Remember what we swore to Mao that day on the Yangtze River." Leien: "After that, we accidentally lost half the map to them after a scuffle." Leien: "They could show up here at anytime. Every second counts!" Xielu: "I know. I know that, Lei En." Xielu: "But, you see, I seem to have fallen in love." Leien: "In love? With who?" Xielu: "With the beautiful woman who gave me water in that desert." Leien: "There was nobody around when I returned. Perhaps it was a dream." Xielu: "Maybe you're right." Xielu: "But I can still feel it. My body still remembers how she felt." Leien: "This is nonsense." Leien: "This must be a joke." Xielu: "Shut up! You wouldn't understand... this feeling welling up inside me! You're a cold-blooded man formerly of the Cooking Underworld!" Leien: "What was that? I dare you to say that again!" Xielu: "That shine. Her crystal earrings! I've found her!" Leien: "Are you out of your mind, Xie Lu?!" Xielu: "Excuse me. Move, please!" Leien: "Do what you want." Man 1: "She's been standing in front of that tower for several days now. What kind of man keeps a beautiful woman like that waiting?" Man 2: "Seriously. I'm jealous." Xielu: "In front of the tower?" Xielu: "It must be her." Xielu: "Hey!" Mila: "You..." Xielu: "I found you." Xielu: "I finally found you!" Xielu: "You're not getting away from me anymore." Xielu: "Oh, sorry! Couldn't help myself. Because you saved me at the oasis, as you can see, I'm full of life. Tell me your name, please. And allow me to thank you. What do you want to eat? Shark fin soup? An imperial feast?" Xielu: "I'd like to reserve all your time today." Mila: "I can't." Xielu: "Wh-Why not?" Mila: "I'm waiting for someone here. Until they arrive..." Xielu: "I-I see. Then if it's not too much trouble, could I wait here with you?" Mila: "What?" Xielu: "Naturally, once who you're waiting for arrives, you can prioritize them over me. But..." Mila: "But?" Xielu: "I feel like if I take my eyes off you now, I'll never see you again. So, please. Let me stay here." Mila: "It seems the person I'm waiting for won't show up today, either." Xielu: "Looks that way. Are you going to wait here for them again tomorrow?" Mila: "Yes." Xielu: "I see." Mila: "Thank you for today. Because you were here, the time I spent waiting felt a little shorter." Xielu: "I'm glad to have been useful." Mila: "I understand now after spending today with you." Mila: "You're a very warm person. Just standing next to you feels like being embraced by the sun." Mila: "So..." Mila: "To thank you for today, allow me to have dinner with you tonight." Xielu: "Hey!" Mila: "What is it?" Xielu: "I'm glad you're here again today." Mila: "Um..." Mila: "If the person I'm waiting for doesn't show up today, I'm going to give up." Xielu: "Give up?" Mila: "I'm thinking about traveling elsewhere." Xielu: "I see. Of course. Where are you headed next?" Mila: "I haven't decided yet." Mila: "I was hoping you'd decide for me." Xielu: "That makes me happy. I'm so happy! I feel like I've gotten an eternally glittering diamond." Mila: "And I never expected to meet someone like you." Xielu: "Yeah. I can't believe it, either." Mila: "Come to think of it, I never got your name." Xielu: "Xie Lu. Xie Lu of the Steel Staff, from Shanxi Province. I'm a moderately famous dim sum master." Mila: "Your name is Xie Lu." Xielu: "Yeah. By the way, your name—" Mila: "Could you do something for me?" Xielu: "Sure. Ask me anything." Mila: "Could you give me the map to the legendary utensil?" Xielu: "What did you just say?" Mila: "I asked you to give me the map to the legendary utensil." Mila: "It would seem that you're the one I've been waiting for." Mila: "I..." Mila: "am one of the Cooking Underworld's Five Tiger Stars, Mi La the Green-Eyed Tiger." Xielu: "Impossible... You're one of the leaders of the Cooking Underworld? A Five Tiger Star? You mean you planned all of this since that moment?" Mila: "No. I was simply told to wait in front of this monument because a man named Xie Lu would arrive in a few days. And besides, half of a torn map must be useless to you. So... Give me the map." Xielu: "Don't look at me with those beautiful eyes!" Mila: "I'm sorry." Xielu: "Damn it. Fine. There's only one way to settle things between us." Both: "A cooking contest for the map!" Mila: "Yes." Mila: "That is my job. And I will bet not just the map, but my life, as well." Mila: "This way, please." Mila: "To the legendary Dunhuang-style cooking contest arena." Shang: "I can't believe they arrived so soon. Not only that, but Xie Lu and Lei En have had a falling out, and Xie Lu sought out Five Tiger Star Lady Mi La. If Lady Mi La battles Xie Lu, there's no way she'll lose. The remaining half of the Dunhuang map is as good as ours. All that's left is to keep an eye on Lei En, and everything will go well." Shang: "Lei En." Leien: "I knew you'd show up here. You're planning something. Spit it out, Shang." Shang: "It's too late." Leien: "What?" Shang: "None who have peered into her mirror have survived to tell the tale!" Leien: "You..." Shang: "Why'd you suddenly run off?" Shang: "All that's left of their dishes is the soup. Did you finish everything, Luo Ke?" Luoke: "No, ma'am!" Leien: "Are you blind, Shang? This is Shanxi Province's dim sum master's ultimate dish, Invisible Noodles!" Leien: "Potatoes are mixed into the flour used to make the dough. Due to the fragility of the potatoes, an ordinary dim sum chef would tear the noodles just by stretching them slightly. After stretching them with miraculous skill and focus, they achieve a total length of nearly two kilometers." Leien: "What's going on? Why do both of their bowls contain the same noodles? Only Xie Lu should be able to make noodles that can practically stretch across the land. Where is Xie Lu?" Leien: "Could it be?" Leien: "Xie Lu!" Luoke: "I trust you realize how their contest ended. The map is ours." Leien: "Wait." Leien: "Let's fight once more for the map. Lei En of the Seven Star Knives will take you on!" Mila: "I'll fight you." Luoke: "Lady Mi La, our top priority is to return the legendary utensil to Mount Liang." Mila: "Luo Ke, do you believe that I, a Five Tiger Star, will lose?" Luoke: "No, ma'am. I was impudent." Shang: "Then let us hold a second Dunhuang-style cooking contest." Shang: "Luo Ke will once again judge the contest." Mila: "Shang, why don't you judge the contest this time?" Shang: "What? V-Very well." Mila: "Be impartial. Is that all right, Lei En?" Leien: "It's the same no matter who judges our contest. Those two dishes were nearly identical in appearance. But Xie Lu lost. What made one better than the other? What is the power of Mi La the Mirror? Could it be?" Shang: "I shall now announce the subject of your contest. You are free to use any of the ingredients here. However, the main ingredient must be the primary protein used in Central Asia:" Shang: "Lamb!" : "Lamb. Though its flavor is similar to that of beef, it has a unique gaminess. It is low in moisture, and high in fat." Shang: "Let the cooking begin!" Luoke: "He's about to do it, ma'am." Shang: "Lei En's Raging Bull Blue Dragon Cut. A technique that allows him to cut huge chunks of meat in an instant without spilling a single drop of blood or juice. And Lady Mi La will use that same forbidden technique, as well." Shang: "Did you see that, Lei En? This is why they call her Mi La the Mirror. In other words, she can instantly recreate any technique she has seen. Her clear, childlike heart is an empty vessel. When Lady Mi La focuses all of her nerves on her green eyes, they instantly communicate with her limbs, perfectly recreating what her eyes have seen. You delicately scoop up each part before boldly tossing them aside. It's no wonder they call you a master of knife skills. But so is Lady Mi La. No matter how finely you chop your vegetables or vibrantly you fry them, Lady Mi La can copy you perfectly." Shang: "Luo Ke." Luoke: "Yes?" Shang: "What is the purpose behind the soup Lei En made?" Luoke: "It's probably a garnish." Shang: "He poured the whole soup over his shredded lamb with green peppers?! I don't understand! Why would he soak something he fried so fragrantly?" Luoke: "Perhaps it's a bold soup dish." Shang: "No matter. It's time for Lady Mi La to display her true strength. She possesses another incredible power." Shang: "Lady Mi La was born in India, the kingdom of spices. Whether an ingredient or dish lives or dies comes down to its seasoning. Familiar with spices from all over the world, Mi La instantly creates the perfect blend of spices for any dish. She is the Spice Queen!" Shang: "Do you understand now, Lei En? Like Xie Lu, you cannot resist your inevitable defeat!" Mila: "I am Mi La. I am feared as Mi La the Mirror. I am always empty. When another chef is reflected in my green eyes, his heartbeat, nerves, and muscles fill me." Mila: "Like a living mirror, I cook an identical dish right before their eyes." Mila: "The spices I prepare take every dish to the next level." Mila: "No one can defeat me." Shang: "In addition to her perfect copying technique, her knowledge of spices and prep techniques seal her victory over her enemies. Such is the unsinkable inequality of spices." Leien: "I see. Five Tiger Star Mi La, no matter what I do, there's no way for me to beat you." Louke: "The space beneath both of their kitchen counters is empty." Luoke: "Stepping on the winner's stone causes the loser's foundation to fall, dropping him to the ground." Luoke: "Death awaits the loser. We shall now judge the dishes. First, Lady Mi La's dish. Indian-style shredded lamb with green peppers." Shang: "Shredded lamb with green peppers floating in soup. It is surely a heavenly dish far superior to Lei En's version. Thank you for the food, Lady Mi La." Shang: "What's going on? The gaminess of the lamb is gone, drawing out the flavors of the soup. The flavor is flawless." Shang: "But, this unbearable sliminess... What's going on? Why did a chef as skilled as Lei En produce this dish? No matter. Regardless of his failure, that doesn't change Lady Mi La's inequality of spice." Luoke: "Ma'am, look. Lady Mi La's meat scraps..." Shang: "They're beautifully scored!" Luoke: "All of Lady Mi La's knife techniques are a copy of Lei En's. Which means Lei En's scraps are also—" Luoke: "There aren't any! There aren't any meat scraps on Lei En's counter!" Shang: "What? Could it be?" Leien: "There's no way soaking a sauteed dish would make it taste good. My actual dish is this Sheep's Liver!" Xielu: "Where am I? Oh, right. I collapsed in the desert, and..."

ei: "This... This is the Garuda Knife." ei: "This sheen, and the way it removed the gaminess from these wild birds..." ei: "It's certainly a tremendous utensil." ei: "But if I begin to rely on this, then I'll lose something." ei: "So, that's how it is. I suppose I'm meant to hold onto this for a while." ei: "The final showdown against the Underworld can't be far off." Shang: "What's going on? The gaminess of the lamb is gone, drawing out the flavors of the soup. The flavor is flawless. But, this unbearable sliminess... What's going on? Why did a chef as skilled as Lei En produce this dish?" Leien: "There's no way soaking a sauteed dish would make it taste good. My actual dish is this Sheep's Liver!" Shang: "When did you cook that soup?!" Leien: "The sheep's organs that I pretended to discard were actually main ingredient. I delicately scored the organs so that they would fully soak up the flavor, and pretended to discard them while actually throwing them in the pot at my feet. While preparing shredded lamb with green pepper on top of the counter, I poured soup and seasoning into my main dish in its blind spot, simmered it beneath my stove, and completed my Sheep's Liver dish." Shang: "I don't believe it." Mila: "Shang." Mila: "Taste the dish." Shang: "I-I'm melting! It feels like my body is melting!" Luoke: "M-Ma'am?!" Shang: "Sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, and salty. The rich flavors of the sheep's organs melt and mix together. The viscous flavor clings to the inside of my mouth, making my tongue and body seem to melt." Shang: "He's pushed the essence of flavor to a level I've never experienced before." Luoke: "Impressive, that he prepared gamy organs so well under those circumstances." Leien: "The core tenet of my cooking is ensuring all ingredients to rest in peace. In the first place, the deepest flavors of any meat are found within the organs. There's no way that a soup containing all the parts of a sheep wouldn't taste good." Mila: "Shang, tell us your judgment. Be impartial." Mila: "Shang!" Shang: "The winner of the second lamb-themed Dunhuang-style cooking contest is" Shang: "Lei En of the Seven Star Knives!" Mila: "Impressive work. You defeated the techniques of Five Tiger Star Mi La." Leien: "I have Xie Lu to thank for that. Because Xie Lu left behind his Invisible Noodles, I realized what your ability was before our contest began." Leien: "It's the reason I was able to use it against you." Leien: "Mi La, your ability to create perfect copies backfired. But that's not all. In preparing the sheep's organs, I used fragrant vegetables to erase its gaminess and added flavor. Tenaciously pushing a dish to its limit is a cooking philosophy I learned from Mao." Leien: "I wasn't fighting alone." Leien: "I had the support of my allies." Leien: "I won." Leien: "I used to be a mere Kirin Chef of the Cooking Underworld, but I escaped. The time I spent with Mao and the others turned into strength and gave me luck." Leien: "I chose the right path." Mila: "The map of Dunhuang is yours. Shang, as the judge of this Dunhuang-style cooking contest, please end the event." Mila: "Shang!" Shang: "I can't! If I step on this stone, you'll fall. I can't take the life of a Five Tiger Star, pride of the Cooking Underworld. I can't do it." Mila: "I see." Shang: "Lady Mi La, what are you doing?!" Mila: "These are the rules of the contest." Mila: "And rules are rules." Mila: "The warm evening sun..." Mila: "Finally, I'll be released from the cold spell of the Five Tiger Stars. The years I spent honing my skill with spices day after day" Mila: "transformed me into an empty and honed vessel." Mila: "Kai You taught me the inequality of the spices that I used in my contests." Kaiyou: "Someday these techniques will destroy the culinary world." Mila: "I copied the chefs cooking before my eyes and used my skill with spices to finish them off. Countless Underworld chefs were defeated and vanished." Mila: "And I came to be feared by all as a Five Tiger Star." Mila: "But..." Xielu: "That makes me happy. I'm so happy! I feel like I've gotten an eternally glittering diamond." Mila: "What was that man's sun-like warmth?" Mila: "Even after battling against and losing to me, he said..." Xielu: "I'll tell you one thing, Green-Eyed Tiger." Xielu: "You may be a Five Tiger Star, but that doesn't change how I feel." Mila: "And what was that indescribable sense of loss?" Mila: "I don't understand." Mila: "No, I don't need to understand. After all, now that I've been freed from that frozen fate, I can be embraced by the warm sun." Mila: "Xie Lu, I'm about to copy your fate." Mila: "So I..." Shang: "Lady Mi La!" Leien: "Mi La." Mila: "Xie Lu..." Xielu: "Don't do it, Green-Eyed Tiger. I thought we agreed we'd eat dinner together again today." Mila: "Xie Lu!" Xielu: "A fall from that height isn't enough to kill me." Xielu: "Ow, ow. Though, if you're going to hug me, could you be a little gentler?" Mila: "Ah, I'm sorry." Mila: "I feel like I understand now. This man might be the person who changes my destiny. Someone irreplaceable." Leien: "I see. If Mi La's copying ability had been operating at maximum effectiveness, then..." Leien: "She would've copied the dish I was secretly cooking in the pot at the same time." Leien: "But she couldn't do that because..." Leien: "Perhaps her regret over defeating Xie Lu unconsciously clouded her mirror." Shang: "We must return to Mount Liang to make our report, Luo Ke." Luoke: "Y-Yes, ma'am." Yanxian: "That won't be necessary." Shang: "That voice. Could it be? Five Tiger Star Lord Yan Xian the Wanderer!" Leien: "Yan Xiang? I don't believe it. I never thought you'd appear on the frontier here in Dunhuang." Luoke: "Lord Yan Xian, thank you for coming all this way." Yanxian: "No need for pleasantries, Luo Ke." Mila: "Yan Xian." Yanxian: "Mi La, I never thought you'd lose." Yanxian: "Now that you've handed over the map, Dunhuang's utensil is theirs. I've carefully observed the masterful dim sum techniques of the Steel Staff and the Seven Star Knives' transcendent knife skills, Xie Lu and Lei En." Yanxian: "Yan Xian the Wanderer has seen through your techniques." Leien: "The only man Kai You ever feared, Five Tiger Star Yan Xian the Wanderer!" Yanxian: "Come, let's have a drink." Yanxian: "Come on, I'm not Kai You. I didn't poison it. Now that Mi La has been defeated and you've taken the map, you can keep the utensil in Dunhuang. But I acquired the utensil at Mount Tai before you." Yanxian: "That makes us even." Xielu: "You what?" Leien: "You acquired the utensil at Mount Tai?" Shang: "Nonsense! This hardly makes us even!" Luoke: "Lord Yan Xian, what are you doing?" Yanxian: "You two idiots are useless. You'll suffer worse than this once you return to Mount Liang. Ya Kan's iron fists are waiting for you." Shang: "Lord Yan Xian!" Luoke: "Are we really going back?" Yanxian: "Mi La... The next time we meet, I'll kill you." Yanxian: "The invincible Five Tiger Stars must never be defeated. By the way, having failed to acquire the utensil, Liu Maoxing and his companions are headed towards the Underworld's headquarters in Mount Liang." Leien: "What was that?" Yanxian: "I left a message for them at Mount Tai." Yanxian: "I told them to come to Mount Liang if they want the utensil. They're probably witnessing the horrifying strength of head Underworld Five Tiger Star Kai You." Leien: "Kai You?" Xielu: "Mao!" Old Woman: "Finally, I'm the last one." Mao: "This village seems to be deserted. Did something happen?" Old Woman: "Last year, this village was hit by a major famine." Old Woman: "Many villagers suffered. Some died. Dragon in the Clouds Kai You descended from Mount Liang to bring us massive quantities of rice and ingredients." Mao: "Kai You?" Meili: "Dragon in the Clouds Kai You?" Old Woman: "Ever since those noble bandits settled on that mountain during the Sung Dynasty, for 700 years their descendants have lived in that terrifying castle. Using the ingredients he brought, he cooked for us and saved all the villagers from starvation." Old Woman: "The villagers worshiped him as a god. However..." Kaiyou: "All right. Take them all to Mount Liang." Man: "Yes, sir." Woman 1: "No!" Woman 2: "What are you planning to do with our children?!" Kaiyou: "If they're lucky, they'll survive as Kirin Chefs." Man 1: "Kirin Chefs? They'll become cooks, then." Man 2: "And what if they're unlucky?" Kaiyou: "They won't die right away." Man 3: "You fiend..." Kaiyou: "They'll become noble sacrifices paving the way towards a happy world ruled by chefs." Shirou: "Isn't Dragon in the Clouds Kai You..." Meili: "The head of the Five Tiger Stars and brains of the cooking Underworld who Lei En and Xie Lu feared." Mao: "Kai You... So you're the ringleader of China's Cooking Underworld." Kaiyou: "This soup I cooked at the village at the foot of the mountains... His exceptional sense of smell confirmed it." Kaiyou: "You were my ultimate and final guinea pig." Kaiyou: "My Devil's Eight Trigrams is complete. It's time for our final plan to be put in motion." Kaiyou: "My 1,108 elite Kirin Chefs have grown up. I have granted them the ultimate techniques and knowledge, as well as the Devil's Eight Trigrams." Kaiyou: "The time has come to dispatch them across the land!" Xielu: "I'm sorry, but our friends are in trouble. We need to find the utensil shown on this map and head to Mount Liang." Mila: "All right." Xielu: "You should leave this place immediately before the Underworld comes looking for you." Mila: "I will." Leien: "Let's go, Xie Lu. There's no time." Xielu: "Yeah." Mila: "Xie Lu." Mila: "Will you find me again?" Xielu: "Yeah, of course." Xielu: "I'll keep our dinner date until then." Mila: "I'll be waiting, Xie Lu." Xielu: "Yeah. Let's go!" Mila: "Until we meet again someday, somewhere in this land," Mila: "please keep me warm." Leien: "You could've stayed behind." Xielu: "Given the circumstances, I can't afford to. As long as I'm Mi La's sun, I can keep her warm no matter where I am." Leien: "You're right." Leien: "Let's find that legendary utensil!" Xielu: "Yeah!" Kaiyou: "Liu Maoxing." Kaiyou: "Welcome to my stronghold. The labyrinth of darkness, Mount Liang." Meili: "Lei En once passed through these gates." Mao: "The Cooking Underworld. Mount Liang. 700 years." Mao: "How many tragedies have played out during that time?" Kaiyou: "Welcome to Mount Liang." Mao: "Are you Kai You?" Kaiyou: "You must be Master Bei's son, Liu Maoxing." Meili: "What?" Shirou: "Could it be?" Mao: "Zhu Qi!"

Meili: "Zhu Qi! Even his hair has turned white." Shirou: "He's breathing, but he's out cold... What happened to him?" Mao: "Zhu Qi..." Mao: "Why did you do this to him?" Kaiyou: "He betrayed us." Kaiyou: "He got was he deserved." Mao: "What do you want? What are you trying to accomplish here?!" Kaiyou: "We are simply trying to establish righteousness." Mao: "Righteousness?" Kaiyou: "It's in the name Mount Liang. We inherited the ambition of the righteous Timely Rain Song Jiang. He entered these mountains during the Sung Dynasty, seeking to create a utopia in this rotten land. But he and his companions ultimately failed to realize their ideals. The remnants of the chefs who served him passed down his story to their descendants and eventually established the Cooking Underworld." Kaiyou: "This land is a massive culinary continent. The people follow the hand that feeds." Kaiyou: "Well, Liu Maoxing? You could hold the lives of thousands in the palm of your hand. Doesn't that sound marvelous?" Mao: "I don't want to hold people's lives in the palm of my hand." Mao: "My mother Bei and Master Zhou Yu taught me." Mao: "The zongzi you eat as a hungry traveler... The mapo tofu you eat while surrounded by warm family..." Mao: "The bowl of porridge that gently helps the sick recuperate... Helping people achieve those tiny moments of happiness is the greatest joy a chef can experience." Kaiyou: "I could kill you here and take your map, but there's one man who wouldn't accept that." Kaiyou: "Your ideals against ours. Let us prove whose are superior in a battle for our lives and the utensils." Meili: "Mao..." Shirou: "Mao!" Mao: "This will be our final battle, Cooking Underworld!" Chef A: "Wh-What a kid!" Chef B: "He shackled his own leg!" Kaiyou: "Liu Maoxing, you will be facing the Five Tiger Star who has come closest to achieving perfection. Mainstay of the Cooking Underworld, revered by all." Meili: "Could it be?" Kaiyou: "That's right. He is..." Kaiyou: "Flaming Chef Ya Kan!" Mao: "The heavens will never side with the Cooking Underworld, Flaming Chef Ya Kan." Yakan: "Our battle will determine that, Liu Maoxing, son of Lady Bei, in the most ceremonious of Mount Liang's kitchen stadiums," Yakan: "Song Jiang's resting place, the Protector of Justice Cave!" Like: "Allow me to announce the subjects selected for this decisive battle." Like: "The first subject is yakisoba! Adding color to this first-class battle is the second special subject..." Like: "...heroes of the land! Please use yakisoba to represent the heroes of China you picture in your hearts!" Like: "Lastly, the rules require the loser of this battle to pay in blood. Just as Lord Song Jiang did 700 years ago, they must drink a cup of poisoned wine." Shirou: "What?!" Like: "Let the Protector of Justice Cave battle begin!" Yakan: "I shall crush you, Liu Maoxing!" Yakan: "I swear on my honor as the Flaming Chef!" Mao: "Ya Kan." Shirou: "He cut an entire cow in half with his bare hands!" Wuyong: "That single blow is the beacon signaling the start of his flaming cooking." Ludaci: "Those skills and that spirit were born and bred in Mount Jiang. Always leading the charge, he is the great protector deity who inspires us." Kaiyou: "Impressive as always, Ya Kan. He truly is the brave leader who will shake the culinary world to its core. The spirits of the Kirin Chefs will be lifted to the heavens." Like: "Lord Ya Kan is taking this seriously. Though he gracefully withdrew on the Yangtze River that day, Mao's shadow must have grown unbelievably large inside Lord Ya Kan." Like: "That's the kind of chef Mao is." Shirou: "H-He really did it! He turned the holding pond into a sea of fire! That water buffalo and boiled fish..." Shirou: "That's it. Ya Kan's cooking a hearty yakisoba with fish and meat in a thick sauce." Shirou: "What is Mao doing? He's spending an awfully long time choosing his ingredients." Shirou: "Should he be cooking so calmly?" Kirin: "There's an unspeakably fragrant aroma coming from the holding pond!" Ludaci: "He's begun cooking his noodles in the lake of fire!" Kaiyou: "Only a man so fascinated by the god of fire could achieve such divine techniques." Meili: "Mao... What kind of hero of the land will he represent with so many ingredients available to him?" Shirou: "Mao, he's incredible! They don't call him the Flaming Chef for nothing!" Mao: "You're right. He is amazing. But ultimately, he hasn't changed since our battle on the Yangtze River." Shirou: "Huh?" Mao: "He's just doing the same thing." Shirou: "But don't forget, Mao. Ya Kan still has a mysterious power. The wondrous power he used on the Yangtze River to grill those fish without charring them. He'll use that same hellfire to overcome the greatest hurdle of cooking yakisoba, uniform browning." Mao: "Shirou, I'm not the same chef I was back then." Mao: "I figured something out through my battle against Zhu Qi." Shirou: "What do you mean?" Mao: "Ya Kan, Zhu Qi... Every Five Tiger Star has exceptional senses far greater than the common person's." Mao: "Ya Kan's power is most likely his sense of touch. His extraordinary skin accurately measures the temperature of all parts of a fire, allowing him to make optimal use of it at all times." Shirou: "Can you beat him, Mao?" Mao: "Take a look, Shirou." Shirou: "Huh?" Shirou: "The noodles are falling like a waterfall!" Mao: "This is my chance to root out the Underworld." Wuyong: "Such a vivid color!" Wuyong: "The noodles are becoming a golden brown right before our eyes!" Shirou: "Ya Kan uses his exceptional sense of touch to detect the heat of the fire and the wind pressure generated by his arms to control the heat." Like: "Chinese cuisine is about cooking with fire. Lord Ya Kan's control over fire makes him the greatest chef in the land!" Shirou: "What's he doing?" Meili: "He's steaming it so that the flavors will blend." Shirou: "He uses a knife so delicately despite his size. Damn! His skills with both fire and knives are perfect! He's a flawless chef!" Shirou: "Will you be okay, Mao?" Mao: "All done." Shirou: "Huh? What?" Mao: "I carved up a carrot. Cute, right?" Shirou: "Why are you wasting your time doing that?! Why can't you take this seriously?!" Xielu: "That's odd. It should be around here somewhere." Leien: "This wall looks like it was built later." Xielu: "Huh? All right. In that case..." Leien: "This is the sixth utensil!" Xielu: "All right!" Like: "Time's up! We'll now move onto the judging! Lord Ya Kan, who shall judge this contest?" Ya Kan: "Mei Li of Yang Spring Restaurant, you do it." Meili: "What? Who, me?" Shirou: "He's choosing someone on our side just like he did on the Yangtze River. He's as fearless as ever." Yakan: "You don't object, do you, Liu Maoxing?" Mao: "I do!" Mao: "Jade Arrowhead Li Ke, I'd like you to judge, as well." Like: "What?!" Kaiyou: "He hates losing just as much as Bei did." Yakan: "You just pulled the rug out from under yourself." Mao: "Did I?" Like: "First, Lord Ya Kan." Meili: "Wow, so thick." Like: "The subject was heroes of the land. Which hero did Lord Ya Kan choose to represent with his yakisoba dish?" Shirou: "Mao, something's not right. I don't see the beef or fish he was cooking, and his noodles aren't in a thick sauce." Shirou: "What was that?" Like: "I-Incredible! He wrapped the noodles into spirals and fried them so they'd harden into a cylindrical shape. And inside the noodles is a thick sauce as intensely hot as lava!" Wuyong: "What? He didn't pour his sauce over the noodles?" Ludaci: "He hid it inside the noodles?!" Like: "The sauce contains flatfish, sea bream, bamboo shoots, Chinese cabbage, wood ear mushrooms, and chopped vermicelli." Meili: "The powerful flavor of the noodles ties together the textures of the various ingredients that spread throughout your mouth and their light and elegant taste." Meili: "It's powerfully delicious. I can't believe he tied together so many different ingredients. What's his secret?" Like: "Could it be that the rich flavor of these noodles is..." Like: "It's beef! He made these noodles by grinding up that entire water buffalo and mixing it into the dough. Normally it's the noodles that are seasoned by the sauce, but in this case, it's the noodles that are powerfully seasoning the sauce!" Wuyong: "I've never seen anything like this." Ludaci: "The power of these noodles will allow us to bring together the culinary worlds of this land!" Ludaci: "If we follow this man, our success is guaranteed. Hurrah! Three cheers for Panther Head Ya Kan!" Like: "Lord Ya Kan, your dish is perfect." All: "Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!" Like: "How does it connect to the theme of heroes of the land?" Yakan: "Not even you can tell, huh? This is—" Mao: "This land was once divided into seven kingdoms. It was split amongst the lands of Qin, Han, Wei, Zhao, Qi, Yan, and Chu, known as the Seven Warring Kingdoms. However, two thousand years ago, there was a man who unified China for the first time in history. His name was Qin Shi Huang." Yakan: "Th-This boy..." Mao: "The six ingredients: flatfish, sea bream, bamboo shoots, Chinese cabbage, wood ear mushrooms, and vermicelli represent the six other kingdoms, and the water buffalo noodles holding them together represents the kingdom of Qin and Qin Shi Huang. Am I wrong, Ya Kan?" Yakan: "He saw through everything. In that case..." Mao: "Now, it's my turn." Yakan: "What did he make?!" Kirin: "What's that?" Ludaci: "There's nothing special about it." Like: "He's right. It's ordinary yakisoba. I'm a little disappointed." Meili: "You don't know Mao. There's no way he'd cook ordinary yakisoba for such an important battle." Yakan: "It certainly looks like ordinary yakisoba. But what have you hidden behind it, Liu Maoxing?" Both: "N-No..." Like: "It's just one dish." Meili: "But with each bite, a completely different flavor spreads throughout your mouth." Both: "That's right!" Both: "It's like eating thousands of different types of yakisoba!" Yakan: "What... What in the world did he do?!" Wuyong: "Li Ke's still eating Liu Maoxing's yakisoba without slowing down." Ludaci: "The capricious and fickle Li Ke, whose strict tongue has earned her the title of God's tongue?" Like: "I... I can't stop eating!" Mao: "This is Liu Maoxing's special Henghesha Noodles!" Ludaci: "H-Henghesha?" Kaiyou: "Henghesha..." Kaiyou: "A numerical value far greater than 100 million, or even one trillion." Kaiyou: "A term derived from the number of grains of sand in the Ganges River. Is he saying it contains that many flavors?" Like: "Wait." Meili: "What?" Like: "I'd like to confirm something." Like: "Cut, braided, folded, twisted. Though the noodles are of uniform thickness, different techniques have been applied to each individual noodle." Meili: "That's why the textures are so diverse." Meili: "I see. Unlike Ya Kan, whose dishes are browned perfectly uniformly, Mao altered the shape of his dishes and deliberately produced varied textures." Like: "This one is spinach. This one is century eggs. Crab innards, shrimp, yams, soft-shelled turtle, red perilla, and silkie chicken, too." Like: "Each noodle has a different ingredient mixed into it." Kirin: "E-Every noodle?" Meili: "It's like a compilation of all the ingredients Mao has ever encountered. That's why each bite tastes so different." Mao: "That's right. For example, the same longxia noodles taste totally different" All: "when combined with the salted duck egg noodles versus the sweet kabocha squash noodles." Mao: "Furthermore, the shapes of the noodles themselves are different, so you can enjoy the change in texture." Mao: "The combinations change every time you take a bite. The flavors and textures change endlessly. The flavors are truly limitless." Like: "No matter how delicious the first bite of yakisoba is, the persistent and monotonous flavor will eventually slow you down. But you'd never grow bored of this incredible dish that expands your appetite infinitely." Like: "So, Maoxing, how does this dish tie into the subject heroes of the land?" Mao: "Well..." Mao: "Over four thousand years, as many people as there are stars have appeared in this land. Some found success, while others failed. I think everyone who lived the best they could was the hero of their own story who fulfilled their destiny, so..." Mao: "this limitless flavor represents all the people of China." Like: "All the people?" Like: "What a mysterious dish. What is this feeling? It's like the knot inside my heart is being unraveled." Kirin: "The winner gets the utensils and the map. And the loser drinks a poisoned wine." Kirin: "Who will they chose?" Like: "Lord Ya Kan's dish made from six ingredients tied together with water buffalo noodles represented Qin Shi Huang. It embodied unification." Like: "Liu Maoxing's dish embodied liberation." Like: "Unification and liberation. Lord Ya Kan, I..." Yakan: "Li Ke." Yakan: "You don't need to pass your judgment." Like: "Lord Ya Kan?" Yakan: "The winner of the Protector of Justice Cave yakisoba battle" Yakan: "is Liu Maoxing!" Ludaci: "Impossible! The undefeated Five Tiger Star Lord Ya Kan declared his own defeat." Yakan: "His dish was impeccable in both flavor and idea. Li Ke, your tongue proved it all. Losing this contest was my destiny." Kaiyou: "No! He's going to drink it. He's actually going to drink it." Kirin: "No way..." Ludaci: "Li Ke, overturn his ruling! Why aren't you saying anything, Li Ke?" Yakan: "The rest is up to you, Kai You." Wuyong: "L-Lord Ya Kan..." Ludaci: "We're going to lose everything..." Shirou: "Is he serious?" Like: "Lord Ya Kan!"

Mao: "I've had enough!" Shirou: "Mao..." Mao: "Why does such a skilled chef have to die in a cooking contest?" Mao: "There's no telling how many thousands of people he could make happy." Mao: "The same goes for the rest of them!" Mao: "They risked their lives to hone their skills. Why would you stain that with blood?" Mao: "Control people with cooking? Yeah, right! You can't be serious! This is ridiculous!" Both: "Mao!" Mao: "It doesn't make any sense!" Mao: "You're out of your minds." Mao: "Lei En, Shao An, and Zhu Qi..." Mao: "They were all destroyed by cooking! Idiots! I wish the whole Cooking Underworld would disappear!" Mao: "Cooking is supposed to make people happy." Ludaci: "Listen, boy. Those born in Mount Liang and those who fled here have abandoned all hope of achieving any decent kind of happiness! Lord Kai You taught us the sense of accomplishment that comes from honing our skills and risking our lives! Once we've climbed to the top of Mount Liang and been turned loose, all people are our servants! After all this—" Ludaci: "Lord Ya Kan..." Yakan: "Liu Maoxing, this is Lu Daci the Flowery Monk. When it comes to cold dishes, he is unrivaled. He beat a villainous man to death for imposing exorbitant taxes and fled here to Mount Liang." Yakan: "Are you saying even a criminal like him can make people happy?" Mao: "He can atone for his crimes! After that, by exercising his great skill free of charge, he could make an entire town happy!" Mao: "No one would call him a criminal!" Wuyong: "I am Wu Yong the Knowledgeable Star, master of Chinese tea. I accidentally entered a government-owned forest and stole some tea leaves." Wuyong: "Do I have the right to make people happy, as well?" Mao: "You can brew your tea of happiness that will make tens of thousands sigh contentedly every day! Such a trivial crime would be forgiven immediately!" Kirin D: "Hey!" Kirin E: "You're not making any sense!" Kirin F: "Yeah, you're just speaking irresponsible nonsense!" Mao: "It comes down to how you feel." Mao: "Your era could start right now!" Wuyong: "Our era?" Yakan: "Did you notice? With his leg in shackles, he shed his own blood as he walked around the food storage area to gather a specific number of ingredients." All: "What number?" Yakan: "108, the number of bandits who founded our organization." Yakan: "In other words, it symbolizes us. He regards us as heroes of the land. Isn't that right, Liu Maoxing?" Kirin C: "Us?" Ludaci: "Heroes?" Kaiyou: "He's dangerous. That boy is too dangerous. I have spent years building up this organization, and he's about to destroy it all in an instant." Kaiyou: "These fools don't return my love." Yakan: "Your words don't make sense." Yakan: "But for some reason, they move my heart." Yakan: "I remember the day I battled your mother, Bei, here at Mount Liang." Yakan: "She fought fiercely. She was strong. When a winner couldn't be determined and our contest was declared a tie, she said..." Bei: "What a waste. It's such a waste, Ya Kan. A man of your skill could save so many people." Bei: "You'll realize soon enough that cooking isn't meant to control and manipulate. Cooking is meant to liberate people and make them happy!" Yakan: "As one born in the Underworld, raised in the Underworld, who blindly trained in the Underworld, I didn't understand her words." Yakan: "Throw her out!" Bei: "Ya Kan!" Yakan: "But after battling you, I feel like I finally have a vague understanding of what it is that people want from cooking." Kirin E: "Can our cooking really..." Wuyong: "...make people happy?" Mob A: "Lord Kai You, the legendary utensil..." Mob B: "This one, too!" ei: "What's this?" Leien: "Xie Lu, what's that light?" Xielu: "What light—" Xielu: "Whoa, seriously?" Kaiyou: "The eight utensils are crying out. Does this mean his words have moved the hearts of my Kirin Chefs, baring their fangs against this land? What a gift from the heavens. Truly, I am fortunate." Kirin F: "What's causing these tremors?" Shirou: "What happened?!" Yakan: "The Mount Liang reservoir has been destroyed!" Kirin: "It's raining and thundering like crazy outside!" Ludaci: "What?" Wuyong: "At this rate, the water level will rapidly rise." Yakan: "Kai You has finally abandoned Mount Liang." Like: "Get in, quickly!" Like: "Maoxing, you get in, too!" Meili: "Mao, hang in there!" Shirou: "Mao, you won't make it out with that ball and chain in this water!" Mao: "Ya Kan!" Meili: "He's badly hurt." Yakan: "We'll see how far my heat gets me in this water." Mao: "D-Don't do it, Ya Kan." Yakan: "Go, Liu Maoxing." Yakan: "To Beijing. Kai You will take the Holy Copperware and map he stole from you as well as the utensil from Mount Tai to Beijing." Yakan: "And there's one more Five Tiger Star." Mao: "Another one?" Yakan: "Be careful. Not even I fully understood him." Mao: "Ya Kan, enough. That's enough!" Yakan: "Don't underestimate a Five Tiger Star!" Shirou: "Mao!" Meili: "Mao!" Like: "Maoxing!" Kaiyou: "Put the boat out." Servant: "Lord Ya Kan and the others are still inside. Are you sure?" Kaiyou: "There's nothing to be done." Kaiyou: "It would seem that my love wasn't enough. No matter. I can always train more Kirin Chefs." Kaiyou: "I shall be the one to create a new era." Mao: "Ya Kan!" Yakan: "Get out of here, Liu Maoxing. Another wave is coming." Mao: "You're shackled to an iron ball, too." Like: "Lord Ya Kan!" Like: "Lord Ya Kan!" Like: "Lord Ya Kan!" Yakan: "I'm out of heat." Like: "Lord Ya Kan, Jade Arrowhead Li Ke will follow you anywhere." Yakan: "I'm sorry for everything, Li Ke." Ludaci: "Lord Ya Kan!" Wuyong: "Lord Ya Kan!" Yakan: "I see it. I can see it, Liu Maoxing." Yakan: "I can see the new culinary world you'll create." Mao: "Ya Kan!" Meili: "That boat..." Mao: "Huh? Ya Kan—" Mao: "Kai You!" Mao: "I'll never forgive him!" Shirou: "Mao, what's gotten into you?" Meili: "Mao, stop!" Mao: "Damn it!" Ludaci: "Kid, we'll help." Wuyong: "You're the boy who led us into a new era. Go on." Ludaci: "Come over here and grab onto my arm." Mao: "Okay." Wuyong: "Come on, everyone. Let's get this boat moving." All: "Yeah!" Ludaci: "This might be a little rough!" Mao: "I'm counting on it." Ludaci: "All right!" All: "Go on, kid! Don't let Kai You escape!" Mao: "Thank you!" Mao: "Hold on, Kai You!" Kaiyou: "What an unbelievably lucky boy. You're still alive?" Mao: "Ya Kan sacrificed his own life to save me." Mao: "You won't get away from me, Kai You!" Kaiyou: "Such a passionate boy. But I'm sure Ya Kan will regret spending the last of his heat to save your little flame." Mao: "What was that?" Kaiyou: "Frustrated, are you?" Kaiyou: "Then curse your own puny hands for being too small to grasp anything." Mao: "You blew up Mount Liang's reservoir. Because of you, Ya Kan and the others—" Kaiyou: "You can continue blaming others for the rest of your life. Those overflowing with sadness will keep appearing before your inexperienced self, only to disappear." Mao: "Don't be ridiculous!" Mao: "Kai You!" Meili: "Mao!" Kaiyou: "Son of Bei, both you and your mother are an eyesore." Mao: "I need to go to Beijing." Mao: "I have to cook my final dish." Luo: "The emperor himself is sponsoring a major cooking tournament. Open to men and women of all ages, regardless of their qualifications. Everyone with skill is encouraged to gather in the imperial capital of Beijing." Luo: "I can hear it. The earth is trembling as all the stars, both good and bad, gather in the imperial capital. Not only that, but the emperor will award the winner with the greatest of treasures, the Jade Dragon Pot." Luo: "Finally, the battle for the legendary utensils is approaching its end." Luo: "Mao, your true worth will be tested." Chef 1: "From Shaolin Hall in Henan Province, Zheng Bao would like to enter." Chef 2: "From Zhejiang Province, I am Super Chef Xi Kan." All: "Look at those two. They're the Super Chefs from Hunan Province. Brothers Ka La and Lu." All: "They call them the Dumpling Brothers!" Li: "Look at all these people." Louwen: "Unconditional entry certainly encourages participation. It's the first imperial cooking tournament. I'm excited to see what kind of chefs will gather from across the country." All: "Wh-What is that? Who are they? Who are those dangerous men?" Kaiyou: "From Mount Liang in Shandong Province, Five Tiger Star Kai You." Yanxian: "Likewise, Five Tiger Star Yan Xian! We'd like to enter the Forbidden City cooking tournament!" Li: "What? Mount Liang? Five Tiger Stars?" Louwen: "I can't believe the Cooking Underworld is openly entering the tournament." All: "The Cooking Underworld? They exist? I heard they kill to achieve their goals... Terrifying!" Yanxian: "Hey, Kai You. Sounds like we have a bad reputation." Kaiyou: "They shouldn't say such disreputable things. Today is the day my love will envelop the land." Kaiyou: "We already have two legendary utensils. We shall make full use of them at this tournament and win." Louwen: "Li, if they take the legendary Jade Dragon Pot..." Li: "The Chinese culinary world will be thrown into chaos." Li: "I don't believe it." Li: "Not a single chef capable of defeating the Five Tiger Stars has shown up yet." All: "This man will defend the Chinese culinary world!" All: "Long live Lord Shengyu!" ei: "I must hurry to the capital with this legendary utensil." Shirou: "Are we there yet?" Meili: "You were so excited at first." Shirou: "Shut up, Sis. I'm out of fuel." Mao: "Okay, Shirou. Let's eat here." Shirou: "That's what I wanted to hear. I'll gather some firewood." Meili: "I'll get some water." Shirou: "What's on the menu today?" Mao: "Well..." Xielu: "Hey!" Xielu: "Not even a Super Chef can cook a decent meal without ingredients." Leien: "Mao, sorry for the wait. This is the sixth legendary utensil." Mao: "Xie Lu, Lei En!" Xielu: "Why do you look so shocked? Just so you know, we're not ghosts." Leien: "Take a look at this." Shirou: "It's amazing!" Meili: "All the vegetables and meat are still fresh!" Shirou: "It's good! So is this." Xielu: "You've improved your skills again." Shirou: "Mao, this stuff is awesome." Meili: "Shirou, you're eating too much." Mao: "I want to deliver this little piece of happiness to more people." Mao: "That's our greatest joy as chefs." Mao: "Isn't that right, Mom?" Keling: "Mao, food's ready!" Bei: "Mao, come on!" Mao: "Okay!" Leien: "What is it?" Xielu: "Are you talking in your sleep?" Shirou: "Mao, you're so funny." Meili: "Oh, Mao. Do you want another helping?"

Man: "Do you understand? Yes, sir." Man: "Have you told him about the Super Chef? We have a different target this time. He has his own personal reasons. It's too soon to deal with the Super Chef." Man: "Understood." Shirou: "Sis. Sis! What's wrong with you? At least answer me." Meili: "Would you shut up, already?! I told you to stop calling me that, too!" Shirou: "What are you putting on airs for, Sis?" Shirou: "What's that?" Meili: "It's nothing." Shirou: "Oh, wow! It's an ice sculpture!" Zhouyu: "Mao." Mao: "Yes, sir." Shirou: "Isn't it amazing, Mao?" Mao: "Yeah. His skills are on another level." Mao: "There isn't another chef in Guangzhou as talented as Zhou Yu." Shirou: "But, Mao, what does this sculpture have to do with the flavor of his dishes?" Mao: "Cooking isn't just about flavor, Shirou." Mao: "Flavor, color, smell, form... Only when all four come together is a dish truly great." Mao: "And the ultimate manifestation of form is the creation of ice sculptures." Meili: "In a manner of speaking, my dad is the ultimate cooking fiend. His passion for cooking was so single-minded and strict" Mao: "Trouble?" Man: "Impressive!" Meili: "I received this from a foreigner yesterday." Meili: "I thought it was a prank, so I was hesitant to give it to you." Zhouyu: ""Tomorrow night, come to the Western-style mansion in Haizhong Park South." "We shall prepare the highest quality dishes made with seasonal meats" Zhouyu: "An invitation to a dinner party." Zhouyu: "Who's it from?" Zhouyu: "This mark..." Luou: "With that mark on the letter, you have to go." Zhouyu: "Master." Mao: "Huh? What does this mark mean?" Zhouyu: "In the Guangzhou culinary world, this mark means "absolute obedience."" Mao: "Absolute obedience..." Meili: "But why was I invited along with Dad and Mao?" Luou: "Indeed. Well, you'll all be together. There's nothing to worry about." Luou: "Zhou Yu, don't worry about the restaurant. Go enjoy your dinner party." Zhouyu: "Understood." Mao: "What a dense forest." Meili: "Around here, it's even dim during the daytime. The townsfolk find it creepy and stay away from here." Zhouyu: "Don't worry. It's just a bird." Meili: "I was anxious when I received the letter, but I'm curious what they'll serve at the dinner party." Mao: "Yeah." Zhouyu: "We're here." Meili: "What?" Mao: "What is this place?" Zhouyu: "A group of foreigners once barricaded themselves in this Western-style mansion when we clashed with them." Zhouyu: "It's been in ruins ever since." Old Man: "We've been waiting for you." Old Man: "In here." Mao: "Those are titans of the Guangzhou culinary world." Mao: "Did they receive invitations with that mark, too?" Mao: "And who invited them?" Old Man: "Prominent chefs of the Guangzhou culinary world," Old Man: "Tonight, please enjoy the dishes thoughtfully prepared by my master. We shall begin with this. Enjoy." Mao: "Uh, what is all this?" Zhouyu: "From the outside. Use this for the soup." Meili: "It's delicious!" Zhouyu: "It's onion soup." Zhouyu: "The pieces floating in it are bread." Mao: "This is bread? Anyway, I can't believe such a flavorful soup can be made with onion." Zhouyu: "Mao. Eat quietly." Mao: "Huh?" Zhouyu: "You mustn't make noise while you eat here." Mao: "I'm sorry. It was just so good, I couldn't slow down." Old Man: "Today's main dish is dove fried in oyster sauce." Chef: "Such unusual flavors. This isn't just oyster sauce. He's using interesting spices." Chef: "It's good. It goes perfectly with the vegetables." Meili: "They're right. This dove isn't gamy at all. It has a kick to it, and it's really good." Zhouyu: "This flavor..." Mao: "Guys, don't eat the food!" Chef: "What? Why not? But it's so good. I've never tasted a better prepared dove dish." Mao: "This isn't dove." Chef: "Yeah, right. What do you know about cooking?" Chef: "My whole body is numb!" Meili: "Mao..." Mao: "Meili!" Mao: "Are you okay, Meili?" Zhouyu: "Her pulse is a little fast." Zhouyu: "Anyway..." Mao: "This is the meat of the poisonous brown frog. It's a fake dish that cleverly disguises it as the very similar dove meat." Mao: "Who would do something like this?!" Voice: "The most prominent chefs of the Guangzhou culinary world are such fools" Voice: "But I'm impressed, Zhou Yu. You weren't fooled." Zhouyu: "Who are you?" Mask: "Surely you haven't forgotten me, Zhou Yu." Mao: "A masked chef?" Mao: "Was it you who poisoned the chefs?!" Mask: "It's been a while, Zhou Yu. Don't tell me you've forgotten me." Zhouyu: "You're still alive? After inviting us here with your damned letter," Zhouyu: "What do you want?" Mask: "Revenge. Zhou Yu, I have lived for the sole purpose of getting revenge on you today." Mask: "I challenge you, Zhou Yu. You cannot refuse." Mao: "Revenge?" Mao: "What happened between the two of them?" Mask: "Unless I administer the antidote before this clock runs out," Mask: "You can't get the antidote unless you defeat me, Zhou Yu." Mao: "This is inhuman!" Mask: "Of course you can't reject my challenge when your daughter's life is on the line!" Zhouyu: "It's fine. Take care of Meili." Zhouyu: "How will we compete?" Mask: "It goes without saying. Just like then, three courses of longxia." Zhouyu: "You..." Mao: "Like "then"?" Mask: "A three-round contest using longxia, or spiny lobster." Mask: "As you know, the first contest is a contest of garnishes." Mask: "We shall prepare these lobsters under a certain condition, of course." Mao: "What?" Mao: "Blindfolds?" Mask: "Eyes covered and in the dark, we will blindly prepare a dish of live lobster." Mao: "Zhou Yu can't lose a contest of garnishes." Zhouyu: "Why are you doing this now? No matter how many times you try, you can't beat me!" Mask: "You've always been the same. You've always looked down on me. But I'm different now! And don't forget... Your daughter's life is in my hands right now." Zhouyu: "Shut up. Let's begin." Mask: "Such an infuriating voice. It feeds my hatred for you. Zhou Yu, you don't stand a chance against me now." Mao: "The garnish contest in the dark has begun!" Mao: "Amazing. Even though he's blindfolded, he uses his knife just the same. Impressive, Zhou Yu." Mao: "Zhou Yu! Zhou Yu, wake up!" Mao: "A scorpion! Was it mixed in with the lobsters?" Mask: "What's wrong? Do you forfeit?" Mask: "What happened to your extraordinary chef's spirit?" Mask: "As you can see, I've finished." Mask: "Since you've forfeited the contest, I win." Mao: "How could you do this? You're willing to cheat to win?" Mask: "Cheat? Boy, did you just say I cheated?" Mask: "Then let me tell you. That man Zhou Yu once did the same thing in a match against me." Mao: "No way... You're saying Zhou Yu cheated?" Mask: "I have achieved my revenge." Mask: "It's all over now, Zhou Yu. You will know the full extent of the humiliation I have tasted since that match." Mao: "Hey, wait." Mao: "Are you forfeiting the match?" Mask: "What was that, boy?" Mao: "Two contests remain." Mao: "Your opponent will be Chef Zhou Yu's apprentice, Liu Maoxing the Super Chef." Mask: "You're a Super Chef?" Mask: "I will grant that is indeed the mark of a Super Chef." Mask: "However, my revenge is complete." Mask: "You have no right to challenge me." Mao: "Tell me! What's the second contest?" Mask: "I suppose I can tell you. The next contest is fried foods." Mask: "Are you saying you can beat me at fried foods, boy?" Mao: "What's the condition?" Mask: "The second contest is a contest of speed. Our cooking time will end once either one of us has finished." Mask: "Then we will judge each other's dishes." Mask: "I'll be finished cooking while you're still heating your oil." Mask: "Well? Are you still determined to engage in this reckless battle, hatchling?" Mao: "Cook as fast as you can. Otherwise, you won't beat me." Mask: "What was that?!" Mask: "I see. You're better than I expected, boy. Either way, you're impudent. You'll regret picking a fight with me." Mao: "Done!" Mask: "I-Impossible!" Mao: "Let's judge each other's dishes. Show me what you made." Mask: "My dish is nut-crusted lobster." Mask: "I coated the lobster in crushed nuts and fried it until golden brown. Correctly managing the temperature of the oil" Mask: "Frying the crunchy nut coating amplifies their aroma. Nothing is more delicious." Mask: "When combined with the special sauce, together they create the ultimate flavor. This combination of fried lobster and sauce is the quintessence of fried foods." Mao: "So, where's the sauce?" Mask: "The sauce..." Mao: "Where is the sauce?" Mask: "The sauce..." Mao: "In other words, it's incomplete?" Mao: "An incomplete dish doesn't need to be judged." Mask: "You impudent brat!" Mask: "Boy! What did you make?" Mask: "Is this all?" Mao: "Yeah." Mask: "Don't be absurd! Yours is incomplete, too!" Mao: "No, it's done." Mask: "Boy, you don't seem to understand. Listen closely! The essence of fried lobster lies in the combination of the fragrant flavor" Mask: "I refuse to consider your dish complete without a sauce. And look how ugly it's been fried! You simply threw one whole lobster into the oil! There's no way you fried it properly in the short time it took for me to only fry mine!" Mask: "I can't believe I played along with a stupid brat." Mask: "You've ruined my victory over Zhou Yu." Mao: "You don't get it." Mask: "What don't I understand?!" Mao: "You'll see once you taste it." Mask: "Impudent brat." Mask: "Very well. I'll have one bite." Mask: "What is this deliciousness? There's..." Mask: "sauce inside!" Mask: "Could it be? This smooth sauce is made with egg yolks and oil," Mask: "The fragrant aroma of the fried cashews coating and lobster. Together with the smooth sauce, they form an impressive combination." Mask: "But how? If you put the sauce inside the coating," Mask: "That's..." Mask: "That's tofu skin." Mao: "That's right. I wrapped tofu skin between the lobster and coating," Mao: "The tofu skin protects the sauce, preventing it from leaking out." Mao: "Spiny lobster wrapped in clouds of tofu skin." Mao: "I call it the Gold Rain Flying Dragon!" Mao: "I thought I told you to cook quickly." Mask: "Th-This boy did all this work in the time it took for me to simply fry the lobster. Such skill. Such awesome talent." Mask: "He had the keen sense of taste to identify the poison of the brown frog right away. And he's a Super Chef at such a young age..." Mask: "This boy is the apprentice Zhou Yu raised with great care." Mask: "He may one day become a dragon that disrupts the world of Chinese cuisine." Mask: "I underestimated you, boy." Mask: "It seems my revenge is incomplete unless I defeat you." Mask: "Listen closely, boy. On the right is the antidote to revive your friends. On the left is a poison that could kill an elephant with a single drop." Mask: "Our longxia battle has three rounds. I won the garnish contest, and you won the frying contest. That makes us evenly matched. The next contest will determine the winner. If you win, I'll give you the antidote." Mask: "But if you lose..." Mask: "You'll drink the poison." Mask: "Well? Do you accept, boy?" Mao: "Yes!"

Shirou: "Huh? This plate broke on its own. It gives me the creeps." Shirou: "Come to think of it, those three sure are late coming back." Xielu: "Hey!" Xielu: "Huh? It's just you, kid?" Shirou: "Zhou Yu and Mao are out, so I closed early." Shirou: "So, what do you want?" Xielu: "I heard a strange rumor. Where did Mao go?" Shirou: "To a dinner party at a Western-style mansion in the woods." Shirou: "I bet Mao's eating his fill of tasty food." Xielu: "Then you should hurry up and make a name for yourself" Shirou: "Mind your own business!" Mask: "So far our three-round longxia battle is one to one." Mask: "The third contest will determine the winner." Mask: "If you win, I'll give you the antidote. But if you lose, you'll drink all of this poison." Mao: "What's the theme of this contest?" Mask: "Stew!" Mask: "In other words, hot pot." Mao: "Hot pot?" Mask: "If you don't hurry," Mao: "How can you use cooking for your revenge?" Mao: "Don't you have any pride as a chef?" Mask: "Pride? I threw my pride away long ago," Mask: "There was a woman I loved from the bottom of my heart." Mask: "Her name was Meixiang." Mask: "She was the daughter of the proprietor whose restaurant I trained at. Not only was she good-natured, but she was famous in town for her beauty." Mask: "Now this is a problem." Meika: "I knew it'd be impossible." Lien: "Oh, no." Lien: "Okay. You said thirty people, right? I'll figure something out." Meika: "Really? You're a lifesaver! Thank you so much." Mask: "For that smile, I would've given my life. Then, one day," Mask: "a cooking contest was held with her as the prize." Mask: "The man standing in my way was my rival, Zhou Yu." Mask: "We competed in a three-round longxia battle." Lien: "Meixiang." Lien: "I'll do it. I promise I'll make you happy." Meika: "Sure." Mask: "The contest was just about to begin." Mob: "What happened?" Lien: "Th-This is... Zhou Yu, did you..." Mask: "Because of the anesthetic-tipped needle Zhou Yu hid in the lobster, I collapsed." Mask: "Without waiting for all the matches to conclude, Meixiang became Zhou Yu's!" Mask: "Defeated by Zhou Yu's dirty trap, I lost my way as a chef!" Mao: "You're obviously lying! Zhou Yu would never do something like that!" Mask: "Quiet, boy! You know nothing of my decade of suffering! I abandoned everything I'd achieved so far," Mask: "I threw myself into the cooking underworld" Mask: "Gaze upon my treasures that have absorbed my hatred!" Mao: "Guan huo!" : "Guan huo refers to dried foods made from abalone," : "They are dried not only for preservation," Mask: "Yes. These guan huo are the ingredients I failed to use" Mask: "The more time that passes, the more the unique flavor of the guan huo increases. In other words, these are the greatest of guan huo. Using these, I will create the greatest hot pot" Mask: "It will be the grand finale of my revenge!" Mask: "Let us begin, boy!" Mao: "Yeah!" Mask: "The soul of cooking is the stock. This high-quality guan huo produces a rich stock." Mask: "There is no way you can beat its deliciousness accumulated over 16 years, boy!" Mask: "He's making a stock from fruits of the land." Mask: "You've got a keen eye, boy." Mask: "But you're still only a hatchling." Mask: "Our short cooking time will result in a fatal failure!" Mask: "You underestimated your ingredients, boy. If you boil that many ingredients simultaneously," Mask: "Any scum remaining in the pot will ruin the flavors. Too bad for you." Mao: "I grew up in the mountains of Sichuan." Mask: "What?" Mask: "What's that?!" Mao: "This is my ace in the hole." Mao: "I'll show you my true strength!" Mask: "His true strength? He claims he hasn't used all his strength yet?" Mask: "This is it. This is the best Chinese stock squeezed from the ultimate guan huo. There's no way I can lose with this stock!" Mask: "No matter what you try, it's pointless. Your pot is full of scum. The star ingredient is ruined." Mask: "I'm done!" Mao: "Me, too!" Mao: "We're running out of time. Judge the dishes." Mask: "Slow down, boy." Mask: "I've arranged for the perfect person to judge our final battle." Shirou: "Ouch..." Mao: "Shirou! What are you doing here?" Shirou: "Sorry, Mao. I was worried, so I came after you. Then I got caught." Mao: "What do you think you're doing? You're getting more innocents involved?!" Mask: "We'll have him judge the dishes." Both: "What?" Mask: "He'll compare and judge the dishes" Mask: "What? It's simple. If this brat chooses your dish, you'll all be saved." Mask: "And if he chooses my dish, then you'll still drink this poison." Shirou: "Which means if I chose the masked man's dish, Sister Meili and her dad, all the important chefs of Guangzhou, and Mao will all be poisoned?! The white pot has lobster in the middle, with scallops," Shirou: "They're all expensive ingredients. The black pot has lobster in the middle," Shirou: "It's got rustic, earthy ingredients." Shirou: "But..." Shirou: "Both of them smell really good." Shirou: "Which is it? Which one is Mao's pot?" Shirou: "I can't eat them. Once I do, I'll have to make my decision immediately!" Mask: "If you don't hurry, you'll run out of time." Mask: "Not that I mind." Shirou: "Damn it!" Mao: "Shirou, don't try to choose my dish." Shirou: "Huh?" Mao: "Choose the dish you wholeheartedly believe tastes better. That's my dish." Mao: "Taste carefully and compare the scenes that unfold on your tongue." Shirou: "Mao..." Shirou: "Got it. I understand, Mao." Shirou: "I'll dedicate all my focus onto my tongue." Shirou: "Okay. First up..." Shirou: "The sea. These are the rich flavors of the sea. The flavor of shrimp is surpassed by the umami of the high-quality seafood. The rich stock surges dynamically like raging waves. Not only that, but these guan huo" Shirou: "Such incredible depth... It's undeniably delicious." Shirou: "This one's next." Mask: "There's no way he could've produced decent flavors in a pot with that much scum." Mask: "Those guan huo accumulated my 16-year-old grudge. The winner is my hot pot that drew out that supreme deliciousness without a single flaw!" Shirou: "I'll make my judgment now." Shirou: "I don't know which dish is Mao's." Shirou: "But it's clear to me which one I thought was truly delicious. That is..." Mask: "My white pot or his black pot?" Shirou: "The black one!" Mao: "Yes!" Shirou: "Mao!" Shirou: "Good. Everyone will be saved." Mask: "Wh-Why?!" Mask: "Why did you choose the black pot?" Shirou: "Because of the scale of the dish, Masked Man." Mask: "What?!" Shirou: "The stock you used in your hot pot was excellent. But isn't the star of this dish the lobster?" Shirou: "The lobster lost to the strong seafood-based stock you made. But Mao's dish blended together various fruits of the land," Shirou: "It drew out the mellow sweetness of the lobster perfectly. The mountain-based stock exquisitely supported the ocean-based umami," Mask: "It's true that stock made from fruits of the land is a well of flavor. Perhaps it does draw out the flavor of the lobster better." Mask: "But you couldn't have produced a decent dish with so much scum. How did you do it?!" Mao: "This is my secret:" Mao: "a paper hot pot." Mask: "Nonsense!" Mask: "There's no way this should function as a pot!" Mao: "Then I'll show you." Mao: "See? As you can see, even inside a paper hot pot, the water boils." Mask: "You're saying paper that has absorbed water doesn't burn? But why does it matter that the pot is made of paper? This is ridiculous!" Mao: "You'll see." Mask: "Wh-What's this?" Mask: "The paper walls are absorbing the scum." Mask: "I can clearly see the letters on the bottom. This is how you removed the scum and cooked a perfectly clear soup?!" Mask: "I am defeated. I lost, boy." Both: "Yes!" Mao: "Shirou, give everyone the antidote." Shirou: "Got it!" Zhouyu: "Mao..." Mao: "You're awake." Zhouyu: "Where's Meili?" Mao: "I'll give her the antidote now!" Mao: "Meili?" Zhouyu: "How is she?" Mao: "Well..." Zhouyu: "It's probably because of how much she ate." Zhouyu: "Her color is returning." Zhouyu: "She should wake up eventually." Zhouyu: "Mao, watch Meili for me." Mao: "Okay." Chef: "Where am I? Why was I sleeping?" Mao: "Zhou Yu!" Mask: "My revenge was prevented. But, Zhou Yu, I'll never forget what you did to make Meixiang yours. You did the most underhanded thing a chef could do" Chef: "Zhou Yu, you... If that's true, you're the worst." Mao: "Maybe the person responsible..." Mao: "Maybe it was Meixiang." Mask: "What?!" Mask: "How dare you suggest the unspeakable?!" Zhouyu: "16 years ago, Meixiang and I had already promised to spend our futures together." Zhouyu: "But her strict father arranged for a cooking contest to win Meixiang's hand." Zhouyu: "You volunteered yourself." Zhouyu: "Meixiang was troubled." Zhouyu: "After giving it much thought, without my knowledge..." Mask: "I don't believe you. You're lying!" Mask: "If that's true, then why didn't you tell me? Why?!" Zhouyu: "Because your feelings for Meixiang were too pure." Zhouyu: "I chose to hide everything." Zhouyu: "I believed only I needed to suffer your hatred." Zhouyu: "But perhaps I was wrong." Zhouyu: "She asked me to tell you if I ever saw you again..." Meika: "I'm sorry." Meika: "I'm so sorry." Mask: "I see." Mask: "She apologized." Mask: "You've always been this way, Zhou Yu." Mask: "You speak too little. But in the end, whatever the reason," Mask: "perhaps my defeat was already decided." Zhouyu: "You!" Zhouyu: "Those scars..." Mask: "Surviving in the cooking underworld takes a certain degree of mettle. It's all over now, though." Mask: "Thanks to you, I didn't fall as far as I could have." Mask: "Thank you." Mask: "In the very end, I became a true chef." Meili: "Mao... Dad..." Mao: "Meili!" Meili: "What happened?" Mask: "You look just like her. It saddens me." Mask: "Zhou Yu, was Meixiang happy?" Zhouyu: "Yes." Mask: "I see." Zhouyu: "Li Yan!" Zhouyu: "You drank the poison!" Lien: "You finally called me by my name, Zhou Yu." Lien: "After everything I've done, I don't deserve a long life." Lien: "And this is the result." Lien: "They don't forgive mistakes." Lien: "I'd die either way." Lien: "Be careful, Zhou Yu." Lien: "The cooking underworld will come for you and the boy for defeating me." Zhouyu: "The cooking underworld..." Lien: "Zhou Yu, have you ever battled that boy?" Zhouyu: "No, not yet." Lien: "He'll be huge someday." Lien: "Better than you were when you were young." Lien: "Only those who have fought him know." Lien: "His true strength is bottomless." Chef: "Do you smell something burning? Is there a fire?" Zhouyu: "Li Yan! You started a fire!" Lien: "No. It wasn't me." Chef: "We need to get out of here!" Zhouyu: "Don't!" Underling: "Is it all right if it burns?" Old Man: "In some ways, it's more convenient for us. They haven't noticed it yet." Underling: "Yes, sir." Shirou: "Mao, none of the doors will open! What should we do?" Lien: "They set us up." Mao: "At this rate..." Xielu: "Is everyone okay?" Mao: "Xie Lu!" Xielu: "Hurry! The fire's spreading quickly!" Shirou: "Got it!" Meili: "Dad!" Zhouyu: "Li Yan." Lien: "It's too late for me." Lien: "Farewell, Zhou Yu!" Zhouyu: "Li Yan!" Meili: "Dad, hurry!" Zhouyu: "Li Yan... you're unbelievable..." Xielu: "We made it." Shirou: "What are you doing here, Xie Lu?" Xielu: "That's all you have to say after I've saved you? I just followed you here." Xielu: "Is she... Could it be?" Mao: "Li Yan..." Mao: "Li Yan!" Mao: "Li Yan!" Shirou: "Hey, listen." Shirou: "Sis, do you not remember your mom?" Meili: "Huh?" Meili: "She died before I could remember." Meili: "Is something wrong, Shirou?" Shirou: "It's nothing. Now what's next?" Meili: "I sort of remember the caped man from the mansion, though..." Zhouyu: "When I consider the difference in strength between Mao and Li Yan," Zhouyu: "But still..." Lien: "Only those who have fought him know." Lien: "His true strength is bottomless." Zhouyu: "Mao, has your true strength already surpassed mine? What do you hope to do in this vast land of food"

Xielu: "Dang, lost him." Mao: "Xie Lu!" Xielu: "Mao?" Xielu: "Hey!" Shirou: "You even use your staff to fish?" Xielu: "Once you get used to it, it's way better than some unreliable fishing rod." Xielu: "I'm just off my game today!" Mao: "Thank you for coming to the mansion to save us." Xielu: "This brat snuck out of the restaurant in the middle of the night. I only followed him because I was curious." Shirou: ""Brat?" Well, I can't call him out this time." Xielu: "You went toe-to-toe with that underworld guy, right?" Mao: "Yes." Xielu: "And you won, right?" Mao: "Yes." Xielu: "I see. Things might get difficult around here." Mao: "Huh?" Xielu: "The cooking underworld is a terrifying organization scattered all across the land." Xielu: "They're a group of chefs with a twisted kind of passion for cooking." Xielu: "Word is they're always plotting wicked schemes." Xielu: "On top of that, I hear they're as vindictive as snakes." Xielu: "It's bad news if they set their sights on you." Xielu: "Be careful, Mao." Shirou: "The cooking underworld sounds kind of scary." Meili: "Dad seemed to know about them." Meili: "Mao, do you know anything?" Mao: "N-Nothing specific..." Meili: "Be careful, Mao. Xie Lu said you should be careful, too." Mao: "Yeah, I will." Shirou: "Mao?" Chef: "Welcome back, Meili." Chef: "Lei En's coming back tomorrow." Meili: "What? Lei En is?" Chen: "Our chicken vendor got a letter from him." Chen: "I bet you miss him, Meili." Meili: "Yeah." Mao: "Lei En..." Shirou: "Who?" Meili: "Lei En was a genius chef as good as you who used to work at the restaurant." Mao: "Really?" Shirou: "You're in a really good mood, Sis." Meili: "It's been four years since Lei En left to train." Meili: "His legendary genius is still the talk of the town. Just one week after he started training here," Meili: "In his first month, he made half of dad's repertoire his own." Meili: "Even Master Luo considered him a possible future head chef." Meili: "He was so kind." Meili: "Sometimes he cried while cooking." Meili: "I wondered if he was too kind to become a chef." Leon: "Meili." Leon: "I know I have to become stronger." Leon: "I want to become a chef who makes people truly happy." Meili: "He wanted to travel in order to improve himself. He said as much to Master Luo and Dad," Meili: "Since we haven't heard from him in four years," Meili: "I wonder what kind of chef he's become. I'm so excited to see him." Shirou: "Mao?" Xielu: "What a haul. I won't have any money for traveling expenses unless I can make dim sum from fishing. Shumai, shumai..." Xielu: "Blue, white, yellow..." Xielu: "Who's there?" Xielu: "What the hell was that for?!" Man: "You're Xie Lu of the Steel Staff." Man: "A chef's tools are his life. Without your staff, your "best shumai in the land" are nothing." Xielu: "Who do you think you are?!" Xielu: "That crest..." Mao: "What? Your staff?" Xielu: "Yeah. It was stolen." Mao: "By who?" Xielu: "There's no doubt about it. He definitely belongs to the underworld." Xielu: "He has a unique crest on his hand." Xielu: "It means the cooking underworld has finally spread to Guangzhou." Xielu: "Mao, you and Zhou Yu defeated that underworld chef. They could come for you at any time." Xielu: "The next time we meet, he'll pay." Shirou: "Mao, you shouldn't be lounging around here. We need to get ready for the welcoming party." Xielu: "Welcoming party?" Mao: "Oh, right. Lei En's coming back." Mao: "What a magnificent water buffalo." Chen: "It's tonight's main dish. We'll welcome Lei En back with this." Mao: "All right. I'll prepare the best beef dish." Meili: "We're counting on it." Shirou: "All right! Let's butcher this thing, Mao." Mao: "We'll start by following the grain of the meat." Shirou: "Can't we just cut it up?" Mao: "No. If the surface of the meat is coarse," Chen: "An entire giant buffalo..." Chef: "Butchered in an instant!" Mao: "Incredible. His technique was perfect! He cut so quickly without severing any fibers!" Meili: "Are you..." Meili: "Lei En?!" Chen: "Lei En? Are you really Lei En?" Yon: "I hardly recognized you! You're a grown man now!" Meili: "Lei En, welcome back. It's me, Meili! Do you remember me?" Meili: "How was your training?" Leon: "Don't touch me." Leon: "A chef's tools are his life." Meili: "I-I'm sorry..." Leon: "Where are Luo and Zhou Yu?" Meili: "They're out at the market right now. Anyway, Lei En, we want to celebrate your return tonight." Meili: "Let's celebrate our reunion with a huge party!" Chen: "We get it. You want to rest first. Meili cleaned up your room for you." Shirou: "Anyway, that was amazing. He swung that big knife around without getting a single drop of blood on the floor." Mao: "That's the first time I've seen the Raging Bull Blue Dragon Cut." Shirou: "What?" Mao: "A technique for quickly butchering an entire buffalo without spilling a single drop of blood or juice." Mao: "It's a miraculous technique known only in the underworld." Shirou: "The underworld?" Shirou: "How do you know about that, Mao?" Mao: "His unbelievable transformation" Xielu: "The Raging Bull Blue Dragon Cut and "a chef's tools are his life."" Xielu: "You took my staff!" Mao: "Xie Lu!" Xielu: "He's unbelievably strong!" Xielu: "How dare you steal my staff!" Leon: "Are you the Super Chef who defeated Li Yan the Masked?" Xielu: "Answer my question!" Mao: "That's right. I'm Mao the Super Chef." Leon: "Interesting." Zhouyu: "What's going on here?" Zhouyu: "What's going on here?" Yon: "Master Luo, Zhou Yu. Welcome back." Zhouyu: "Is something the matter?" Luou: "Ah, Lei En. You're back." Luou: "Come to my room." Luou: "Chen, bring some tea." Chen: "Yes, sir." Xielu: "That jerk!" Zhouyu: "Know your place, Lei En!" Luou: "I thought you'd be returning soon." Luou: "Lei En, have you been well?" Leon: "Spare me the pleasantries." Leon: "As promised, I have completed my training and returned." Leon: "Master Luo, give me the legendary utensils." Yon: "What are these legendary utensils?" Leon: "Surely you haven't forgotten the promise you made that day." Luou: "Lei En." Luou: "When you return, I shall give you the legendary utensils." Leon: "Master." Xielu: "The legendary utensils really do exist, huh?" Shirou: "Huh?" Xielu: "It's an old legend. Some cooking utensils with mysterious powers" Xielu: "It's said any chef who possesses them gains unlimited power. And they're here in Guangzhou," Xielu: "in the possession of Master Luo." Leon: "I have met your conditions. As promised, give me the—" Xielu: "Hold on, now." Xielu: "Master Luo, wait to decide until you've seen this." Xielu: "He's an underworld chef who stole my staff under cover of darkness. If you give him the legendary utensils, we'll be in big trouble!" Chen: "Is that true, Lei En?" Yon: "When did you join the underworld?" Meili: "The underworld? What's going on, Lei En?" Meili: "What happened during your four years of training?" Chen: "You can't give him the legendary utensils!" Zhouyu: "Why not?" Chen: "Zhou Yu!" Zhouyu: "He broke down a buffalo without spilling any blood." Zhouyu: "It's proof that he's trained his knife skills extensively." Chen: "Zhou Yu, what are you talking about?" Chef: "He's bad news!" Zhouyu: "However, you're right." Zhouyu: "Whether or not you're worthy of receiving the legendary utensils" Zhouyu: "The contest will take place at the Daxian Temple dedicated to the utensils." Zhouyu: "Lei En, there you will show us what you learned over four years." Leon: "This is ridiculous." Leon: "But if that's what it takes to acquire the utensils, then I accept." Leon: "Will you be my opponent, Zhou Yu?" Zhouyu: "No. Mao, you will face him." Leon: "This is nonsense." Zhouyu: "Mao, show him your true strength." Mao: "I understand, Zhou Yu." Leon: "His "true" strength?" Zhouyu: "Master, please let me have my way just this once." Luou: "Very well." Luou: "We'll gather the elders of Guangzhou. Is that all right, Lei En and Mao?" Leon: "Let's see this "true strength" of yours." Meili: "Wait!" Meili: "Lei En..." Xielu: "This is getting out of hand. Zhou Yu forced onto you the heavy burden of protecting" Xielu: "And a knife skills contest will make full use" Xielu: "What are you supposed to do?" Mao: "Xie Lu, I already have an idea, actually." Xielu: "Huh?" Xielu: "What?! Wh-What are you talking about? There's no time for that." Mao: "You're the only one I can ask." Xielu: "Mao..." Xielu: "Fine." Mao: "Thank you, Xie Lu!" : "Guangzhou, Guangdong Province." : "Standing quietly in the middle of Hualin Mountain is the Daxian Temple. At this ancient temple counted among the five great mountains of Guangdong," : "The oldest of the temple's buildings is the treasury. Enshrined centuries ago, the masterless legendary utensils slumber inside the treasury." Mob: "The legendary utensils are in there? It's a contest between two Yang Spring pupils!" Meili: "Mao... Lei En..." Luou: "By ancient rites, we shall now hold a knife skills contest" Luou: "Your ingredient is..." Luou: "Sea bream!" Mob: "Those are giant sea bream! I've never seen anything like them!" Luou: "Competitors, to the front." Luou: "Of Yang Spring Restaurant, Lei En." Mob: "Are those all knives? Wow. He's armed to the teeth. With all those knives, he can easily cut through large bones or remove small ones." Luou: "Also of Yang Spring Restaurant, Mao." Mob: "What?! He's empty-handed!" Meili: "Huh?" Shirou: "What is Mao thinking?" Shirou: "Lei En's got seven knives!" Meili: "He's changed." Meili: "He's not that kind Lei En anymore." Meili: "But why did he become an underworld chef?" Zhouyu: ""Chushi kongzhi de zhishi."" Zhouyu: "In other words, controlling the people through cooking. That is the secret ambition of the cooking underworld." Both: "What?" Zhouyu: "From peasant to emperor, people die if they don't eat," Zhouyu: "You could argue it's the reason chefs hold to the key to the life of all people. And the cooking underworld is composed of those who wish to use chefs" Zhouyu: "They've enforced strict training for centuries in order to nurture chefs" Zhouyu: "However, only a handful master them." Zhouyu: "It's a miracle that Li Yan was even alive." Zhouyu: "And..." Meili: "Lei En endured that harsh training, too." Meili: "This knife skills contest is no ordinary contest." Shirou: "What do you mean?" Zhouyu: "You'll see once the contest begins." Luou: "Lei En, Mao. You are to produce four sea bream dishes" Luou: "But first, I have one thing to tell you." Luou: "These giant sea bream were caught this morning at sunrise." Luou: "Now... Begin!" Chen: "He's using all seven knives!" Leon: "My Seven Star Knives cut all things in an instant." Mob: "Such incredible speed! He's using different knives in each hand, but he's controlling his strength perfectly!" Yon: "This is his secret technique?" Zhouyu: "What are you looking at? He hasn't used any secret techniques yet." Chen: "What?" Zhouyu: "He's simply making the best possible cuts" Zhouyu: "He's just doing it with tremendous speed and accuracy." Zhouyu: "A chef's greatest enemy while butchering is hesitation." Zhouyu: "But he doesn't have a shred of hesitation." Zhouyu: "Lei En is to be feared." Leon: "First dish, finished." Mob: "What?!" Mao: "Th-That's amazing." Chen: "Mao's doing it again." Shirou: "He'll be fine. For some reason Mao knew its name" Mob: "What?" Shirou: "Mao's true strength is even greater than we realize." Meili: "His true strength?" Yon: "What?!" Chen: "He's removing the tough scales just by running his hands over them!" Zhouyu: "Wrong. Look closely." Chen: "That's steel wire." Shirou: "That's amazing!" Shirou: "I had no idea he had a secret weapon!" Zhouyu: "That won't be enough." Zhouyu: "The most the thin steel wire can accomplish is removing its scales." Zhouyu: "It's impossible for it to cut through meat or bone." Shirou: "No way..." Xielu: "Hey!" Xielu: "Sorry I'm late, Mao! I got what you asked for!" Mao: "I've been waiting for you, Xie Lu!" Shirou: "What's that? It's bending all over the place!" Mao: "Thanks, Xie Lu!" Chen: "It's bending along the sea bream's body! What is that thing?" Leon: "Impossible..." Leon: "Known only in the cooking underworld, that's a Hundred Hole Knife." Meili: "A knife known only in the cooking underworld?" Meili: "Mao, you, too?"

Leien: "Known only in the cooking underworld, that's a Hundred Hole Knife." Meili: "A knife known only in the cooking underworld?" Meili: "Mao, you, too?" Shirou: "His knife is bending all over the place. Using that knife, he can cut the fish without damaging the organs." Shirou: "Not only is he using steel wire, but he's got that knife, too! This must be Mao's true strength!" Meili: "Mao..." Xielu: "He's one formidable chef, that one." Xielu: "Mao's a real slave driver, though. He had me make that thing in just one day. Beating it was backbreaking work," Xielu: "And since the holes let air through," Xielu: "Whether Lei En has seven or eight secret weapons, there's no need to fear them!" Leien: "Why is an ordinary Super Chef using an underworld knife?" Leien: "There's something more to him." Leien: "I can't afford to cut corners in this competition." Luo: "The four elders of the Guangdong Chef's Alliance will now judge the dishes." Luo: "Lei En, present your first dish." Leien: "I present sashimi made from the cheeks, back, stomach, and tail." Guan: "Unbelievable! Those parts are all difficult to cut!" Yan: "This is the ultimate demonstration of knife skills." Sifu: "These slices cut with unparalleled accuracy produce a fragrant aroma." Luo: "These pieces are cut from the highly-mobile tail. The firm flesh has a pleasant bounce to it that drives back the teeth." Mao: "Impressive. Your skills are the real deal." Leien: "My second dish is boiled fish head with vegetables." Guan: "Such a rich soup. The fragrant aroma of the sea gently greets the nose." Guan: "I must sample it immediately." Guan: "Delicious!" Guan: "The fatty sea bream heads melt in my mouth!" Yan: "The heads have been meticulously cleaned, leaving no trace of unpleasant odors." Sifu: "Delicious! Such excellent flavors!" Guan: "Wh-What's next? What kind of dish is next?!" Guan: "Extremely thin-cut sashimi. The technique is impressive," Leien: "You're wrong." Leien: "My third dish is the main dish." Leien: "Dip the pieces in this boiled sea bream stock." Guan: "How unusual." Guan: "But we'll see how it compares to the first two dishes." Guan: "Such transcendent flavors! Thin as silk, the smooth mouthfeel of the sea bream" Xielu: "I kind of wish I could try that myself..." Leien: "My fourth dish is steamed fish head." Yan: "You chose an archetypal stable dish to finish the meal." Luo: "How delicious. I think my tongue is burning." Guan: "Applying top-tier skill from head to tail, you did a perfect job" Guan: "It's no wonder Luo called you a prodigy." Zhouyu: "Though they appear flashy at first glance," Zhouyu: "He didn't use a single underworld technique. Why not?" Luo: "Next, Mao. Present your dishes." Xielu: "What's that?" Shirou: "Sea bream." Meili: "We can see that!" Mob: "Just one sea bream? They were supposed to make four dishes, right?" Leien: "Let's see what dish you created using your Hundred Hole Knife." Mao: "Come here, Shirou!" Shirou: "Who, me?" Mao: "Listen closely, Shirou. We'll cut these threads at the same time." Shirou: "Got it." Mao: "Okay. Here we go, Shirou." Mao: "Ready, and..." Shirou: "Wh-What is this?!" Shirou: "The body is spreading like a fan! Mao, this sea bream... Could it be? Could it be?!" Shirou: "All of China is inside the sea bream!" Shirou: "You made your sea bream look like the Chinese land mass!" Mao: "Liu Maoxing's special Sealed Land Mass Sea Bream!" Guan: "H-He used the sea bream to recreate the Chinese land mass!" Yan: "Such incredible knife skills!" Guan: "Let's eat." Guan: "Could this be?" Yan: "You're right. I'm certain of it." Guan: "This sea bream contains the flavors of the four major regions of China." Xielu: "What?! Four flavors in a single sea bream?!" Mob: "What does that mean? I don't get it. Explain it to us, elders." Guan: "This is Beijing. Slices of back meat were dredged in salt and grilled," Luo: "This is Sichuan. The fatty middle section was wrapped in flour, fried," Yan: "This is Shanghai. Chinese mitten crab paste was wrapped in generously cut pieces" Sifu: "And this is Guangdong. Sea bream stomach tataki and heaping helpings" Sifu: "Nothing is fresher than this lively and crunchy sea bream and vegetables." Sifu: "When alternating dishes, I can't stop eating! I can't stop!" Xielu: "He captured an entire country inside a sea bream! Mao's ideas are as imaginative as ever!" Shirou: "He did it! Mao's true strength is exploding!" Meili: "Mao's true strength..." Mob: "Who won?" Luo: "This contest..." All: "Is too difficult to judge!" Mob: "What?!" Luo: "As a result, this contest is a tie." Leien: "Wait!" Leien: "We'll settle this with an extra round." Mob: "What? Extra round? I've never heard of that before." Mao: "Bring it on!" Luo: "An extra round? Very well." Luo: "Perhaps that's what's best for the both of you. But, Lei En, we have only a single sea bream remaining." Lou: "What do you intend to do?" Leien: "That's plenty. I'll settle things using this." Zhouyu: "This isn't good. Mao's at a disadvantage." Meili: "What?" Shirou: "Why? Mao's just as good with a knife as Lei En." Zhouyu: "Count carefully. Lei En has Seven Star Knives, but he's only used six so far." Zhouyu: "He's still got an ace up his sleeve." Leien: "I didn't expect to use this here." Leien: "This is the last of my Seven Star Knives. A secret knife of the underworld, Heavenly North Star Wolf." Meili: "A secret underworld knife?" Mob: "He brought out his last knife! He's finally wielding the seventh knife!" Leien: "His Sealed Land Mass Sea Bream was undoubtedly the work of a Super Chef. But he also used a Hundred Hole Knife," Leien: "Just who is he?" Leien: "I don't know who you are, but one thing is clear." Leien: "You are an obstacle blocking my path." Leien: "What's so funny?" Mao: "Not funny, fun." Mao: "You're an incredible chef. I know you'll create another amazing dish." Leien: "Do you think this a friendly game?" Leien: "Now that I've drawn this knife, you cannot win." Leien: "I'll let you choose whichever part you want first." Leien: "The rest is enough for me." Mao: "Lei En, you've got the wrong idea. Because you're a such great chef," Mao: "I treat you with respect and do my very best!" Xielu: "He cut it straight down the middle, including every single bone." Xielu: "Now they're on totally equal footing when it comes to ingredients." Mao: "Use your strongest underworld techniques. Otherwise, you can't beat me." Leien: "Interesting. The larger the obstacle, the more worthwhile it is to crush." Shirou: "Mao is serious! He could win this contest!" Xielu: "No, Mao is still disadvantaged." Shirou: "What? Why?" Xielu: "Mao's tools are still only the steel wire and Hundred Hole Knife. In other words, Lei En knows exactly what options are available to Mao." Xielu: "In contrast, Lei En has his seventh, unknown knife." Leien: "I shall break the seal." Shirou: "What is that knife?" Xielu: "His knife is glowing." Xielu: "So this is the Heavenly North Star Wolf." Xielu: "What an eerie blue glow. What in the world is that knife?" Leien: "I didn't want to use this." Mao: "What?" Leien: "You said these sea bream were caught this morning. Whoever impresses the tongues of the four elders" Leien: "The dishes made up to this point were merely sideshows. With ultimate slices cut from the same sea bream," Leien: "Heavenly North Star Wolf: Arhat Crystal Cut!" Xielu: "What awesome cuts! The speed and sharpness of his cuts is nothing like before! So why is he wearing such a ghastly expression" Leien: "Look upon the sharpness of my cuts!" Yan: "What?!" Sifu: "My face!" Guan: "Our faces are reflected in the sashimi!" Both: "What?!" Lou: "These paper-thin slices reflect even our faces like a mirror." Luo: "How can something so sharp exist?" Xielu: "That blue glow, its awesome sharpness," Xielu: "C-Could it be? No, it must be!" Shirou: "What?" Xielu: "The secret underworld knife, Heavenly North Star Wolf," Shirou: "A knife made of ice?" Xielu: "I've heard rumors. Extracted from deep within glaciers in the north," Xielu: "The sharpened blade is razor-sharp," Xielu: "They cut instantly through fish without damaging its flesh." Xielu: "They are the ideal and ultimate knife." Shirou: "Th-Then why didn't he use that amazing knife from the start?" Zhouyu: "Look at his hands and you'll know why." Shirou: "Lei En's right hand is turning purple!" Zhouyu: "It's frostbite. His hand is already beginning to die because of the ice." Meili: "But why? There must be plenty of ways to handle it, like wrapping it in cloth!" Zhouyu: "As you master your skills, even a single layer of cloth" Zhouyu: "It's impossible to produce those exquisite knife skills" Zhouyu: "He's sacrificing his chef's lifeblood— his right hand—to cut his ingredients. It's a double-edged sword." Shirou: "What will Mao do?" Shirou: "The sea bream!" Meili: "It exploded!" Xielu: "Every time he brings the knife down, tiny bits of sea bream go flying! What's going on?" Shirou: "What did he do?" Shirou: "This is... ...a steel wire knife! He wrapped the steel wire around the holes in his Hundred Hole Knife!" Xielu: "That's it." Xielu: "Those bits flew into the air, causing an explosion!" Leien: "Do you have any idea what you've done?" Leien: "Tearing the fish into tiny pieces will do the same to its flavor." Leien: "How do you intend to restore its flavor?" Mao: "It's fine the way it is." Mao: "This sea bream will be transformed by my hands." Leien: "What?" Zhouyu: "Their knife skills are evenly matched." Zhouyu: "But their approaches to cooking are total opposites." Zhouyu: "Which chef will the legendary utensils choose?" Shirou: "Mao's chopping vegetables into thin strips. He must plan to add them to a sea bream tataki." Xielu: "Those are bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and carrots." Xielu: "They can't be eaten raw. What's he planning to do with them?" Mob: "His ice knife shattered!" Shirou: "Lei En's hand!" Xielu: "That's a serious case of frostbite." Meili: "That talisman..." Meili: "You made graves for the livestock again? There's no end to them." Leien: "There's only a fine line between the lives of ingredients and the lives of people. Since I extended my own life by taking theirs," Meili: "He hasn't changed." Meili: "Lei En hasn't changed." Leien: "The time has come." Leien: "He hasn't finished yet, but you will judge my dish now." Leien: "My culinary career has led to this moment." Leien: "This is..." Leien: "The ultimate slice!" Leien: "Frozen Sea Bream Iceberg!" Guan: "What? An iceberg?" Guan: "Extremely thin pieces are stuck to the iceberg. Impressive presentation." Leien: "It's not for presentation. Sashimi is truly delicious when kept ice-cold until just before it's eaten. When eaten with this sesame oil paste," Leien: "Know the true power of the underworld knife, Heavenly North Star Wolf." Guan: "A blue heaven? Surely you exaggerate." Guan: "The wind... The powerful winds of the North Pole are blowing through my mouth!" Leien: "The winds will stop soon. After a moment's refreshing burst," Yan: "My mouth's warmth is making the mild flavor" Guan: "Such a clean and pure mouthfeel. The flavor is top notch." Luo: "It truly is heavenly. It's delicious enough to risk exposing your right hand to danger." Luo: "But the greatest reason your dish is so delicious is the time you served it. It's been six hours since the sea bream was caught. This is the golden moment when the sea bream is at its most delicious." Luo: "You responded impressively to your greatest challenge." Lou: "Brilliant, Lei En!" Shirou: "Mao..." Guan: "You took a long time to finish your dish. Are you ready, Mao?" Mao: "Yes. Thank you for waiting." Mao: "Enjoy!" Guan: "Huh? These are..." Guan: "Spring rolls?" Leien: "I win, boy. You shredded the sea bream" Leien: "Your technique is impressive," Leien: "You cannot win." Zhouyu: "Unfortunately, he's too late." Zhouyu: "The sea bream's window of peak deliciousness has passed." Shirou: "What?" Shirou: "Does that mean Mao's sea bream is no good?" Zhouyu: "Just as lost time can never be regained, lost flavors can never return." Guan: "Let the judging begin." Guan: "Maoxing, you took too long mincing the sea bream and wrapping it in its skin." Guan: "This sea bream is already dead."

Zhouyu: "Mao, what hope do you have of winning?" Meili: "Mao..." Guan: "Let the judging begin." Guan: "Maoxing, you took too long mincing the sea bream and wrapping it in its skin." Guan: "This sea bream is already dead." Guan: "Wh-What?!" All: "It's alive!" All: "And delicious!" Luo: "It's incredibly fresh, as though a living sea bream is leaping inside my mouth." Leien: "What?!" Guan: "This surprising flavor that melts on the tongue" Yan: "Sealed inside these spring rolls is a golden flavor" Luo: "But the sea bream was prepared long after its peak deliciousness ended." Leien: "I-Impossible..." Leien: "C-Could it be?" Meili: "Mao!" Shirou: "Mao's hand!" Leien: "Th-These burns..." Leien: "Could it be?" Mao: "That's right, Lei En." Mao: "I thrust my third knife directly into the fire..." Mao: "and used its heat to seal the flavor inside." Leien: "Heat!" Zhouyu: "That's it. The heat... While slicing the sea bream with his knife," Xielu: "And Mao held that white-hot knife in his bare hand. Just as Lei En sacrificed himself to slice his sashimi," Xielu: "Mao sacrificed himself to cook his own dish." Leien: "Not bad, kid." Mao: "You, too." Mob: "The elders have begun their discussion! No matter how you look at it, it's Mao's spring rolls. He transformed the sea bream!" Mao: "But it was Lei En's frozen sashimi that brought out" Mob: "They've been talking for a long time... Maybe it's not going well. Lei En and Mao... Which Yang Spring Restaurant chef will inherit the legendary utensils?" Luo: "We will now issue our judgment. Lei En, you used an ice knife to cut the sea bream," Luo: "Mao, not only did you masterfully use both knives, but you also combined both" Luo: "Based on all the facts, we are now prepared to announce our decision." Luo: "In this knife skills contest before the goods... In his infinite ingenuity that revived the sea bream in an unexpected way," Luo: "The winner is..." Luo: "Super Chef Liu Maoxing!" Shirou: "Yes!" Xielu: "Nicely done, Mao! Now that underworld jerk won't get the legendary utensils!" Luo: "After the previous owner passed away, a successor never appeared," Luo: "Super Chef Liu Maoxing, as the victor of this knife skills contest," Luo: "Chief priest." Priest: "Yes. Liu Maoxing, come with me." Mao: "O-Okay." Zhouyu: "The legendary utensils... Mystical utensils said to be forged from an iron meteorite" Priest: "Unseal the utensils!" Leien: "Th-That's..." Zhouyu: "The secret of Xiu Li. The legendary utensil, "Ever-Soul Knife."" Mob: "There's no rust on it at all! It looks like an ordinary knife, though." Mob: "Look! Something's appearing on the blade!" Lou: "Mao, the mark of the dragon appearing on the blade" Luo: "That mark proves that you, Liu Maoxing," Shirou: "Mao!" Guan: "I don't believe it..." Sifu: "I never thought I'd see the dragon's mark in my lifetime!" Zhouyu: "When Lei En brought out his Seven Star Knives," Zhouyu: "When Lei En tried to finish him with his ice knife," Zhouyu: "The more precarious his situation, the more his power bubbles forth," Zhouyu: "Your mother, Bei—the Szechuan Fairy—was the same." Zhouyu: "Mao, I still don't know the full extent of your power." Mao: "Master Luo, may I try using this knife?" Luo: "Yes." Mao: "How sharp is it?" Mao: "What is this?" Mao: "It's so sharp! It's like the knife is cutting on its own!" Shirou: "It's glowing? Am I seeing things?" Shirou: "I thought I saw the slice glow for a second." Mao: "I wonder how this sea bream cut by a legendary utensil tastes." Mao: "It's alive... This sea bream is long past its moment of peak deliciousness," Mob: "How can that be? Is this the power of the legendary utensils? In any case, it's amazing! Let us have some!" Guan: "Luo..." Luo: "Yes. The legends were true. It's said that one thousand years ago, Master Xiu Li forged the Ever-Soul Knife" Luo: "The blade is undoubtedly sharp," Shirou: "That's amazing, Mao!" Xielu: "Mao, you're the true successor chosen by the gods!" Mao: "There's another successor." Mao: "Lei En." Leien: "What do you think you're doing?" Mao: "This knife is amazing." Mao: "You should try it, too." Mao: "It's true that you used underworld techniques, but..." Leien: "I didn't want to use this." Mao: "You didn't use them because you wanted to." Mao: "The tenacity to sacrifice yourself to create something delicious." Mao: "The kindness to pray for even your ingredients. I heard the underworld's dishes make people unhappy," Mao: "Take it, Lei En." Luo: "What?!" Luo: "The dragon mark of the successor appeared clearly for Lei En, as well!" Luo: "What?! The Ever-Soul Knife..." Guan: "It recognizes Lei En, the loser, as a successor..." Yan: "And the mark on his left hand..." Sifu: "It's being erased!" Mao: "I knew it. The Ever-Soul Knife has proven everything." Meili: "Does this mean Lei En doesn't belong to the underworld?" Mao: "Lei En, tell us everything." Leien: "You're a strange one, Mao." Leien: "You're right. Perhaps you'll understand..." Leien: "the thirst I felt." Leien: "Perhaps you'll understand..." Leien: "the thirst I felt." Leien: "I'd been called a prodigy since I was young. Having completed my training at the Yang Spring Restaurant," Leien: "I spent two years traveling throughout Southern China," Leien: "My thirst was not satisfied." Leien: "I finally made it..." Leien: "That's why I requested an apprenticeship with the cooking underworld. I was accepted, had their mark tattooed on my left hand, and my harsh training began." Leien: "Those days of training were unimaginably severe." Leien: "However..." Leien: "I enjoyed it. It made my heart leap." Mao: "I understand that feeling, Lei En." Leien: "But it became my downfall." Leien: "Having mastered the underworld's techniques, I became arrogant, and so..." Leien: "I made an irrevocable mistake." Leien: "Something no chef—no, no person should never do." Leien: "For the first time, I realized how terrifying the cooking underworld could be." Leien: "Prepared to die, I left the organization." Leien: "It was the only key to resisting the underworld." Leien: "I needed the legendary utensils Master Luo once promised me." Leien: "I returned so I could fight against the cooking underworld." Shirou: "I can't believe Lei En was a successor to the legendary utensils, too." Shirou: "It's weird that a guy who belonged to the underworld has that right. Of course you would, Mao, but..." Mao: "What's wrong?" Shirou: "It's nothing. Want some more tea?" Mao: "Meili? What's with the face you're making?" Meili: "Mao, I have a question for you." Meili: "I've been wondering about something. Lei En said the Hundred Hole Knife you used in the knife skills contest" Meili: "Mao, are you and Lei En the same?" Meili: "Were you once part of the cooking underworld, too?" Shirou: "That's right. I've actually been wanting to ask you the same thing, Mao." Mao: "Sorry, Meili. I didn't mean to make you worry." Meili: "Mao..." Mao: "I knew I had to tell you eventually." Mao: "Have a seat and wait here." Mao: "Finely chop green onions and ginger. Cube fatty pork ribs with the skin still on. Season the cubes with five-spice, boil over low heat," Mao: "Quickly fry the meat to seal the flavor inside. Finish the dish by quickly searing the green onions, ginger, soy paste," Mao: "Add vinegar, and—" Meili: "What kind of magic is that, Mao?" Meili: "The cooked white pork is turning cherry-colored right before my eyes." Mao: "Your bei shi tang cu yingtao rou is done." Meili: "It's beautiful." Shirou: "Mao, why'd it turn this pretty cherry color?" Mao: "One of the five spices, chanchin, contains copious amounts of pigment. It reacts to vinegar by turning a beautiful cherry color." Meili: "Huh." Shirou: "Your knife skills have gotten even better. Your cubes are all exactly the same size." Mao: "Try it." Shirou: "The juicy and fragrant sweet and sour pork cubes" Meili: "The flavor is so mild and fresh," Meili: "The mild flavor of the meat drawn out by the boiling," Meili: "The five-spice is fragrant, the amount of vinegar is perfect," Meili: "Mao, I sense in this dish something completely different" Meili: "What is this heart-meltingly sad kindness?" Mao: "This is my mom's dish." Meili: "What? The Szechuan Fairy, Master Bei?" Mao: "Yes." Mao: "It was written in my mom's recipe book." Shirou: "So that's what's in that old book you'd read sometimes." Meili: "What's written in that book?" Mao: "Recipes, of course." Meili: "What?" Mao: "In this book are things I never knew." Mao: "A shocking side of my mom." Mao: "This book... records the heroic battles my mom fought in her youth" Meili: "Records of Bei's battles against underworld chefs..." Shirou: "That's it." Shirou: "That's how you knew about underworld techniques!" Meili: "I'm so glad. Mao wasn't part of the underworld, then." Mao: "This book contains a record of a triple-cooked pork contest" Shirou: "That's amazing." Mao: "The underworld rarely reveals itself." Mao: "Since I couldn't find any trace of them, I kept this book a secret." Mao: "But since returning to Guangzhou... Since battling Li Yan and Lei En," Mao: "all the blood inside me is screaming." Mao: "I must carry on my mother's wishes. My mom wanted to make people happy with her cooking, and Zhou Yu taught me techniques to create happiness." Mao: "I'm not sure how much I can accomplish right now, but..." Mao: "as a Super Chef, I will fight against the cooking underworld!" Meili: "Mao..." Shirou: "Mao!" Luo: "The say even a snake in the lake can become a dragon in the sky with enough rain." Luo: "No wonder you're Bei's son. I admire your determination." Mao: "Master Luo, Zhou Yu." Meili: "What?" Luo: "The Szechuan Fairy Bei was said" Luo: "This unique aroma and color could only have been created by Bei." Luo: "You've replicated it impressively." Luo: "Mao..." Luo: "You have the determination and the skills." Luo: "The time has come to reveal the secret of the legendary utensils."

Council: "The existence of the Ever-Soul Knife has been confirmed?" Shaoan: "Master Luo of the Guangdong Chef's Alliance had hidden it within Daxian Temple." Council: "We must do whatever it takes to acquire the legendary Ever-Soul Knife." Council: "We're going to Guangzhou." Shaoan: "Let us handle this task." Shaoan: "We have already made preparations." Council: "You work quickly." Council: "Let's see how you do." Council: "The job is yours." Shaoan: "Yes, sir." Mao: "I'm not sure how much I can accomplish right now, but..." Mao: "as a Super Chef, I will fight against the cooking underworld!" Luo: "Mao... You have the determination and the skills." Luo: "The time has come to reveal the secret of the legendary utensils." Mao: "The secret of the legendary utensils?" Luo: "Listen, Mao. Guangzhou's Ever-Soul Knife is only one of the legendary utensils." Mao: "There's more than one? Master, you mean..." Luo: "That's right. There are eight legendary utensils." Luo: "The eight legendary utensils were scattered across the eight regions of China. They're said to protect the Chinese culinary world. One thousand years ago, the legendary Tang era chef Xiu Li forged eight utensils from a meteorite that had fallen from the sky." Luo: "These eight utensils held great power. It's said they caused tremendous conflict at the time. Ultimately, seeking peace in both culinary circles and the rest of the world, Xiu Li sealed the utensils away in eight regions so they would never come together again." Zhouyu: "The eight legendary utensils are a double-edged sword." Luo: "When used properly by a legitimate chef, they exhibit marvelous effects. However... if the eight utensils fall into the hands of the cooking underworld and their powers are used for evil, harm will come not only to the Chinese culinary world, but to all people everywhere." Mao: "Master Luo, Zhou Yu. Let me go on a journey to collect the eight legendary utensils. My mother once battled the cooking underworld to bring happiness to the people. Now that I've battled Li Yan and Lei En, I refuse to believe this problem has nothing to do with me. Please let me do this." Luo: "Perhaps this is his destiny. When his mother Bei was young, she traveled in search of the eight utensils." Zhouyu: "Mao, we understand how you feel. But there's much we don't know about the cooking underworld. If you set off on a solo journey now, it's hard to imagine it turning out well." Mao: "But..." Luo: "Slow down, Mao. There's too many unknowns to send you alone." Xielu: "Hold on, Mao!" Mao: "Xie Lu, Lei En." Leien: "I'll accompany you on your journey. The extermination of the cooking underworld is the only thing I live for." Mao: "L-Lei En." Xielu: "I won't let you guys have all the fun. Take me with you." Mao: "Xie Lu." Zhouyu: "Know your place." Xielu: "We're well aware." Leien: "Wait until you've seen this." Zhouyu: "Could it be?" Xielu: "That's right." Leien: "Already here, are you? How admirable that you were so quick to act." Leien: "That staff... I see. You're the man who attacked Xie Lu." Scar: "Traitor. But your appearance here is quite convenient for us." Scar: "Now you die." Xielu: "I finally got it back." Xielu: "Anyway, why'd you have so much trouble with this scrub?" Leien: "I didn't want to damage your precious tool." Xielu: "Thanks for the consideration." Xielu: "Who's he?" Leien: "A servant of the underworld. He came to steal the legendary utensil. I didn't think they'd act the night of the transmission ceremony. They're moving quicker than I expected." Xielu: "You're right. Well, now my staff has returned to me. I can continue traveling." Xielu: "I know. I'll carve a notch into my staff for this guy. You should be grateful." Leien: "Instead of doing that, help me." Xielu: "Huh?" Leien: "I can't tie him up with this hand." Xielu: "You..." Xielu: "Fine." Luo: "It's been one thousand years since the legendary utensils were sealed away. The cooking underworld had been operating covertly but have finally made their move and appeared in the open. After the man known as the Masked Chef acted and this incident, it has become clear." Zhouyu: "Yes, sir." Luo: "Perhaps the time has come for us chefs to gather the utensils before they can be stolen by the cooking underworld." Zhouyu: "Mao, are you ready?" Mao: "Yes. I'll gather the other utensils." Luo: "I don't have to worry about the three of you traveling to gather the utensils." Shirou: "Gramps! Me, too! Mao's number one apprentice Shirou will be going, too!" Luo: "You'll stay and help around the restaurant." Shirou: "No way! I'm going, even if it kills me!" Luo: "I'm joking." Shirou: "That was a joke?" Luo: "Zhou Yu, bring them." Zhouyu: "Yes, sir." Mao: "Master, what are these eight maps?" Luo: "I was given these 30 years ago when I was appointed caretaker of the Ever-Soul Knife. They show the locations of the sealed utensils." Luo: "The only thing we know is that this is a map of Shanghai." All: "Shanghai!" Leien: "The metropolis known as the City of Devils." Luo: "That's right. The only place other than Guangzhou that's known to hold a sealed utensil is Shanghai. Through your travels, you must decipher these maps more clearly so that you may reach the legendary utensils. And to do that... Xie Lu, the information network you've established while traveling the land will be essential. And Lei En, the knowledge and techniques you learned in the cooking underworld will surely reveal numerous mysteries." Luo: "Mao, most important of all is your special ability." Luo: "Your memory for flavors will be the critical key." Mao: "My memory for flavors?" Luo: "It's said the legendary utensils respond to young souls. This journey can only be made by you youngsters with exceptional knowledge, courage, and spirit." Luo: "Mao, Xie Lu, Lei En, and Shirou." Luo: "You must complete this task by working together. I'm counting on you." All: "Yes, sir!" Luo: "Promise you'll return to Guangzhou." Shirou: "Yes, sir!" Shirou: "Big Sis Meili didn't come to see us off." Mao: "Yeah." Xielu: "Don't look so down on the morning of our departure." Mao: "Right." Mao: "Meili?" Meili: "I've decided I'm coming with you again, Mao! After all, I don't want" Meili: "to wait for you to come back." Luo: "Are you sure?" Zhouyu: "Yes. It's what she wanted." Luo: "You must feel conflicted as her father." Mao: "It'll be a dangerous journey." Meili: "I know." Mao: "Then it's decided, Meili. Let's go together!" Meili: "Yeah!" Mao: "The weather's nice again. The wind's on our side, too. At this rate, we'll arrive in Shanghai sooner than expected." Shirou: "But we've been looking at the same scenery. I'm bored." Xielu: "Quit your whining. Once we arrive in Shanghai, you might not get to relax and enjoy the scenery." Shirou: "What? Don't threaten me like that." Xielu: "By the way, Mao, I heard your mom was a chef, too." Mao: "Yeah." Xielu: "Did you choose this path because of her?" Xielu: "What's with you, youngest Super Chef ever? Don't like to open up about your personal history?" Mao: "No." Mao: "It wasn't that easy for me to become a Super Chef." Mao: "When my mom was still alive..." Pai: "Reconsider, Shao An. If you leave, this restaurant..." Shaoan: "If I can get my certification of mastery, I don't need this place." Mao: "Mom!" Pai: "S-Shao An..." Pai: "The year's salary we got from the state..." Keling: "Shao An took all of it with them." Shaoan: "This is hardly enough for ten year's severance pay." Pai: "Open this when you need it most." Mao: "Mom..." Mao: "Mom... No! Mom!" Mao: "A month after my mom died..." Keling: "A new head chef is finally coming to this restaurant." Keling: "Mao, you asked for this contest." Keling: "If you lose, we'll have to leave this restaurant." Mao: "I'll beat him, no matter what." Shaoan: "You seem to be doing well, kid." Mao: "Shao An." Shaoan: "That old hag Bei died, huh?" Mao: "Because of you, my mom..." Keling: "Don't Mao!" Mao: "I'll never forgive him!" Shaoan: "What can a boy who's all talk do?" Li: "Restrain yourselves, both of you!" Li: "This contest will determine the new head chef of the Chrysanthemum Tower." Li: "Shao An, Mao." Li: "You will be cooking the legendary mapo tofu." Shaoan: "Le..." Mao: "Legendary?" Li: "This is the legendary ground meat." Li: "This meat was used to cook mapo tofu by the Sichuan Fairy, Bei. She's both your former master, Shao An, and your mother, Mao." Shaoan: "Bei's mapo tofu?" Li: "That's precisely why you were given this task." Li: "You solved the mystery of this meat. Impressive work." Li: "You are the new head chef, Mao!" Mao: "That's when I traveled to Guangzhou to train." Mao: "I worked at the Yang Spring Restaurant." Xielu: "That's Zhou Yu's place." Mao: "He cleanly flipped over all those ingredients!" Meili: "The man in the back is the deputy head chef. He's my dad." All: "I'm stuffed." Zhouyu: "You know what this means, Sanjie. You're expelled." Mao: "Wait!" Mao: "Give him another chance! I promise Sanjie and I will cook a delicious pepper steak by tomorrow!" Chen: "Such new flavors!" Yang: "The delicate sweetness grants depth to the flavors!" Luo: "What is the tradition of Yang Spring Restaurant?" Both: "To overturn tradition, sir!" Luo: "Good. There is no flavor this restaurant adheres to. Your willingness to explore new flavors is deserving of recognition." Mao: "You mean..." Meili: "Yes!" Sanjie: "Mao, I'm glad I met you." Sanjie: "I'm leaving the restaurant." Sanjie: "I'm going to return to my own restaurant and start my training over." Sanjie: "If you ever come to Shanghai, I'll cook you a delicious meal." Mao: "I'll keep working at Yang Spring Restaurant for you, too." Mao: "I met and lost a lot of people along the way..." Zhouyu: "You will participate in a certain test taking place in Guangzhou." Zhouyu: "This test may determine the path you should follow." Zhouyu: "See how far your strength will take you." Mao: "Yes, Zhou Yu." Linghua: "Mao of Yang Spring Restaurant, who served noodles made from catfish paste." Linghua: "And Fei of Datong House, who served substantial noodles using potatoes." Linghua: "Congratulations on making it this far." Linghua: "This is your final assignment." Linghua: "Score your own dish." Linghua: "First, Mao. Announce your score out of ten." Mao: "Ten." Meili: "Mao, full marks?" Mao: "Maybe I'm still only an apprentice chef, but I pushed my tongue, skill, and heart to the limit to serve the best dish I could. As a chef, I can only give myself full marks!" Linghua: "Fei, what about you?" ei: "My dish is also a ten. He's already said everything I wanted to say." ei: "I'm proud to call him my rival." Linghua: "Then I will now announce the winner of this Super Chef test. Fei, Mao. As far as I could tell, your noodle dishes were perfectly equal." Linghua: "You both have the skills to be Super Chefs. My final question was meant to test your pride as chefs, and both of you performed impressively on this test, as well." Linghua: "Therefore..." Linghua: "both of you are awarded the title of Super Chef." Mao: "Yes!" Meili: "Mao!" Mao: "Yes! I did it, Meili! I'm one step closer to my mom!" Mao: "Hey, you seem to know my mom..." Mao: "How?" ei: "Well, I guess I can tell you that you and I are fellow students." Mao: "What?" ei: "If you want to know more, you'll have to beat me again." Mao: "Fei, that's not fair." Mao: "Hey! Tell me, Fei!" Xielu: "Shumai..." Mao: "Fei, huh? Brings back memories." Mao: "I haven't seen him since the Super Chef test." Mao: "I hope I can battle him again." Chen: "Hey, wake up! Hey!" Chen: "Report this to Zhou Yu!" Council: "He failed? The fool." Council: "He couldn't even exterminate the traitor Lei En of the Seven Star Knives." Council: "But they must know there's more than one legendary utensil, too." Shaoan: "Governor, send me next." Council: "It's not worth sending you." Shaoan: "No, I know who will stand in our way next." Shaoan: "He is a Super Chef and I despise him with my entire being." Council: "You seem to have some history with him, Shao An." Sahoan: "Yes. I owe him quite a lot." : "The best dim sum master in the land, Xie Lu of the Steel Staff." : "The young master of knife skills, Lei En of the Seven Star Knives."

Mao: "Captain, what do you think?" Captain: "The object you seek is at the location indicated by this map, right?" Mao: "Yes." Captain: "I've come to Shanghai numerous times, but I have no idea what I'm looking at." Mao: "I see." Captain: "If there's something you want to know about cooking in Shanghai, you should visit the Grand Alliance." Mao: "The Grand Alliance?" Captain: "Yeah. The Shanghai Chefs' Grand Alliance off Nanjing Road." Captain: "They say the Grand Alliance knows everything there is to know about cooking in Shanghai." Crew: "Shanghai is in sight!" Captain: "Mao, I know you'll achieve your goals. I'll be praying for your success." Mao: "Thanks, Captain." : "A harbor city located where the Huangpu River meets the Yangtze estuary. Though it was once little more than a rustic fishing village, foreign capital flows into this new city, and it is rapidly developing into an international trading port." : "The people call this place the City of Devils." Shirou: "So this is Shanghai. This place is so busy, I can't relax." Meili: "Look at all the foreigners. Guangzhou can't compare to this." Sailor: "Jerk!" Meili: "Some sailors are fighting." Xielu: "It's got all the hot-blooded guys you'd expect from a young city with an unknown future. And it's crawling with shady types who have come from China and abroad dreaming the Shanghai dream." ei: "No one from the Grand Alliance showed up." Shirou: "I'm hungry." ei: "Yeah, right." Mao: "Chinese mitten crab!" Shirou: "It's so good!" Xielu: "The real thing is in a league of its own." Mao: "Yeah. Shanghai never uses dead crab." Xielu: "Come to think of it, Mao. Didn't you serve me shumai packed with mitten crab eggs the first time we met?" Xielu: "I only got to eat that because I was fed Shirou's terrible stir fry." Shirou: "You don't have to mention that part, bro!" Leien: "According to Master Luo, the second legendary utensil is somewhere in Shanghai." Luo: "The eight legendary utensils were scattered across the eight regions of China. They're said to protect the Chinese culinary world. Through your travels, you must decipher these maps more clearly so that you may reach the legendary utensils." Mao: "But all we've got is a single, unlabeled map." Leien: "Our only clue is the Grand Alliance the captain mentioned." Xielu: "The Grand Alliance is a trade association of chefs like the Guangdong Chefs' Alliance. The difference is it's way more mobile, and uses its tremendous influence." Mao: "Why?" Xielu: "The restaurants that have gathered in the new city of Shanghai have short histories." Xielu: "Lots of places don't know how to handle foreign customers. On top of that, tons of ingredients make their way here from China and abroad along the Yangtze River and the sea. People yearned for a powerful trade association to make sure they were distributed fairly." Cloak: "We've been waiting for you." Shaoan: "The results?" Cloak: "The first step of our plan has already been completed. But, Governor," Cloak: "this morning, the group from Yang Spring Restaurant landed in Shanghai." Cloak: "What shall we do?" Shaoan: "We'll have to crush them." Shaoan: "I hold a deep grudge against that boy." Mao: "Meili, let's be sure to make time to visit this place." Meili: "Longzhen Restaurant?" Meili: "That's Sanjie's shop." Shirou: "Sanjie?" Mao: "Didn't I tell you about him?" Xielu: "Have you noticed, Lei En?" Leien: "Yes. We're being followed." Xielu: "Is it the underworld?" Leien: "I don't know, but..." Mao: "Anyway—" Mao: "Excuse me." Mao: "Huh?" Shirou: "Who are these guys?" Big Boy: "You're Lei En of the Seven Star Knives." Mob: "Lei En? The rumored Lei En?" Mob: "The underworld! They belong to the underworld!" Mao: "Underworld?" Mob: "Death! Death! Death! Death!" Leien: "These men are insane." Shirou: "What do they think we did?" Mob: "Death! Death!" Meili: "No!" Mob: "Death!" Sanjie: "Wait!" Sanjie: "These guys don't belong to the underworld." Mao: "You!" Mao: "Sanjie!" Meili: "Sanjie!" Sanjie: "What a surprise. It's been forever. Good to see you again, Meili. You've finally become a woman." Meili: "What does that mean?" Man: "Boss, you know these underworld men?" Sanjie: "You idiot! How could they belong to the underworld?" Sanjie: "This is the pride of Guangzhou, the youngest Super Chef ever, Liu Maoxing!" Mob: "What?! A Super Chef?" Man: "Forgive us! We had no idea you were the boss's savior!" Sanjie: "Come to my restaurant, brother. As promised, I'll cook you a delicious meal." Mao: "Okay!" Leien: "I'm going to head to the Grand Alliance first." Meili: "Now, now. Let's enjoy Sanjie's cooking together." Xielu: "The Longzhen Restaurant is one of a few places in Shanghai that have a long history." Meili: "Sanjie once trained at Yang Spring Restaurant as senior apprentice to Mao." Xielu: "Senior apprentice?" Meili: "He always skipped work and teased Mao. My dad expelled him for his lack of motivation," Meili: "but the truth was he couldn't hold a knife properly because of a childhood trauma." Xielu: "Huh..." Meili: "Giving up on his dream of becoming a chef, when Sanjie tried to leave the restaurant, Mao dragged him back into the kitchen. Ultimately, with Mao's help, he completed the final task given to him by my dad. He achieved his dream of becoming a chef and returned to his hometown of Shanghai." Sanjie: "I'm not perfect yet, but..." Meili: "You overcame your fear of knives." Sanjie: "Yeah." Snajie: "Here. This is the famous Guangdong dish Mao and I used to impress Zhou Yu." Meili: "That was delicious." Shirou: "The seasoning was perfect. I ate too much." Sanjie: "By the way, Mao, why did you come to Shanghai?" Sanjie: "Th-The legendary utensils? So you came looking for it, too." Mao: "What?" Sanjie: "The truth is the Shanghai culinary world is currently in an uproar over that legendary utensil." Mao: "What do you mean?" Sanjie: "The Shanghai Chef's Grand Alliance receives threatening letters daily from some mysterious group called the cooking underworld." Sanjie: "Everyone's on edge." Sanjie: "That's why they surrounded you earlier." Sanjie: "I'm really sorry about that." Mao: "So that's why..." Xielu: "They must've realized it's here, too." Mao: "Could you take a look at this?" Sanjie: "It's... a map, right? But only a shape has been drawn. There isn't a single label on it." Mao: "According to Master Luo of Yang Spring Restaurant, a legendary utensil is hidden here in Shanghai. This map apparently indicates its location." Sanjie: "Maybe my dad will know something." Mao: "Really?" Meili: "Is your dad at the restaurant now?" Sanjie: "Right now my dad and the other leaders of the Grand Alliance are holding a meeting on the Huangpu River to discuss how to handle the underworld." Sanjie: "They're supposed to come up with a clear strategy." Mob: "What's that? Is that a person?" Sanjie: "Elder Singchi of Jinjiang Restaurant! That's impossible! He should be at the meeting!" Sanjie: "Who's there?" Mao: "Lei En, this is..." Leien: "That's definitely the symbol of the cooking underworld, the Black Cloud Kirin." Cloak: "Tang Sanjie. In three days, we will be waiting for you on the Huangpu River. You cannot run." Cloak: "We've taken the leaders of the Grand Alliance hostage." Sanjie: "Dad?" Xielu: "That's her..." Xiang: "In three days, we shall reveal the secret of the legendary utensil if you can decipher this." Sanjie: "I'm sorry I dragged you into this." Mao: "No, this is what we want, Sanjie." Mao: "We won't learn anything unless we meet our enemies." Cloak: "Thank you for waiting." Cloak: "I'll take you to the meeting place." Leien: "Hostages, huh? Their methods are as underhanded as ever." Leien: "They're probably after our map to the legendary utensil." Xielu: "Yeah." Mao: "The winds have changed." Mao: "We're out at sea." Cloak: "Please remove your blindfolds." Shirou: "It's too dark to see." Xielu: "It's a shadow. We're inside a giant shadow." Both: "What?" Sanjie: "That's..." Sanjie: "A giant aquatic pavilion!" Leien: "Could this be the rumored cooking underworld's Warship Pavilion?" Xielu: "It's stupid big... I've never seen anything like it!" Mao: "The entire ship must be full of enemies, Lei En." Leien: "We'll be cooking with enemies on all sides. Be careful." Leien: "The underworld is always working to use cooking to force chefs to submit to them." Leien: "They're motivated by their twisted sense of pride and justice." Leien: "The ambition of those seeking the legendary utensil will become clear shortly." Man: "I'm impressed you didn't run. Now, enter our main battlefield." Leien: "Bring it on." Xielu: "Will we find a demon king waiting for us beyond that door? Or..." Xielu: "It's larger than I expected." Mao: "This giant competition kitchen fits inside this ship?" Shirou: "All these guys look shady. Do they all belong to the underworld?" Xiang: "You know what we want: the legendary utensil." Xiang: "But can't unconditionally receive the Shanghai culinary world's legendary utensil." Xiang: "That is why we have fairly and openly requested a contest to earn the utensil." Sanjie: "There's nothing fair or open about taking hostages! Return my dad and the others!" Xiang: "Hostages? Don't say it like that. The elders are waiting in another room. You can leave with them once the contest has concluded. Tang Sanjie, your father has gladly offered us something that shows the location of the legendary utensil." Xielu: "That can't be!" Leien: "That's one way to put it." Xiang: "But this is not enough for us to figure it out. We've heard you hold the key to deciphering this code." Sanjie: "You seem to have the wrong idea. I'm not the one who holds the key. It's my friend here," Sanjie: "Super Chef of Guangzhou, Liu Maoxing!" Xiang: "That must be it." Xiang: "No!" Mao: "Only the winner will hold both the code and the map!" Mao: "I challenge you, cooking underworld!" Xiang: "Very well." Xiang: "Then let us begin the Huangpu River Warship Pavilion banquet contest." Xiang: "Each side will choose three chefs to participate. The subject of the contest will be determined then." Xielu: "Three each? You're down one." Xiang: "Do not worry. He will be arriving later." Xielu: ""He?" No matter who comes, our victory is certain." Sanjie: "That's right. We'll crush you guys and take back the elders. Mao, let me go first." Mao: "Okay." Xiang: "Then allow me to introduce the judges." Sanjie: "Impossible! You're..." Meili: "Who are they?" Sanjie: "That's the boss of Shanghai's marketplace, Governor Zhang." Sanjie: "Leader of the sailors, Governor Hu." Sanjie: "Union president of the shopping center, Governor He." Sanjie: "In other words, the top men who lead Shanghai's various associations." Sanjie: "The Grand Alliance is one such association. But..." Sanjie: "but why are you working with the underworld?" Sanjie: "You and the Grand Alliance have always worked together." Zhang: "Listen, Sanjie. Don't get the wrong idea. We don't care whether the Shanghai culinary world is controlled by the Grand Alliance or the underworld." Hu: "All we want is for the strongest group to rule Shanghai and maintain order." He: "We hear the cooking underworld has plenty of chefs who outstrip even Super Chefs." Hu: "We thought we'd see that strength for ourselves with our tongues today." Zhang: "Don't worry, Sanjie. We'll only vote for the dish we truly believe to be delicious." Zhang: "Naturally, we won't go easy on you. But..." Sanjie: "But?" Zhang: "The skills of the young chef of Longzhen Restaurant have improved considerably. But the uneven ingredients we sometimes find mixed into your dishes are unsatisfactory." Mao: "These guys aren't just talk. They even know Sanjie's weakness." Zhang: "Take my advice. Let your friends handle the contest" Zhang: "so you can go back home with your father." Mao: "Sanjie." Meili: "Sanjie..." Xielu: "Unfortunately, the judges know your weakness." Leien: "They may be impartial, but they'll be harsh judges of a chef whose weakness they know." Mao: "Sanjie..." Sanjie: "I know, Mao. I'll let you guys handle this contest" Sanjie: "for my dad and the future of the Shanghai culinary world." Xiang: "In that case, the first subject of the banquet contest is..." Xiang: "Dim sum!" Xiang: "Now choose your chef!" Xielu: "Who else could we choose? The country's greatest dim sum master, Xie Lu of the Steel Staff, will take you on!" Xiang: "So you're the famous Xie Lu of the Steel Staff." Xielu: "Who will it be? Which unfortunate soul will I fight?" Cloak: "Such a lively challenger." Both: "That old fogy? That man?" Xielu: "The old man is my opponent? Try not to suddenly die from overexerting yourself." Luokong: "Don't be a showoff, youngster." Luokong: "If you're a novice dim sum master, you must recognize this mark." Xielu: "What?" Leien: "Is that the crest of the Bai Luo family?" Zhang: "Impossible! One of them yet lives?" Mao: "Lei En, what's the Bai Luo family?" Mob: "The Bai Luo family?" Mob: "Luo Kong?" Leien: "The Bai Luo family is a family of dim sum masters descended from the chef who served Zhuge Liang of Sichuan during the Three Kingdoms Era. But I'd heard their line died out 50 years ago with Luo Kong, the man known as the dim sum king." Both: "What?" Xielu: "Gramps, are you..." Luokong: "That's right." Luokong: "I am the sole living survivor of the Bai Luo family, Luo Kong." Xielu: "The legendary dim sum master who perfected dim sum and was invited to work for the emperor stands before us..." Mao: "But you said he died 50 years ago." Leien: "That's right. If he were alive, he'd be over 100 years old. A living fossil." Xielu: "Why? All dim sum masters aspire to be like you. Why work with the underworld?" Luokong: "That goes without saying. I came to learn the underworld's secret dim sum technique not even known to me. Just as the sweet bun created by my family's founder consoled the spirits of soldiers fallen in battle and quelled agitating streams cutting through the lines, the true path of dim sum is the repose of souls from which gently suppresses the waves of an unsettled mind and body." Xielu: "Named for the way it renews the heart," Xielu: "dim sum is meant to be eaten when you are troubled for a refreshing change of mood." Xielu: "Rather than boasting about ourselves, why don't we take it easy, Gramps." Luokong: "You do not quail before me. You truly are lively prey. Now choose the subject of our contest." Xiang: "The subject is sweet buns!" Leien: "He shouldn't have hit that." Leien: "The Bai Luo family's greatest secrets must be hidden in sweet bun making." Luokong: "Dim sum boy. You've erased any chance you had of winning." Xielu: "I'll carve a star for you and your big mouth onto my staff, gramps." Mao: "The sweet bun contest of the century has begun."

Riku: "Bro!" Riku: "Nice one!" Reo: "You did good, too." Riku: "One day, we'll get to play in the Rugby World Cup." Eptitle: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c The Moon and the Sun" Text: "Haruma Riku" Teacher: "Haruma. Haruma Riku!" Teacher: "You weren't listening, were you?" Riku: "Hieroglyphics, hieratic script, and demotic script. They were fundamental in the development of the ancient Egyptian civilization," Riku: "which went on to be known for creating a solar calendar and building the pyramids. During the Napoleonic campaigns, these three scripts were discovered on the Rosetta Stone—" Teacher: "Wait. Wait, wait, wait." Teacher: "That will do." Student: "Where'd that come from? He wasn't even paying attention. Geniuses are freaky." Teacher: "What is it, Haruma?" Riku: "I think you should be quizzing him instead." Teacher: "Kariya Akira? He's a lost cause." Rugby: "Akira! Go!" Akira: "What is it? You want something?" Riku: "No, I just..." Akira: "Okay, then. Later." Akira: "If you've got nothing to say, I'm off." Riku: "Just one thing." Riku: "When you run, you should lower your center of gravity." Akira: "Center of gravity?" Riku: "I mean, you should bend your knees more. If you deliberately lower your center of gravity, you can change direction quicker," Riku: "making it easier to dodge your opponents." Akira: "Got it. Thanks." Akira: "Center of gravity." Akira: "Hey." Akira: "We're in the same class, huh?" Text: "Kariya Akira" Riku: "It's been a whole month since school started, and you still couldn't recognize me, Kariya Akira?" Akira: "Don't rub it in. I'm terrible at remembering stuff." Riku: "So, do you want something?" Akira: "Yeah, I wanted to thank you for yesterday." Riku: "Thank me?" Akira: "That single suggestion you made changed my whole running motion. You're amazing." Riku: "It was nothing." Akira: "Then, can I pick your brain some more?" Riku: "Excuse me?" Akira: "You've got more ideas in that noggin of yours, don't you?" Akira: "I knew it." Akira: "Your techniques... I want 'em." Riku: "Why me? There are plenty of others who can coach you." Akira: "Call it a hunch." Akira: "And my hunches are never wrong. There's no doubt in my mind. I need a guy like you in my corner." Riku: "I refuse." Riku: "I'm done with rugby." Akira: "Hey! Wait a sec!" Akira: "Wait!" Text: "The Next Day" Riku: "I thought I told you no yesterday." Akira: "Yeah, but I need you, man. I need your techniques. I'm completely self-taught, you see." Riku: "Self-taught?" Akira: "Well? What do you say to a quick confab?" Riku: "I said no." Akira: "I won't give up!" Text: "The Next Day" Akira: "Hey." Akira: "Hey, wait!" Riku: "Hey..." Riku: "Why are you so insistent that I help you?" Akira: "There's this guy I really want to beat." Akira: "Right now, I can't even play against him." Riku: "What does that mean?" Akira: "Even if I could, I'm not good enough yet." Akira: "But I will beat him. And I need your help with that." Riku: "Fine, just this once." Akira: "All right!" Akira: "See you on the field after class. I'll be waiting!" Riku: "I may have made a huge mistake." Rugby: "When's he gonna get here?" Akira: "Chill out, bro. He'll be here soon." Akira: "Riku!" Rugby: "Hey, Akira... This is the guy you were talking about?" Akira: "That's right. He's a thousand times better than you guys." Riku: "Hey! What are you saying?!" Akira: "You cookie-cutter chumps can't hold a candle to him." Rugby: "What?" Akira: "If Riku and I teamed up, we'd absolutely steamroll you." Akira: "Right?" Riku: "Don't look at me!" Akira: "What? You're not gonna play along?" Riku: "No, I am not! What do you mean, "team up"?" Akira: "The two of us are going to take 'em all on at once." Riku: "I only agreed to give you advice. My playing days are over." Rugby: "What's this? He doesn't even play?" Rugby: "Being a ball boy's probably all he's good for with his body. He'd be dead weight on the field of play. Rugby is for beefcakes like us. Quitting was the best choice." Akira: "That's enough!" Akira: "You..." Riku: "It's fine." Riku: "I'm not so meek that I'll take their jibes lying down. I'll prove to you all" Riku: "that I'm better than you." Horyu: "Two against seven is crazy." Text: "Horyu Tomomi" Horyu: "Rugby is—" Riku: "It's about creating an overload." Riku: "It's a tactical sport." Horyu: "Y-Yeah, exactly." Horyu: "Just being one man short is a real handicap, and you have less than a third. Attempting to score a try would be like scaling a castle wall with no equipment." Riku: "Sounds perfect." Horyu: "What?" Riku: "Scoring a try under these conditions will prove my strength." Akira: "You heard the guy." Horyu: "Okay, let's begin!" Rando: "Tori, something's going on over there." Rugby: "It's over for you already!" Horyu: "A short punt?" Riku: "If you can't scale a wall, fly over it." Rugby: "Akira's going after it? That's impossible!" Riku: "I knew he would." Riku: "I could tell he was starving for the ball." Riku: "I knew he would react if I kicked it." Riku: "I saw..." Riku: "the future!" Rugby: "Stop him!" Riku: "That's four of them out of the game. The rest are up to you." Horyu: "Incredible!" Riku: "Of course..." Riku: "They don't stand a chance." Tori: "What are you guys doing?!" Left: "Oguma Keita" Center: "Fuyuhara Tori" Right: "Rando Soya" Tori: "When did I say you could play a practice match?!" Oguma: "He doesn't need to get so angry." Rando: "They can't just go changing the practice schedule." Tori: "Hold up! Answer me!" Riku: "It's my fault." Tori: "What?" Riku: "Allow me to explain." Akira: "Riku." Tori: "A non-member?" Riku: "And that's what happened." Tori: "I understand the situation." Tori: "Let me apologize on behalf of the rugby team." Tori: "We're very sorry." Riku: "Oh, no, it's fine." Tori: "I'll give them a dressing down." Rando: "Haruma, have you been playing rugby long?" Riku: "I only played for a little bit." Tori: "That was a pretty clean kick for someone who hasn't played much." Tori: "Did you quit rugby because of your build?" Tori: "But you're so good..." Riku: "It's all in the past now. If you'll excuse me." Text: "The Next Day" Akira: "Riku." Akira: "Join the rugby team." Riku: "Don't ask me again." Riku: "I already told you I quit." Akira: "And I heard you." Akira: "But join the team anyway." Riku: "Why, you..." Akira: "You can still fight. No, you want to fight." Akira: "You're suppressing your burning desire. You're just forcing yourself to pretend you've given up." Riku: "You had to go and say it, didn't you?" Riku: "I didn't want to give up! I didn't want to quit! But no matter how hard I worked or wished for it, I didn't have the body for it!" Riku: "What else could I do but quit?" Riku: "Rugby was everything to me." Riku: "I studied it." Riku: "I learned the techniques. I believed I could become the best player in the world!" Riku: "But I came face-to-face with reality! My body refused to grow! That alone prevented me from winning, so I..." Riku: "I gave up on rugby." Akira: "No, you haven't." Akira: "You don't really believe that." Riku: "What do you know about it? You have everything I don't!" Akira: "I do know." Riku: "What did you say?" Akira: "That play showed me the truth. If you'd really given up, you wouldn't have been able to fight like that." Riku: "I..." Akira: "Your pride remains undimmed!" Riku: "You... Is that why you..." Akira: "Fight. Only then will you find your own path." Akira: "Besides..." Akira: "I need you in my corner." Riku: "You'll have to help me." Riku: "I need you, too." Riku: "For someone as small as me to win, I'll have to use you. Since you're so athletic, as long as you do what I say—" Akira: "What? No way." Riku: "Why not? Isn't this what you wanted?" Akira: "You fight how you want to. But I'll do it my way." Riku: "Wait, but yesterday—" Akira: "That's not how I like to fight." Riku: "Fine. I'll join the team. My tactics will outshine your athleticism. More importantly," Riku: "I will put a collar on you, Kariya Akira!" Riku: "I'm joining the team today. My name is Haruma Riku." Riku: "I look forward to playing with you." Akira: "I can't wait to see where this goes." Tori: "Do your best." Riku: "I'll put a collar on you, Kariya Akira!" Akira: "Those spiky ones are cool." Riku: "You're not supposed to enjoy it." Akira: "But it'd get in the way while playing." Riku: "It'd dig in if you slumped over your desk. Maybe that'd keep you awake." Akira: "I was joking. I obviously wouldn't actually wear one." Riku: "I was just playing along." Akira: "That's the spirit. Bring that teamwork onto the field." Riku: "Yeah." Both: "Next time: "Athleticism and Tactics!"" Text: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c Athleticism and Tactics" Akira: "I'm gonna win!" Both: "Try Knights!" Ohata: "Rugby Lesson!" Riku: "Former international, Ohata Daisuke-sensei, will be teaching us how to enjoy rugby." Text: "Ohata Daisuke" Ohata: "Hello." Riku: "People say the rules of rugby are complicated..." Akira: "...but you only need to know a few key things to enjoy the game." Ohata: "Let's enjoy rugby together. Naturally, our first lesson is on the subject of this word..." Text: "Try" Riku: ""Try," huh?" Ohata: "In rugby, players attempt to score tries. Carrying the ball into this part of the opponent's half" Ohata: "and grounding it is how you score a try." Text: "Try Try" Riku: "A try is worth five points." Ohata: "The crowd goes wild when a try is scored." Akira: "The exhilarating feeling of sprinting across the field is almost too much to bear." Riku: "I'm sure plenty of stunning tries will be scored at this year's Rugby World Cup." Ohata: "I'm looking forward to it."

Arimura: "Huh? Tenkawa-kun, why?" Akira: "Does this mean I can do what I like?" Riku: "Yeah. I believe..." Riku: "...in your strength." Akira: "I... win!" Left: "Soran" Right: "Kinosaka" Arimura: "No..." Arimura: "This match was supposed to settle things between Riku-kun and me..." Arimura: "I see." Tenkawa: "Arimura." Tenkawa: "I'm sorry." Arimura: "It's fine." Arimura: "I'm the one who should apologize." Arimura: "Riku-kun." Arimura: "Looks like you won." Riku: "Yeah." Arimura: "Could I ask you for a favor?" Eptitle: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c Soran and Sekirei" Riku: "It should be around here." Akira: "Hey, isn't that them?" Arimura: "Hey. Thanks for coming, you two." Riku: "We have the day off, so it's okay." Arimura: "That's good, then." Riku: "Anyway, why'd you call us out here today?" Arimura: "There's something I wanted to discuss with you." Riku: "With us?" Arimura: "Yeah." Arimura: "Watch out in the game against Sekirei." Arimura: "There was one tactic I couldn't employ in our game." Arimura: "But Asamiya Reo will definitely use it against you." Riku: "You're right. We'll come up a way to counter." Arimura: "Sorry. My intention wasn't to make you anxious." Riku: "I know." Riku: "I'm under no illusion about how tough it will be to beat them." Arimura: "Yeah, it will." Arimura: "Riku-kun, could the two of us speak in private?" Riku: "I don't mind." Akira: "Sure, fine by me." Arimura: "Thank you. Later, Tenkawa-kun." Tenkawa: "Yeah." Riku: "What did you want to discuss?" Arimura: "It's about yesterday's game." Riku: "The game?" Arimura: "I was utterly defeated." Arimura: "You saw right through me." Arimura: "I did only see my teammates as pawns." Arimura: "But... you see the game differently." Arimura: "You put your faith in your teammates." Arimura: "That's the reason I lost." Arimura: "I couldn't beat you at rugby, either." Riku: "Arimura..." Arimura: "I thought I only needed to outwit you to win the game." Arimura: "But that's not how rugby works." Riku: "Yeah. That's what makes rugby so interesting." Riku: "Your teammates do stuff without your input. That's why you can put your faith in them." Riku: "That's what he taught me." Arimura: "Tenkawa-kun taught me that too, in the end." Arimura: "Riku-kun, can I ask you something?" Riku: "What is it?" Arimura: "Your team's final play." Arimura: "Why did you choose that play?" Arimura: "I understand you have faith in your teammates." Arimura: "That's why you trusted one to bring home the win." Arimura: "But you also cast aside your greatest weapon: your tactics." Arimura: "Due to your small stature, your tactical play is your only means of survival." Arimura: "So tell me: why did you make that choice?" Arimura: "How were you able to just throw tactics out the window?" Riku: "I don't know." Arimura: "What?" Riku: "You summed it up well." Riku: "For me, that final play was do or die." Arimura: "Then... why?" Riku: "You knew every play I had at my disposal." Riku: "Whatever tactic I used, you would have countered and won the game." Riku: "That's why I did what I did." Riku: "I did it to beat you." Riku: "I had to put my faith in my teammates to win it." Riku: "But..." Riku: "Honestly, I even surprised myself. I can't believe I did that." Arimura: "Sorry, sorry. I see. So you even surprised yourself, huh?" Arimura: "You must really trust your team." Arimura: "And I overlooked that. It's no wonder I lost." Tenkawa: "I lost yesterday." Akira: "Yup. I won." Tenkawa: "That's the first time I've lost a contest of strength." Akira: "Not bad, huh?" Tenkawa: "Yeah. I had no idea the need for revenge could burn so hot." Akira: "Bring it on. But don't go thinking I won't fight back." Arimura: "Thanks for coming today." Riku: "It's no big deal." Arimura: "Truth is, there's something I wanted to tell you." Arimura: "Next time, I'll be on the field." Arimura: "And next time, I'll beat you. Check that. I'll beat Soran." Riku: "You won't beat us next time, either." Akira: "Bring it on." Arimura: "See you on the field next time." Riku: "Yeah." Riku: "Bye." Arimura: "Riku-kun!" Riku: "It's fine." Riku: "See you." Tenkawa: "You're still worried?" Arimura: "I suppose I am. Their game against Sekirei will be difficult for him." Akira: "Hey, what's this tactic Reo might use?" Riku: "I can imagine what it might be, but it's my problem to deal with. It's fine. Let me worry about it." Akira: "I see. All good, then." Akira: "Seiichiro?" Riku: "Nada-san?" Riku: "H-Hey!" da: "That was a nice pass." da: "Akira?" da: "What are you doing here?" Akira: "Let's go!" Akira: "It's been a while, Seiichiro!" Riku: "What are you doing?!" da: "Riku." Mob: "There's two of them now. Who are these guys?" de: "Sorry. They're here to see me." Riku: "Thank you." da: "I didn't think you guys would come by here." Riku: "It's pure coincidence. But, Nada-san, I thought you were still injured." Akira: "Doesn't playing here mean you're all better?" Akira: "You wouldn't have been able to take me down if you weren't." da: "Yeah, I'm 90 percent of the way there." da: "I asked them to let me practice here as part of my rehabilitation." Riku: "I see." Akira: "Then why don't you come play with us instead?" Riku: "There's a reason he can't return." Riku: "Isn't that right?" da: "I nearly stole the future of Tori and his friends." Akira: "What do you mean by that?" da: "I wanted to make the team stronger as its captain. Together, we would stand victorious. That was the philosophy that drove me when I captained the team. On top of that, Soran has a long history in the sport." da: "I didn't want to tarnish its reputation." da: "I was at my wit's end every day, trying to improve the team." da: "But everyone still placed their trust in me." Riku: "Oguma-san told me when you took over the captaincy, everyone was full of hope." da: "I see. I appreciate that." da: "It's true that the team got stronger. Strong enough to hold our own against Sekirei." da: "At the Sekirei game last year, we were full of confidence." da: "With the team we had, we could beat Sekirei." da: "Everyone believed it." da: "But Sekirei... Or rather, Asamiya Reo taught me a hard lesson." da: "I learned just how much I'd made the team dependent on me." da: "Asamiya Reo knew that." da: "That's why he focused all his attention on me." da: "The moment I fell, the team's spirit was broken. And sadly, we lost to Sekirei." da: "It came as a shock." da: "Not so much my injury, but the fact our team lost." Riku: "Nada-san..." da: "But what shocked me most..." da: "was how many members quit after learning of my condition." da: "So I decided against coming back." da: "If I did, everything would revert back to how it was." da: "I didn't want to do that to Tori and the others." Akira: "What kind of reason is that?! It wasn't your fault at all!" da: "It's not as simple as all that, anyway." da: "You get what I mean, don't you?" da: "Your tactics restrict the team. Haven't you ever felt that?" da: "And if that's true..." Akira: "It's not." Akira: "We may go all "tactical" at times, but I'm still me. I do what I want." Riku: "We have guys like him on the team." da: "I see how it is." Riku: "The captain and his friends are in a different place now. Their heads are held high, and they're waiting for you to return." Riku: "Come see our game against Sekirei." Riku: "Please." da: "Fine. I will." Riku: "Thank you. Sekirei Academy" Kiriya: "This one is all yours." Aoba: "There!" Kiriya: "Your kicks are as accurate as ever." Aoba: "Naturally." Setsuya: "Captain!" Setsuya: "Impressive like always, my lord!" Suruga: "The final is tomorrow. Is everyone suitably prepared?" Setsuya: "Why, of course." Aoba: "Naturally." Kiriya: "No concerns over here." Reo: "We shall do what we always do: crush our opponent with all our might. No more needs to be said." Suruga: "We should be fine." Reo: "What is it?" Suruga: "Does the prospect of facing your brother trouble you?" Reo: "No. It changes nothing. I will simply give it my all and beat him." Suruga: "Sounds like you." Reo: "Besides, there is a fatal hole in his tactics." Suruga: "A hole?" Reo: "Riku, you do not belong here." Riku: "This is the only way, huh?" Akira: "If it ain't Riku." Riku: "Akira? What is it?" Akira: "Oh, I'm not here for any particular reason." Riku: "What's with the grin?" Akira: "Oh, nothing. Just figured I'd find you out here." Riku: "What does that mean?" Riku: "Come to think of it..." Riku: "You said before there was someone you wanted to beat." Akira: "Yeah. There is." Riku: "So... who is it?" Akira: "Asamiya Reo. Your older brother." Riku: "Because he's the best player around?" Akira: "No, to avenge Seiichiro." Akira: "When I was in middle school, he got me to join the rugby team." Akira: "Before that, I spent all my time hanging around my grandpa." Akira: "If it wasn't for Seiichiro, I wouldn't be here. So I wanted to avenge him." Riku: "You "wanted"?" Akira: "It's all different now. I just want to beat strong opponents now. That's all." Akira: "After all, that's what I do." Riku: "Sounds like you." Riku: "Asamiya Reo is the strongest out there, no doubt about it." Riku: "So to face him, I present you with my final tactic." Riku: "That tactic is..." Tori: "It's time." Tori: "Is everyone ready?" All: "Yeah!" Tori: "All right." Tori: "Let's go!" All: "Yeah!" Riku: "The Sekirei game." Akira: "We can win this, right?" Riku: "I wouldn't have returned if we couldn't." Akira: "Next time:" Both: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c Confidence and Trust "Confidence and Trust!"" Riku: "We'll show them Soran's strength." Both: "Try Knights!" Ohata: "Rugby Lesson!" de: "This time, we're covering tackling." Akira: "You taught me how to tackle, too." de: "You tackle when you want to stop the ball carrier in his tracks." Ohata: "When the ball carrier has been grabbed and hauled to the ground, the tackle is complete." de: "A tackle is considered incomplete if the ball carrier stays on his feet." Akira: "And you're not allowed to tackle players who don't have the ball." de: "Tackling's the best part of rugby, but flying at each other can be dangerous."

Reo: "There is no path open to you here." Riku: "Wait! Brother!" Eptitle: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c Confidence and Trust" Tori: "We're finally here." Tori: "Last year, we lost something important." Tori: "But we didn't come here just to find it again." Tori: "We've made it out of the darkness." Tori: "So what's left for us?" Tori: "The Big Three isn't enough." Tori: "We'll become the best around!" Tori: "We soar into the azure! We glide through every storm!" Tori: "Let's go, Soran!" All: "Azul Nova!" Suruga: "They seem rather excited." Kiriya: "Whether they are or not, they will not beat us." Aoba: "Victory comes naturally to us. And we play attractive rugby." Suruga: "So..." Suruga: "What words does our captain have for us?" Reo: "We have mapped out how we will win this. All that is left is to execute the plan." Reo: "Setsuya." Setsuya: "Yes, sir." Reo: "The first play is yours." Setsuya: "As you wish. Sekirei Soran" Reo: "With our crimson blades and champion spirit, all fall before us." Reo: "Let us take to the field, Sekirei Rote Ritters." All: "For victory!" Reo: "I heard you made waves in the chess world." Riku: "I'm surprised you know about that." Reo: "What made you stop playing?" Riku: "No matter how many games I won, I was never satisfied. That's all." Riku: "And this guy made me realize something. Playing rugby" Riku: "is the only way I can make you eat your words." Reo: "Surely you have not forgotten that old scar? The despair you felt?" Riku: "I've returned to the field in order to erase all trace of that scar." Reo: "You still fail to understand? There is no path open to you here." Riku: "I will show you my answer to that during the game." Riku: "With the help of the Soran High School Rugby Team." Setsuya: "Well, then. Time to get revenge for the last time we faced each other." Reo: "Setsuya." Setsuya: "C-Captain?" Reo: "The plan has changed. I shall take the ball first." Setsuya: "Very well, sir." Reo: "I will put your words to the test, Riku." Reo: "Too slow." Rando: "There!" Reo: "How weak." Reo: "And that is our first try." Suruga: "Your verdict on their team?" Suruga: "They made it this far." Suruga: "They must be better than the rabble we faced getting here." Reo: "Too early to judge." Reo: "But however good they are, we will win." Kiriya: "Well said." Kiriya: "I shall carry the ball next." Reo: "If you think you can beat them, do so. That will be our game plan." Reo: "Each of you show them your strength. We do not need to match them for pace." Suruga: "Use your own judgment. Make a beeline for their try line." Kiriya: "All right." Aoba: "Understood." Kiriya: "Your team lacks balance and depth." Kiriya: "A walk in the park." Kiriya: "Naturally." Ref: "Crouch!" Ref: "Bind! Set!" Suruga: "Weak." Tori: "We can't tell where they're going to attack the line." Riku: "That must mean any of their players can attack from anywhere." Shotani: "Seriously?" Oguma: "It's okay. I'll stop them if they come my way." Rando: "Yeah. And anyway, we just need to score more than they do." Horyu: "I'm amazed you can say that when we're up against Sekirei." Akira: "I don't care who they are. All we have to do is win." Shotani: "Yeah. As we're here, we might as well have some fun, right?" Riku: "Keep your heads and even the score." Tori: "Yeah. Let's go!" All: "Yeah!" Shotani: "Rikkun!" Setsuya: "Oh?" Setsuya: "You have no passing options." Rando: "Here I come." Shotani: "Nice." Setsuya: "You will not get very far." Shotani: "If there are more guys over this side..." Shotani: "Whoop!" Shotani: "It means Akkun's open." Tori: "Yes!" Riku: "Keep up the good work." Aoba: "Charge straight toward them." Shotani: "You're underestimating us." Aoba: "What a feeble tackle." Oguma: "I'm also here." Aoba: "Allow me to declare myself victorious." Aoba: "His aura is oppressive." Left: "Sekirei Soran Sekirei Soran" Tori: "We're barely keeping up with them." Left: "Sekirei Soran" Riku: "You're right." Horyu: "Everyone on their team is really good." Riku: "We're equally as good. We're running in tries, too." Horyu: "You're right! We can keep pace with them." Tori: "Of course we can." Suruga: "Sekirei Soran Sekirei Soran" Suruga: "They seem like a different team than the one they were until last year." Reo: "They have not changed all that much." Suruga: "Are you sure? To me, it seems like their minds and bodies have matured." Reo: "We shall see if that is truly the case." Suruga: "You must have a plan." Reo: "Preparations have been made." Reo: "All that remains is to finish it." Suruga: "Finish it?" Reo: "We will change our tactics in the second half." Reo: "That is all." Akira: "You look exhausted." Akira: "Are you okay?" Riku: "Yeah, I'm all good." Akira: "You're excited for once." Riku: "We're fighting an opponent I have to beat. Of course I'm excited." Akira: "Yeah, man, right on." Akira: "We're gonna beat 'em." Riku: "Let's catch them up in the second half." Akira: "Gotcha. You can count on me." Reo: "Not a single thing" Reo: "has changed." Reo: "Not since that time." Riku: "I've become... stronger." Riku: "Strong enough to stand back up." Reo: "Which is the same as not changing at all." Reo: "At this rate, you will end up leaving the field on a stretcher." Reo: "You must understand that. Soran's greatest weakness is your physical deficiencies." Kiriya: "All right, let us put this plan into action." Kiriya: "Too slow." All: "Riku!" Horyu: "Are you okay, Riku-san?" Riku: "I'm fine." Tori: "They're deliberately targeting Riku." Rando: "These guys are crafty." Riku: "It'll be easier to counter their strategy now we know that." Shotani: "Are you saying we should just let them go for you?" Oguma: "There's no way we can do that." Riku: "No." Riku: "Not knowing their strategy would make our job more difficult." Akira: "You mean, you expected this?" Riku: "Yeah." Akira: "Then let's keep doing what we're doing." Akira: "Riku says everything's going according to plan. There's no way we can lose." Horyu: "Akira-san..." Tori: "All right. Keep giving the ball to Riku." All: "Yeah!" Suruga: "Not bad." Setsuya: "My lord entrusted me with this strategy." Riku: "Come at me." Setsuya: "So light." Tori: "Don't mess with us!" Tori: "Are you okay, Riku?!" Riku: "I'm... fine." Tori: "Riku!" Riku: "I'm fine." Riku: "Let's take the ball from them." Arimura: "As I thought..." Arimura: "This was their plan." Tenkawa: "They're targeting their key player." Tenkawa: "It's an effective strategy, but one you didn't use." Arimura: "I wanted to win the tactical battle and beat Riku-kun that way." Tenkawa: "Would you have used it otherwise?" Arimura: "Nope, never. Normally, it would be countered immediately." Arimura: "After all, they know who you're going for." Tenkawa: "So why aren't Soran countering it?" Arimura: "They are. That's why they're scoring tries." Right: "Soran" Left: "Sekirei Sekirei" Right: "Soran" Left: "Sekirei" Right: "Soran" Left: "Sekirei" Right: "Soran" Arimura: "Sekirei are focused on Riku-kun, ignoring how many points it's costing them." Tenkawa: "They took the lead?" Arimura: "As long as Riku-kun can withstand the punishment, his team can score." Tenkawa: "The problem is what comes after." Arimura: "What will you do, Riku-kun?" Tori: "Riku. Riku. Riku!" Tori: "Riku!" Riku: "Captain." Tori: "Seriously... You won't see out the match like this." Riku: "I can... keep it up." Riku: "Besides..." Tori: "Besides what?" Reo: "Using yourself as bait so that your team can score. I commend you for that." Riku: "I don't see it as something praiseworthy. I have simply steeled my resolve." Reo: "Resolve by itself is not enough." Riku: "Of course it isn't. I'm not trying to beat you through resolve alone, Brother." Reo: "I shall say it again: there is no path open to you here." Riku: "No, Brother, I..." Reo: "Goodbye, Riku." Akira: "Riku, let's leave Asamiya Reo in our dust!" Riku: "Yeah. We'll go on to the next challenge." Akira: "Next time:" Both: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c Younger and Elder "Younger and Elder!"" Riku: "My path is here!" Both: "Try Knights!" Ohata: "Rugby Lesson!" Riku: "This time, we're talking about rucks and mauls. A ruck is when a number of standing players from both teams make physical contact with each other to contest a grounded ball." Reo: "After the ball carrier has been tackled and has released the ball, players from both teams grapple with each other to claim it." Riku: "A ruck occurs when standing players on both teams push against one another." Ohata: "Next up: the maul." Riku: "A maul is when the ball carrier stays on his feet after a tackle, and teammates prop him up and try to move the ball forward." Riku: "Rucks and mauls are important techniques in rugby."

Reo: "There is no path open to you here." Riku: "Wait, brother." Eptitle: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c Younger and Elder" All: "Haruma, are you okay?" Riku: "I'm fine. How's the game going?" Left: "Sekirei" Right: "Soran" Rikku: "They haven't pulled ahead." Riku: "Nada-san." Tori: "Don't let them get any farther ahead!" Tori: "Hold out until Riku returns!" All: "Yeah!" da: "Tori." da: "Come on. We can't embarrass ourselves in front of Riku." Kiriya: "As planned, their fly-half has left the field." Kiriya: "It's now our turn to score a bucketload." Kiriya: "Weak." da: "Come." Kiriya: "No matter who you are..." Kiriya: "you stand no chance against me." da: "Is that so?" da: "It seems you forgot who bore the brunt of your attacks last year." Shotani: "Tomo-kun!" Horyu: "All you!" Aoba: "How naive." Horyu: "Oh, no!" Shotani: "What?" Aoba: "No more tricks. We will crush you with brute strength!" Aoba: "You're already here?" da: "I've got stamina to spare." da: "The ball's ours." da: "Go. I'll keep getting us the ball." Suruga: "That number eight hasn't played in an official game since he played us last year." Reo: "Yeah." Suruga: "He's playing awfully recklessly for his first game back." Reo: "He must have made a full recovery if he's playing in the game." Suruga: "Are you surprised by their tenacity?" Reo: "I suppose." Reo: "But they won't be able to catch up." Reo: "We won't change our strategy." Suruga: "Even with that?" Reo: "I knew it. Then we just have to pound it into his head." Tori: "We were worried." Riku: "Sorry. I'm fine now." Horyu: "Are you sure you're okay? Did you hit your head?" Riku: "No. They simply sapped my energy." Shotani: "You've got a decent amount of stamina, too." Oguma: "They were really gunning for him. It was inevitable." Rando: "If anything, it's impressive how long he held out." Riku: "If possible, I would've preferred not to go down until the end." Tori: "Akira was the only one saying you'd definitely be back." Akira: "There's no way you'd drop out." Riku: "You get it." da: "Riku, I'm sorry." Riku: "Nada-san..." Riku: "You came back." Gouma: "Nada-san's been carrying the game." Rando: "It's too bad you were asleep." Riku: "I was watching." da: "After all the trouble I caused, I plan to be as useful as possible." Oguma: "It wasn't any trouble." Tori: "If anything, we're the ones who caused trouble for—" da: "You're wrong." da: "Seeing the team in its current state, I realized something." da: "I didn't trust you guys enough." Tori: "Nada-san." da: "I know it's a little late, but let me fight alongside you." Tori: "What are you talking about?" Tori: "You've always been with us." da: "Tori..." da: "Come on, Riku. Let's beat Sekirei." Riku: "Yes. With this team." Tori: "Nada-san's back." Tori: "Riku's not beaten, either." Tori: "Give every last bit of strength you've got! Let's go!" All: "Yeah!" Reo: "I knew you'd be back." Riku: "You make it sound like you expected this." Reo: "Yes. I saw this future." Reo: "But why?" Reo: "It won't change the results. Your physical abilities are limited." Riku: "You're absolutely right." Reo: "Then you could've remained lying down." Riku: "An obvious result is not a reason not to try." Reo: "You're going to make me say it again?" Riku: "There is no path open to me here." Riku: "I've known that from the beginning." Akira: "We knew you'd go for Riku." da: "You're so predictable, Asamiya Reo." Reo: "No." Reo: "I saw that future." Reo: "Give up. You cannot win." Setsuya: "Impressive as always, Captain." Suruga: "What should we do? Keep targeting your brother?" Reo: "No. We'll score." Kiriya: "Are you sure we should leave him alone?" Reo: "Yes." Kiriya: "Then how about targeting their new number eight?" Aoba: "There's no need to deliberately target him. If you happen to run into him with the ball, then face him with all your might." Kiriya: "In order to secure our victory, it would be better to target them strategically." Suruga: "Enough." Setsuya: "This is disgraceful." Suruga: "What should we do, Reo?" Reo: "There's no need to target their number eight." Reo: "We'll crush them with our combined strength. Don't miss a single opening. Keep racking up the points. Let's go." Setsuya: "I shall grant my lord's most welcome wish." Setsuya: "You underestimated me." Akira: "We meet again." Setsuya: "I still owe you one." Akira: "Bring it on." Setsuya: "However..." Setsuya: "My lord's words come first." Kiriya: "You're not good enough." Horyu: "Yes!" Kiriya: "It's not over yet." Shotani: "Gotcha!" Kiriya: "We won't hand over the ball that easily." Rando: "I can reach that!" Suruga: "Naive!" Suruga: "Ryoba!" Aoba: "Victory!" Oguma: "No, you don't." Aoba: "From the front this time." Aoba: "Sekirei will win." Left: "Sekirei" Right: "Soran" da: "They're not making this easy." Rando: "Sekirei is as strong as ever." Oguma: "They're desperate, too." Shotani: "But I don't want to lose." Tori: "Of course not. Let's win!" Horyu: "What should we do?" Akira: "You still think we can win, right?" Riku: "Of course. But to do that..." Rku: "I'll have to abandon my tactics again." Riku: "And..." Tori: "Let's go." Reo: "They're going for the surprise attack. I expected this." Oguma: "Already?" Aoba: "I know." Tori: "They're limiting our pass courses?" Suruga: "Just as planned." Suruga: "What?" Shotani: "Got it, Tomo-kun." Riku: "Tactics number three." Arimura: "The other members are using Riku-kun's tactics?" Arimura: "That's not good." Arimura: "If they use their tactics carelessly, they won't maintain their formation." Arimura: "It's counterproductive." Tenkawa: "No." Tenkawa: "It hasn't broken." Arimura: "How?" Riku: "Your teammates do stuff without your input. That's why you can put your faith in them." Riku: "That's why I did what I did." Riku: "I did it to beat you." Riku: "I had to put my faith in my teammates to win it." Arimura: "Is it because you trust them? Is that how you know" Arimura: "what each of you is trying to do?" Riku: "You're right." Riku: "There is no path open to me here." Riku: "But that was when I was alone." Riku: "It's different now. I have teammates to whom I can grant my tactics." Reo: "Riku." Riku: "Here and now, with this team, I—" Riku: "We will overcome you. And that brilliance will pave the way to the future." Tori: "Riku!" Riku: "Brother." Reo: "That's right. You'd do that. It's your only option." Reo: "It's over." Riku: "I present you with my final tactic." Riku: "Use your own tactic." Riku: "It's the only way to beat Asamiya Reo. Or do you still hate tactics?" Akira: "Of course. I hate those things," Akira: "but not as much as before." Riku: "I see." Riku: "I said I'd put a collar on you, but now, I'll remove it." Riku: "Go wild." Akira: "You sure?" Riku: "Yeah. Show them our strength." Akira: "That makes things easy." Akira: "No matter who our opponent is, I'll crush them. Try to keep up if you're my master." Riku: "I'll match whatever tactic you choose to use." Akira: "We're doing it to win." Riku: "Yeah, to win." Riku: "Now we..." Akira: "...win!" Reo: "That's your path?" Riku: "It's our path." Reo: "You're right." Reo: "Then, go as far as you can." Riku: "I'll go to the ends of the world with this guy." Tori: "Let's take this all the way!" All: "Yeah!" Akira: "Let's go." Riku: "Yeah." Reo: "You came." Akira: "Been waiting long?" Reo: "No. You arrived sooner than expected." Reo: "Riku..." Reo: "did you see this future?" Riku: "I didn't see it." Akira: "We can do this."

Riku: "I'm joining the team today. My name is Haruma Riku." Riku: "I look forward to playing with you." Akira: "I can't wait to see where this goes." Tori: "Do your best." Eptitle: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c Athleticism and Tactics" Akira: "Yo. I've been waiting for you." Riku: "I still need to put a collar on you." Akira: "I look forward to teaming up." Riku: "Yeah, ditto." Riku: "Wait, Akira! Why did you charge through them?" Akira: "Huh? Did I do something wrong?" Riku: "We had an overload. Passing was the better option." Akira: "What? There was an opening, so I went for it." Riku: "You have to think ahead! Tactics aren't optional!" Horyu: "Now, now, you two..." Tori: "Man, talk about a pair of idiots..." Oguma: "Well, it's good that they've got so much energy." Rando: "Nah, too much is a bad thing." Tori: "You said it." Shotani: "Cut it out, you two." Shotani: "How can you have fun if you're fighting all the time?" Riku: "Who are you?" Shotani: "Oh, right. I didn't introduce myself to you, did I, Rikkun?" Riku: ""Rikkun"?" Shotani: "I'm Shotani Pears Valentine. My motto is: "Enjoy and excite."" Text: "Shotani Pears Valentine" Shotani: "Nice to meet you." Riku: "Nice... to meet you." Shotani: "Right back at ya." Shotani: "Anyway, what are you guys fighting about?" Akira: "Hey, he's the one who attacked me." Riku: "Because you treat tactics like an afterthought!" Akira: "There was an opening." Riku: "You can't just charge every time you see an opening. You have to use your head!" Shotani: "Now, now, you two..." Shotani: "But, when you're as athletic as Akkun, surely tactics aren't important?" Shotani: "In fact, he got the better of their defense all by himself. I think he should just play the way he wants to play." Riku: "You're wrong. Athleticism alone can't win a rugby game." Shotani: "Hmm, maybe that's true, but I mean, I've never beaten Akkun in a one-on-one." Akira: "It'll be years before you beat me." Shotani: "I'd like to beat you at least once, though." Akira: "I'm surprised you haven't got tired of trying." Shotani: "Yeah, well... I enjoy taking you on in a one-on-one." Akira: "You wanna try and beat me again today?" Shotani: "Yeah, of course." Horyu: "Apparently, Shotani-san joined the rugby team because Akira-san piqued his interest." Riku: "Really?" Horyu: "Yeah. He'd provisionally joined some other sports teams, too. He doesn't have much rugby experience yet, but his physicality is incredible." Riku: "Yeah?" Tori: "Just one go, guys." Shotani: "Okay." Akira: "Bring it." Shotani: "Here I come." Riku: "They're charging head-on?" Shotani: "Dammit. I've been beaten again." Akira: "Hey, you're getting pretty good." Club: "Akira again, huh? That tackle by Shotani was a good idea..." Riku: "I see now." Horyu: "Riku-san, you got something on your mind?" Riku: "Hmm, yeah." Riku: "I'm thinking about Akira..." Horyu: "His one-on-one with Shotani-san today?" Riku: "There's that, too, but he won't listen to me." Riku: "It's a real problem." Horyu: "Akira-san tends to rely on his instincts." Riku: "That might be working for him right now, but it won't when he faces tougher opposition." Horyu: "M-Maybe you're right there." Riku: "If he thought a bit more tactically, he would've won at a canter." Riku: "He doesn't watch his opponents' movements. He's too reckless." Horyu: "Shotani-san was amazing, too. I thought he had him for a moment there." Riku: "You're right. Hard to believe he only just started playing." Horyu: "He seems almost as athletic as Akira-san." Riku: "But, like Akira, he doesn't understand the importance of tactics." Riku: "He's the type to act without thinking." Horyu: "You're right. Shotani-san and Akira-san are alike in more ways than one." Shotani: "But I don't stand a chance against Akkun. After all, he used to live up in the mountains." Horyu: "What? The mountains?" Shotani: "Yeah. Apparently, he was raised by his grandfather who was a hunter." Horyu: "A hunter? What's that got to do with anything?" Horyu: "Wait, Shotani-san? When did you get here?" Shotani: "What were you saying about me and Akkun?" Riku: "Don't eat my food." Shotani: "You won't miss one. So, what's up?" Riku: "We were discussing how to get you and Akira to understand the importance of tactics." Shotani: "Oh, that. That's what you and Akkun were fighting about this morning, right?" Riku: "Right." Shotani: "Well, I'm sure tactics are important," Shotani: "but don't the more athletic players usually come out on top in rugby?" Riku: "It's true that athleticism is important in rugby." Riku: "But tactics can trump athleticism. That's what I believe." Riku: "You don't agree?" Shotani: "I just can't see how that'd work." Shotani: "I've played a lot of sports in the past, and honestly, no one can touch me usually. But when I provisionally joined the rugby team, I bumped into Akkun." Shotani: "The first time I saw him, I knew immediately." Shotani: "I knew he was different." Horyu: "I thought the same thing." Horyu: "Akira-san has an incredible aura." Shotani: "Yeah, man, you get it." Horyu: "Hey! Don't eat my food." Shotani: "You won't miss one." Shotani: "I face him in a one-on-one every day, but I never win. It's the first time I've been in awe of someone else's sporting prowess." Riku: "I see. So that's your reason for joining the rugby team." Shotani: "Yeah. And that's why it's so hard to picture Akkun losing." Horyu: "Makes sense." Riku: "That's why he needs to understand the importance of tactics." Riku: "And so do you, Shotani." Shotani: "Well, something to look forward to, then." Shotani: "See you later, Rikkun, Tomo-chan." Horyu: "He doesn't have a care in the world. He does everything his way." Horyu: "Everyone's really getting into it." Tori: "Give it all you've got! They say we're in the Big Three, so look the part!" All: "Yes, sir!" Riku: ""Big Three"?" Horyu: "You just joined, so that'll mean nothing to you." Horyu: "The current district champions are Sekirei Academy." Text: "Sekirei" Right: "Soran" Left: "Shikuniyama" Riku: "I see." Horyu: "Of course, the champions are head and shoulders above us." Riku: "Sekirei, huh?" Horyu: "Is something wrong, Riku-san?" Riku: "Oh, no, it's nothing." Riku: "Come to think of it, I don't see the third-years." Horyu: "Not surprising. I've never seen them here, either." Riku: "Really?" Horyu: "Yes. When I ask the upperclassmen why, they tell me to drop it." Riku: "I see." Riku: "How many times do I have to repeat myself? Tactics aren't optional!" Akira: "Why? Anyone would've gone for that." Riku: "Passing was clearly the right choice. What if you drop the ball while charging through their line?" Akira: "I'm not gonna drop the ball." Riku: "I'm telling you it's a real possibility!" Akira: "A real possibility?!" Horyu: "Now, now, you two..." Shotani: "Let's all try to get along. Arguing's no fun." Rando: "It's started again." Oguma: "It's every day now." Tori: "You two are idiots..." Tori: "That's enough outta both of you! Or do you want to feel my fist?!" Horyu: "Practice was exhausting again today." Riku: "I guess so." Horyu: "W-Well, a bath is the best way to let the muscles recover." Riku: "Yeah, you're right." Tori: "Oh, if it isn't Haruma and Horyu." Tori: "That's just how it is. You can't get better at rugby without passion." Shotani: "You always get so fired up, Akarin-senpai. You should relax and just enjoy the game." Tori: "My name isn't Akari, it's Tori!" Shotani: "If I'm going to play this sport, I want to have fun doing it." Rando: "But that's not enough to get better. Sometimes, you have to take it seriously." Oguma: "Well, both are important." Akira: "I don't care either way. I just want to get stronger." Horyu: "That's you all over, Akira-san." Tori: "These first-years are so cynical. Where's your fighting spirit?" Tori: "You first-years are taking it way too easy. You need to really get your bodies moving." Tori: "Haruma, where are you going?" Riku: "Huh? I was just getting out." Tori: "Oh, no, you're not. You're gonna listen to your seniors." Riku: "Uh, but..." Tori: "Don't answer back! Haruma and Kariya, you're always arguing during practice." Tori: "I'm about ready to strangle you." Riku: "It's his fault." Akira: "You're always picking fights with me!" Riku: "It's because you play without thinking!" Akira: "That works for me just fine. I don't see a problem." Riku: "There's clearly a problem!" Akira: "No, there isn't." Riku: "There is." Akira: "No!" Riku: "Yes!" Akira: "I said there isn't!" Riku: "There is!" Tori: "Shut the hell up!" Horyu: "We just took a bath, but I feel exhausted again." Riku: "It's his fault. He doesn't understand the importance of tactics." Horyu: "Maybe to Akira-san, it's all just hot air right now." Horyu: "I mean, he has trouble understanding things he hasn't personally experienced." Horyu: "But you two make an incredible partnership. I'll do anything I can to help." Riku: "Personal experience, huh?" Horyu: "Riku-san?" Riku: "Horyu, you only just started playing rugby, right?" Horyu: "Yes, when I started high school." Riku: "And in middle school?" Horyu: "I played volleyball." Riku: "You did say you'd do anything, right?" Horyu: "Huh?" Riku: "I need your help, Horyu." Riku: "Ready? First..." Tori: "Haruma and Kariya are quiet today." Oguma: "They haven't argued in five days now. He's been acting strange the whole time, too." Rando: "If you ask him, he just says there's nothing going on." Rando: "What should we do, Tori? Haruma's up to something again." Tori: "Leave them for now." Tori: "They're not interfering with practice." Tori: "Besides..." Tori: "I'm interested to see how he plans to steer Akira." Rando: "You're going to make him our fly-half?" Tori: "We've gotta fill the position sometime." Tori: "After all... he's not coming back." Riku: "Akira, today, you will learn the importance of tactics." Riku: "I'm going to beat it into you." Akira: "I like that look in your eye." Akira: "So, how are we gonna do this?" Riku: "A one-on-one." Riku: "If you drop the ball, I win. If you get past, you win. Just like your contest with Shotani." Akira: "You think you can stop me? You?" Riku: "You won't be facing me." Riku: "He's your opponent." Riku: "If Horyu can stop you, it'll prove tactics are important." Riku: "Do you accept?" Akira: "Bring it on." Akira: "I never back down from a challenge." Shotani: "Are you sure this will work, Rikkun? Does Tomo-chan even stand a chance?" Riku: "That's why I chose him." Riku: "If Horyu wins this challenge..." Shotani: "I get it. You're going to show off what a difference using the right tactics can make." Riku: "That's exactly what I'm doing." Horyu: "You want me to tackle Akira-san? There's no way I can stop him..." Riku: "No, you can. Because of who you are." Horyu: "You really think so?" Riku: "Hear what I have planned first. Now, listen..." Tori: "He's running straight at him?" Shotani: "I don't think that's going to work." Riku: "Start by charging toward him. Akira will sidestep at the last second." Riku: "That's when you grab him." Horyu: "W-Will it really be that easy?" Riku: "Akira has bad habits." Riku: "Watch his shoulders." Riku: "When one of them rises, it means he's turning in that direction." Riku: "Once you know which way he's going, beat him there." Tori: "He failed." Riku: "But do it..." Riku: "like you're going for a volleyball." Riku: "A low tackle from the side." Riku: "It's the easiest way to knock someone down." Riku: "If you can land that..." Riku: "you can stop Akira." Akira: "Dammit." Riku: "That's right. I saw the future." Club: "W-Wait... Who won? He dodged Horyu's tackle, but the ball..." Riku: "I won. Akira let the ball touch the ground." Akira: "I didn't lose! I didn't drop the ball!" Riku: "I won." Akira: "No, I won!" Rando: "What did you think of their contest?" Tori: "It was a disaster. After all that, they're back to arguing." Rando: "Your words don't match your expression, Tori." Tori: "I can't help it!" Tori: "It's all going better than I expected. I can't help but smile." Tori: "Haruma's plan. Horyu's growth. Akira's strength in a duel." Rando: "So you're making him the fly-half?" Tori: "Temporarily." Tori: "Now, I'm off to give them a talking to." Tori: "Do you two want a knuckle sandwich?! It was a tie, you hear? A tie!" Shotani: "I see." Shotani: "Interesting, Rikkun. I guess athleticism alone isn't enough. Rugby is a fascinating sport." Student: "Thanks for the help. Thanks, Nada." da: "Don't mention it." da: "The rugby team, huh?" Akira: "Let me try one more time." Riku: "Let's use that fire to beat our opponents." Both: "Next time: "The Past and the Future."" Text: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c The Past and the Future" Riku: "We'll keep moving forward." Both: "Try Knights!" Ohata: "Rugby Lesson!" Horyu: "This time, we're discussing positions." Shotani: "Rugby has a lot of positions." Ohata: "Rugby matches are played by teams of 15. They're broadly divided into the eight forwards..." Shotani: "And the seven backs." Ohata: "And every position has a name and role." Horyu: "It's essential that every player does their part." Shotani: "That's how a team comes together." Horyu: "I'll do my best." Shotani: "Well, don't push yourself too hard. After all, we should enjoy it." Ohata: "Exactly. In rugby, it's important to work with your teammates, instead of doing things on your own."

Council: "Nada-san." Council: "Here's the rugby team's activity report." da: "Great, thanks." Council: "Wait, Nada-san, weren't you..." da: "Yeah, I used to be on the rugby team." Eptitle: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c The Past and the Future" Tori: "With them on our team, we can do it." Tori: "We're going to cement Soran's place in the Big Three." Tori: "We'll make the team stronger." Tori: "Too slow!" Tori: "No resting! Go again!" Tori: "Too weak! That won't bring down anyone!" Tori: "No lying around! Get to your feet! Let's go again!" Horyu: "What's gotten into the captain?" Riku: "Yeah, he's suddenly dialed up the intensity of our sessions." Akira: "This is perfect, actually. Practice has been too relaxed up to now." Shotani: "But it kinda seems like Akarin-senpai is forcing it." Riku: "Forcing it? More like he's rushing things." Riku: "He's got tunnel vision right now." Horyu: "Yeah, you've got a point." Shotani: "Well, we don't have any third-years." Shotani: "Maybe he's stepping up practice so that we stand a chance against other teams." Riku: "Whatever way you look at it, third-years have a technical and physical advantage." Riku: "Since we don't have any, all we can do is raise our own games." Horyu: "I wonder why the team has no third-years." Riku: "We can walk right up to him and ask." Horyu: "What? The captain won't tell us even if we ask him to his face." Riku: "I didn't mean the current captain." Shotani: "What? Are you saying..." Riku: "We'll ask the previous captain." Horyu: "Riku-san, do you know him?" Riku: "No. I don't know him personally, but I looked up his name and class." Akira: "You're gonna go talk to him?" Oguma: "Do you have a second?" Oguma: "Don't you think you're going overboard?" Tori: "Overboard with what?" Rando: "The practice sessions. Don't you think you're pushing everyone too hard?" Rando: "I wouldn't be surprised if people started quitting." Tori: "I don't plan on giving anyone who can't keep up an easy ride." Tori: "We have to go on the offensive." Tori: "With Haruma and Kariya on the team, we can become stronger." Tori: "We can take back what we lost." Oguma: "You're being too hasty." Tori: "I haven't got a choice." Tori: "We don't have time to stand still." Rando: "We understand how you feel. We all lost the same thing." Rando: "We have to move forward." Tori: "The team was entrusted to me." Tori: "It won't weaken under my watch." Oguma: "But if you keep this up, we'll lose you too!" Rando: "Yeah. It's pointless trying to overhaul the team on your own." Tori: "Then, you guys help me do it." Tori: "It's not just Haruma and Kariya. There's Horyu and Shotani, too. All promising rugby players." Tori: "I can't tend to the needs of all of them by myself. But..." Tori: "If you help me, we might pull it off." Rando: "I'll do it. I'll take on that responsibility." Oguma: "You're totally right. Let's become stronger together." Rando: "For now, just do what you think will work." Rando: "I'll follow your lead, wherever you take us." Riku: "Hey, Akira..." Akira: "Seiichiro." da: "It's been a while, Akira." Riku: "Wait... you know Nada-san?" Akira: "Yeah. He got me into playing rugby." da: "We attended the same middle school. You're on the team, too?" Riku: "Yes. My name's Haruma Riku." da: "I see." Riku: "Nada Seiichiro-san," Riku: "you used to captain the rugby team, right?" da: "Yeah." Riku: "Forgive me for asking, but why did you stop playing?" da: "I got injured in a game last winter." da: "I pushed my body too hard against Sekirei." da: "It is what it is. Nothing I can do about it." Akira: "Your body's healed, hasn't it?" da: "I have no problems in my day-to-day life, but sports are a no-go." da: "Sorry." Akira: "Aren't you frustrated?" da: "I still feel some attachment to the sport, but that part of my life is over." Riku: "Nada-san, do you know why the other third-years quit?" da: "Sorry, can't help you. I don't know what happened to them." Riku: "Ultimately, Nada-san aside, we're no closer to finding out why the third-years quit." Akira: "Man, that Seiichiro... What's his deal?" Riku: "He got injured. I'm sure he hates it, too." Akira: "No, that's not what I meant." Akira: "He was just kinda..." Oguma: "Hey, you two." Riku: "Oguma-san?" Oguma: "I heard you went to see Nada-san." Oguma: "I figure now's as good a time as any to tell you everything." Oguma: "I don't want anyone listening in, so let's head off campus." Oguma: "Do you mind tagging along?" Oguma: "As you know, the rugby team has no third-years." Riku: "Thank you." Oguma: "It happened last winter..." Oguma: "After our game with Sekirei." Oguma: "We were full of hope back then." Oguma: "Nada-san had just become our new captain." Oguma: "He was the team's talisman." Oguma: "He shone like the sun, shooting rays of hope into everyone's hearts." Oguma: "At the winter tournament, we played Sekirei in the semifinals and lost." Oguma: "But the result wasn't important." Oguma: "The real issue was Nada-san's injury." Left: "Sekirei" Right: "Soran" Oguma: "We managed to keep pace with Sekirei in the first half." Oguma: "We clung on as they attacked, then went upfield to score. We did that over and over." Oguma: "We had no idea Nada-san was shouldering the heavy burden of carrying the team." Oguma: "Because we were all pushed beyond our limits, we didn't notice. I remember it like it was yesterday: the way Nada-san stopped Sekirei's charge, and the way the crowd roared when he did it." da: "Now... time for a counterattack." Oguma: "Nada-san smiled before he collapsed." Oguma: "It was a crushing defeat. We could barely carry on after that." Oguma: "After the game, we were told Nada-san's injury was serious. They didn't know if he could ever come back from it." Oguma: "The shock of seeing Nada-san collapsing like that halved our roster." Oguma: "Everyone in Nada-san's year quit." Riku: "Why did you stay?" Oguma: "Oh, we stayed..." Oguma: "so that Nada-san had a team to come back to." Akira: "I don't like it." Akira: "We're talking about Seiichiro here. He couldn't play because he got injured. Fine. But has he really given up on rugby without a fight?" Oguma: "He doesn't want anyone to see him suffer. That's how he is." Akira: "That's not the Seiichiro I know!" Akira: "He wouldn't let anything, not even an injury, stop him from fighting. Without a single word of complaint, he did whatever it took to stand on the field again." Akira: "That's the kinda guy he was. Not someone who'd smile while admitting defeat!" Riku: "I understand the situation." Shotani: "So, did you get to talk to the previous captain?" Riku: "Yeah." Horyu: "So you know why there aren't any third-years?" Riku: "More or less." Horyu: "Did something happen? Akira-san's in a foul mood." Akira: "He's hiding something, I know it." Riku: "Even if he is, that's his decision." Riku: "It's not our place to question it." Shotani: "So after all that, nothing's been resolved?" Riku: "No, there is something we can do." Riku: "Play a game." Akira: "Against who?" Riku: "Sekirei." Horyu: "What? Why on earth would you suggest playing Sekirei? They're one of the Big Three, and district champs." Riku: "Even so, we're going to beat them." Shotani: "Really? Sounds like it'll be a riot." Tori: "Go! Hold out!" Tori: "Too slow! Move the ball faster!" Tori: "What are you doing?! Look at your teammates!" Riku: "Captain." Riku: "Could you gather the team up after practice today?" Tori: "What?" Tori: "Haruma, why did you want a team meeting?" Riku: "I've scheduled a practice game for next weekend." Tori: "What?" Riku: "We will be playing Sekirei Academy." Club: "Sekirei Academy? The invincible champions? Those guys?" Tori: "Haruma! What do you think you're playing at?!" Tori: "Sekirei? Do you understand what that means?!" Riku: "Yes. Last winter, this team suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Sekirei." Riku: "Because of that, all the third-years on the team quit." Tori: "You knew all that, and still..." Tori: "Haruma!" Oguma: "Hey, you mustn't..." Riku: "It's all right." Riku: "Akira." Riku: "Why do you practice?" Akira: "Huh? Isn't it obvious? To win." Riku: "Yes, that's right." Riku: "Practicing hard isn't enough." Riku: "We need to win something." Tori: "Let's say you're right, for argument's sake... Why Sekirei?! That team..." Tori: "There's no way we can beat them." Oguma: "Haruma-kun, I didn't tell you all that yesterday for you to do this." Rando: "We should beat some other team before taking on Sekirei." Oguma: "We have to take it one step at a time to build up our confidence." Rando: "That's why Tori came up with such a tough practice regimen." Oguma: "It may be hard, but it'll give us the best results." Riku: "Are you going to carry on lying to yourselves?" Riku: "Are you and your captain going to hide your wounds and just keep running on the spot?" Rando: "What do you know?!" Riku: "I know." Riku: "This team, me... We're the same." Rnado: "The same?" Riku: "I stopped playing rugby because I wasn't athletic." Riku: "I know how one big loss can become a wound that festers." Riku: "There's only one way to heal a wound like that." Riku: "By winning." Riku: "By challenging the team you lost to." Tori: "You're right. Challenging and beating Sekirei would do the trick." Tori: "But Soran couldn't even beat them with him on the team." Tori: "After that loss, we went through the motions. We said to ourselves we'd beat Sekirei someday, but we doubted we ever truly could." Tori: "That's when you guys showed up." Tori: "We thought, with you on the team, we might be able to win after all." Riku: "We might... be able to win?" Tori: "Yeah. It's not a done deal." Tori: "But it still gave me hope." Tori: "I don't want that hope to turn into despair." Tori: "I don't want you to go through that." Rando: "Tori, you..." Riku: "It's all right, captain." Riku: "Our spirits won't be broken." Riku: "And what's more, we're going to win." Tori: "Are you saying you think we can beat Sekirei?" Riku: "I'll make sure we win." Riku: "To do that, I need your strength." Riku: "If you stay scared of Sekirei, this team will just keep groping about in the dark." Rando: "What should we do? Will you back down after that speech?" Oguma: "Let's win. It's not about whether we can or can't. It's about whether or not we want to." Tori: "There can be only one answer! I obviously want to win!" Tori: "Get ready, you guys!" All: "Yeah!" Tori: "We'll accept this game against Sekirei!" Tori: "It's not our style to live in fear!" Tori: "Let's win!" Sekirei: "On the topic of next weekend's game..." Club: "Captain!" Sekirei: "We're in the middle of a regulars' meeting." Club: "M-My apologies." Club: "But we just received a request for a practice game." Sekirei: "Okay, let me see." Sekirei: "Haruma... Riku..." Riku: "So, we're playing Sekirei." Akira: "I'm itching to get stuck in." Both: "Next time: "Failing and Overcoming."" Text: "Failing and Overcoming m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c" Akira: "Who's my opponent?" Both: "Try Knights!" Ohata: "Rugby Lesson!" Rando: "This week's topic is scrums." Oguma: "That's where I show my stuff." Ohata: "Rugby conjures up images of players pushing against each other in a scrum." Oguma: "It's what rugby is known for." Ohata: "The forwards on both teams interlock arms to make sure their half of the scrum doesn't collapse, and push." Oguma: "The scrum-half feeds the ball into the tunnel." Rando: "And everyone pushes to get the ball." Ohata: "Players get the ball out using their feet, not their hands." Oguma: "When the ball exits someplace other than the tunnel, or the player at the back gets the ball, the scrum is over." Ohata: "Intentionally collapsing the scrum is dangerous, so you mustn't do it." Oguma: "We'd better be careful, too."

Suruga: "On the topic of next weekend's game..." Member: "Captain!" Suruga: "We're in the middle of a regulars' meeting." Member: "M-My apologies." Member: "But we just received a request for a practice game." Suruga: "Okay, let me see." Reo: "Haruma... Riku..." Reo: "Let us take to the field, Sekirei Rote Ritters." All: "For victory!" Member A: "Stop them! Quick!" Setsuya: "What an eyesore." Reo: "Here we go." Setsuya: "Impressive, my lord." Eptitle: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c Failing and Overcoming" Setsuya: "Magnificent..." Setsuya: "I must refine myself if I wish to remain at my lord's side." Suyuga: "Setsuya." Setsuya: "Yes?" Suruga: "Reo wants to see you." Setsuya: "The captain wants... to see me?" Reo: "In the upcoming game with Soran High School," Reo: "I want you to lead out our second string." Setsuya: "I shall do as you command, Captain." Suruga: "We are counting on you, Setsuya." Suruga: "You are the only one who can do this." Setsuya: "Yes, sir." Tori: "It's time." Riku: "Yeah." Tori: "All right!" Tori: "Let's go beat the crap out of Sekirei!" All: "Yeah!" Akira: "So this is Sekirei, huh?" Riku: "You'd better not snap at our opponents." Akira: "I won't!" Tori: "Hey, keep it down." Rando: "You're just making it worse." Oguma: "Surely not..." Horyu: "Come on, guys, please don't argue." Shotani: "This gets rid of the tension, so it's all good." Setsuya: "Welcome, Soran High School." Setsuya: "I have been asked to welcome you to our school. My name is Katashiro Setsuya." Setsuya: "I hope today will be fruitful for both of our teams." Tori: "Oh, thanks for—" Setsuya: "Apart from myself, our first string is out for the day. So you will play our second string." Tori: "Second string?" Setsuya: "Yes. I believe it will make for a better game." Tori: "I see. So you're disrespecting a team that came all the way here to play you?" Setsuya: "It would be more disrespectful if we fielded a full-strength team." Tori: "What's his problem?! Does he want to throw down?!" Tori: "Dammit!" Riku: "Everyone else is on their second string." Riku: "He's the only first-string guy they're fielding." Riku: "It's probably a pride thing." Rando: "It's more than a little offensive..." Tori: "Hey, Haruma! Were you hoping we'd play their second string?" Riku: "Yes. I scheduled the game on a day their first string would be out." Tori: "You planned this? You're unbelievable." Akira: "Hmph, I thought we were finally gonna get to play an actual game..." Riku: "This is Sekirei's second string." Riku: "They're way stronger than most schools' first string." Riku: "Underestimate them at your peril." Tori: "We'll teach their second string not to underestimate us. Everyone, keep your cool out there. Don't let your guard down. Haruma, you'll decide how we utilize Akira." Tori: "All right!" Tori: "We soar into the azure! We glide through every storm!" All: "Let's go, Soran! Azul Nova!" All: "Yeah!" Setsuya: "They seem rather excited." Member A: "Uh, shouldn't we do something too?" Setsuya: "Certainly not." Setsuya: "Sekirei's huddles are a sacred ritual." Setsuya: "If you wish to participate in one, get picked for the first team. Now then, Sekirei Rote Ritters..." Setsuya: "Let us take to the field." Setsuya: "You have failed." Setsuya: "You have good game sense..." Setsuya: "but you have still failed." Riku: "No! Don't press!" Setsuya: "Oh?" Setsuya: "What a shame. It appears that this game will be a waste of time, after all." Rando: "Tori!" Shotani: "You guys are getting way too worked up." Setsuya: "Oh? You look like you might be a challenge." Shotani: "Huh?" Setsuya: "You almost got me." da: "Tori..." Setsuya: "You have failed." Setsuya: "You have failed." Setsuya: "I was unsure how good they would be, but it seems I had nothing to worry about." Setsuya: "I have no idea what the captain saw in them." Suruga: "We are counting on you, Setsuya." Suruga: "You are the only one who can do this." Setsuya: "Yes, sir." Reo: "There was an interesting name on their request." Reo: "If you are able to defeat them, then that will be that, but..." Setsuya: "As you wish. You needn't say any more. Everything I do..." Setsuya: "I do it for you, my lord." Setsuya: "My lord saw something in you. Surely you will not let it end like this, Azul Nova?" Oguma: "We can't let them score again!" Shotani: "Okay, you're really pushing your luck now." Rando: "Tori!" Rando: "Damn!" Riku: "This isn't going well for us." Akira: "They scored two tries. I'd figured." Riku: "Not that." Riku: "I mean the captain and his wingmen." Riku: "The way they got left for dust early on has gotten under their skin. They're panicking." Akira: "If you're bringing it up, that means you have an idea, right?" Riku: "Yeah. The two of us are going to get us out of this rut." Akira: "That's what I like to hear." Riku: "Let's go. Strategy #3." Akira: "Sekirei Academy, huh? Things are starting to look up." Akira: "I'm itching to play them." Akira: "So... what are our chances?" Riku: "About 30 percent." Akira: "That's so low!" Riku: "If we stick to our usual tactics, that is." Riku: "But we can flip those odds." Riku: "You and me." Riku: "This is our true trump card. Our playbook." Riku: "At first, my plays were dictated by your movement." Riku: "But I should be the one deciding where the ball goes." Akira: "This is gonna be a real headache..." Riku: "It'll be easier to take the ball downfield if I kick it away from our opponents." Riku: "Let's go." Riku: "Keep your eye on the ball! Don't just rely on your instincts!" Akira: "I know already!" Riku: "You have to match my timing!" Akira: "I overran it last time, but this time..." Riku: "Run like you mean it!" Riku: "It was better than this the first time we teamed up." Akira: "It'd be faster if I just picked up the ball and ran." Riku: "We're using this tactic because that won't be enough to win." Tori: "You seem to be struggling over here." Rando: "Maybe Akira's not suited to such a complicated tactic." Oguma: "He tends to just charge straight at his opponents." Riku: "Wait... Is that what's wrong?" Riku: "Could you guys help us practice for a bit?" Riku: "There!" Tori: "Haruma!" Both: "This is it!" Riku: "Ready?" Akira: "It's better than rolling over." Riku: "Now, look to the heavens." Riku: "Playbook tactic #3!" Setsuya: "In front of you!" Setsuya: "A surprise attack utilizing #13's speed." Setsuya: "A rather good plan, I must say." Setsuya: "If I was not here, it might even have worked." Tori: "Hell yes!" Tori: "Nice one!" Riku: "Okay, our counterattack starts now." Tenkawa: "Arimura, why are we watching this game?" Tenkawa: "The Crimson King isn't even here. What's the point?" Arimura: "I finally found you..." Arimura: "Asamiya..." Arimura: "Riku-kun." Riku: "Our counterattack starts here." Akira: "Yeah! Let's pound them into the dirt." Riku: "Don't underestimate them. Sekirei won't take this lying down." Akira: "Will they send 30 guys to take us down?" Riku: "That'd be against the rules." Akira: "Will they make shadow clones?" Riku: "Humans can't do that." Akira: "Will they transform into wolves?" Riku: "You're one to talk." Akira: "Will they use eye-catching tactical play?" Riku: "You suddenly went all sensible..." Akira: "Next time:" Both: ""Opposition and Oaths!"" Riku: "We will overcome Sekirei." Both: "Try Knights!" Ohata: "Rugby Lesson!" Tori: "Today, we'll be talking about the forwards and the backs." Ohata: "The forwards are the eight players who form the scrum." Tori: "Their primary job is to get the ball. Most forwards are large physically." Riku: "On our team, Oguma-senpai, Shotani, and Horyu are forwards." Ohata: "Next up, the backs. The backs are the players who position themselves behind the scrum and get ready to attack." Riku: "They execute the runs, passes, and kicks that are pivotal to offensive plays." Tori: "Haruma, Akira, Soya, and me are all backs." Riku: "Broadly speaking, forwards defend and backs attack." Ohata: "That's right. Almost the exact opposite of soccer."

Reo: "Do you wish to continue?" Reo: "A wise choice." Reo: "We're leaving." Eptitle: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c Opposition and Oaths" Riku: "Now, look to the heavens." Setsuya: "A surprise attack utilizing #13's speed." Setsuya: "A rather good plan, I must say." Setsuya: "If I was not here, it might even have worked." Tori: "Hell yes!" Tori: "Nice one!" Tori: "It's comeback time!" All: "Yeah!" Akira: "Over here!" Sekirei: "A cut-out pass?" Rando: "Seriously? Talk about audacious, Haruma." Riku: "If their attention's elsewhere, it creates an opening." Riku: "Time to dazzle them with our tactical play." Arimura: "So what are you gonna show me," Arimura: "Asamiya Riku-kun?" Shotani: "Nice, Rikkun." Shotani: "Crap!" Sekirei: "All right." Sekirei: "What?" Shotani: "You won't lose me that easily." Akira: "Man, that was close." Riku: "All yours." Oguma: "I got this." Tori: "Good eyes, bro." Riku: "Right back at you, captain." Tori: "Well, I can't let you guys brag that you won this by yourselves, can I?" Tori: "Use us any way you want, Riku." Setsuya: "The second string are but boys who failed to become knights. Therefore, my only option is to rely on my own strength to win." Tori: "Stop him!" Shotani: "You're mine." Shotani: "What?" Setsuya: "You've got good instincts, but you're naive." Shotani: "Damn. I thought I had him." Riku: "We're one step short of taking them down." Riku: "In order to end it..." Riku: "Akira, can you beat Katashiro Setsuya?" Akira: "Where'd that come from?" Riku: "We've fought to a standstill." Riku: "The best way to end it is a one-on-one between the star players." Akira: "Music to my ears." Riku: "However..." Riku: "If you lose, it's all over." Riku: "Can you beat him?" Akira: "Who do you think you're talking to?" Akira: "I've been waiting for you to say those words." Riku: "Simply beating Sekirei isn't enough." Riku: "Show them your strength." Akira: "Now you're talking my language." Riku: "And that's..." Riku: "...checkmate." Shotani: "Finders keepers." Tori: "Nice, Oguma!" Riku: "Go for it!" Setsuya: "This... This cannot be happening..." Tori: "The champions... the Rote Ritters..." Akira: "Hey! You just gonna watch even though you're back now?" Akira: "Are you happy to see your team lose?" Reo: "Do not take the bait. There is only one play left. The game is over." Suruga: "But, Reo..." Reo: "I know. If the goal is not winning, but to demonstrate the gulf in skill between us," Reo: "then I shall take the field." Setsuya: "My lord, I offer my sincerest apologies." Reo: "You underestimated the opposition." Reo: "It is a bad habit of yours." Reo: "Watch from the sidelines." Setsuya: "Y-Yes, my lord!" Tori: "He's arrived. The Commander of the Red Knights. Japan's top high school player. The Crimson King: Asamiya Reo." Tori: "Stop him! Get Asamiya Reo!" Setsuya: "Ah, my lord... You are magnificent..." Suruga: "He sees their movements down to the millimeter. No one on Soran is good enough to stop him." Akira: "I've been wanting to put you in your place!" Reo: "Yes, that's exactly what I expected you to do." Reo: "I saw this future." Akira: "You're not getting away, Asamiya Reo!" Akira: "Dammit!" Tori: "Nice work." Setsuya: "Captain, your towel." Suruga: "Did you show them the gulf in skill between us and them?" Reo: "Yes. However..." Reo: "their spirit remains unbroken." Reo: "There is no path open to you here." Reo: "Is that not what I told you?" Reo: "Why have you returned?" Reo: "There is no path open to you here." Riku: "I've returned to show you how wrong you were," Riku: "Brother." Reo: "There is no place for you here." Tori: "We fought well today." Tori: "We seized victory together." Tori: "We'll keep aiming for the top." Tori: "But..." Tori: "Take tomorrow off." Tori: "Get some rest, you hear?" Tori: "Riku." Tori: "Do you have a minute?" Tori: "Is it true that Asamiya Reo is your brother?" Riku: "Yes." Hoyru: "I-It's true?" Shotani: "What? Really?" Rando: "But why don't you have the same surname?" Rando: "Oh, uh, I didn't mean to..." Riku: "No, it's fine. Our parents divorced." Riku: "But that's all in the past." Oguma: "Well, that's a surprise. I had no idea." Tori: "Me neither." Shotani: "But he looks absolutely nothing like you." Riku: "We looked more alike when we were younger." Rando: "So you hadn't seen him in a while?" Riku: "Yeah. Today was the first time since our parents got divorced two years ago." Riku: "I quit rugby around that time, too." Tori: "Did you quit rugby because of something Asamiya Reo did?" Tori: "What is it?" Riku: "My father used to play for the national team." Riku: "My brother and I wanted to be like him, and we grew up playing rugby." Riku: "In grade school, both of us were touted as future stars." Riku: "The expectation was that we'd end up wearing Japan's colors, just like our father." Riku: "But... it wasn't to be." Riku: "My brother grew taller and got stronger physically." Riku: "But I didn't." Riku: "I slowly lost the ability to beat players I'd once left for dust." Riku: "Despite that, my tactical play made up for my physical shortcomings." Riku: "But two years ago... Fortunately, it wasn't serious enough to end my rugby career, but I couldn't play for a time." Reo: "There is no path open to you here." Reo: "You will never make it as a player." Riku: "I had begun to sense that I'd peaked as a player." Tori: "Riku." Riku: "So I stopped playing rugby." Riku: "To be honest, I never intended to pick it up again. But whatever my reason for quitting, I've returned to rugby so I can prove him wrong when he said I didn't belong." Riku: "To do that..." Riku: "I must defeat Asamiya Reo." Riku: "If we don't, we'll never reach the top. Today's game should've taught you that." Akira: "Huh. We finally agree for once." Riku: "Yeah. Hell must have frozen over." Tori: "You're right. We have to come up with a way to deal with him." Shotani: "If we're gonna play this sport, I want us to be the very best." Rando: "And we'll have to beat him eventually." Oguma: "Yeah." Horyu: "But with Riku-san and Akira-san on the team, I'm starting to feel like we can do this." Tori: "We've improved a lot since our last game with Sekirei." Riku: "Yes. It may have been their second string, but it was still Sekirei, and we beat them. That has helped this team get over last year's defeat." Riku: "And..." Riku: "I will also move forward." Riku: "To do that, I have to beat Asamiya Reo." Riku: "I must defeat Sekirei Academy." Tori: "Yeah. Sekirei will play their first string in the tournament. We'll have to actually beat them next time." Akira: "Sounds good. I'm pumped." Riku: "Akira." Riku: "What are you doing up this late?" Akira: "I could ask you the same thing. What are you doing out here?" Riku: "Nothing. Does it matter?" Akira: "What does that mean?" Riku: "Unlike you, I have a lot to think about." Akira: "Shut it." Akira: "Thinking about today's game?" Akira: "Huh. Looks like I guessed right." Riku: "You are, too." Akira: "Well, yeah." Akira: "I was so close..." Riku: "And yet, so far away." Riku: "That's the summit." Akira: "Bring it on. The stronger the prey, the better the hunt." Riku: "You really are a wild beast, aren't you?" Akira: "Yeah, I'll gobble him up." Akira: "I've been chasing him this whole time." Riku: "I see." Akira: "It's the same for you, isn't it?" Riku: "I suppose." Akira: "What's up?" Riku: "When we were younger, me and my brother practiced together a lot." Riku: "We were good partners and rivals who built each other up." Riku: "But I never beat him, not even once. We did countless one-on-ones, but my brother was always the one left standing." Akira: "What's this now? Where'd all your confidence go?" Riku: "But this time... I'm not alone." Riku: "You have to help me." Akira: "I don't like being ordered around, but what can you do? If it means beating that guy, I'll do anything." Riku: "You've got a one-track mind." Akira: "I'm gonna hunt down Asamiya Reo." Riku: "That's the spirit." Akira: "And I'll gobble up everyone else, too!" Riku: "That's the spirit." Akira: "So who is "everyone else," exactly?" Riku: "There might be guys out there with better physiques than even you." Riku: "Though I doubt any of them is going to start digging in to meat on the bone." Akira: "Well, you're the only guy who threatens to stick collars on people!" Riku: "Next time:" Both: ""Cleansing and Conflict!"" Akira: "Whoever you are, bring it on!" Both: "Try Knights!" Ohata: "Rugby Lesson!" Reo: "Today, we're talking about kicks." Riku: "They're an invaluable way to score points." Ohata: "In rugby, it's not only tries that score points. Kicks can as well." Reo: "Get it between the goalposts...." Riku: "...and above the crossbar." Ohata: "You score points if you kick the ball through that area." Ohata: "A kick is worth either two or three points." Reo: "A conversion—the kick after a try— is worth two points." Riku: "Any other kick scored during a game is worth three points." Reo: "You should go for them when you get the chance." Ohata: "The important thing to remember is the points you get for a kick depends on the situation."

Tori: "The tournament starts right after summer break!" All: "Yeah!" Tori: "We'll crush everyone and go to nationals!" All: "Yeah!" Tori: "Crimson King's a nobody! We're the strongest!" All: "Yeah!" Akira: "The vibe's totally different now we've won a game." Riku: "Yeah. We've cleared a major hurdle." Akira: "The next time we play them, I'll make sure I beat him." Riku: "With how you are now, that might be a tall order." Riku: "Emphasis on the now." Akira: "What's your plan?" Riku: "A training camp." Eptitle: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c Cleansing and Conflict" Tori: "Don't get pushed back!" Tori: "Put your backs into it!" Tori: "Don't throw in the towel!" All: "Yeah!" Tori: "Go!" Tori: "Next!" Tori: "Hit it hard! Don't be scared!" Akira: "Riku." Akira: "How's this any different from our regular sessions?" Riku: "The regimen may be the same, but the duration and surroundings aren't." Riku: "As a result, the session is more intense." Akira: "You reckon?" Riku: "But I do have a few thoughts on the matter." Akira: "What's up?" Riku: "Shall we play a game?" Akira: "Sounds good to me." Tori: "Riku, is there some reason you divided us up into these teams?" Riku: "Yes. I figured it would highlight our problem areas." Akira: "Bring it on." Tori: "You can't stop Akira that easily." Riku: "Yes. After all, he never lets up, and leaves nothing on the table when he plays. That said, Akira isn't our only attacker." Shotani: "Gotcha." Oguma: "Incredible." Shotani: "Even if it's you, Kuma-chan-senpai..." Riku: "Oguma-senpai." Riku: "Shotani makes a lot of broad, showy movements." Riku: "Don't be fooled by them. Concentrate on what his lower half's doing instead." Oguma: "What?" Tori: "Riku's advice is usually on point. Take it to heart." Oguma: "Got it. I'll give it a shot." Shotani: "Kuma-chan-senpai again?" Oguma: "You won't get past me." Shotani: "What?" Tori: "Yes!" Oguma: "I'm impressed, Haruma. I was able to stop him when I did what you said." Shotani: "Seriously, Rikkun? You'll give them advice, but not me?" Riku: "Your movements are inefficient. You need to stop going overboard, and look at what your opponent's doing. When you go for a feint, move your head in the opposite direction to where you intend to go." Shotani: "I get what you're saying." Akira: "I get it, yeah." Akira: "You're the starting point for all our attacks, Riku." Riku: "You're finally starting to understand basic tactics." Akira: "'Cause you never shut up about 'em." Rando: "The ball's mine, Kariya." Riku: "You can't catch someone after you've put everything into a tackle." Akira: "I thought I had him." Riku: "It wasn't a bad tactic." Akira: "Really?" Riku: "Offloading the ball was my only option." Akira: "You countered me perfectly." Riku: "Because I knew what you were going to do. That said, if you limit your opponent's options, it's easier to counter. Whereas your opponent's more likely to misread the situation if you keep them guessing." Riku: "In other words, charging headlong at someone isn't your only option." Akira: "Seems you might be right." Tori: "Riku! Akira! Get back over here!" Riku: "Come on. We've got a lot of training to do." Tori: "Our training camp ends today." Tori: "We've made real progress. We're a lot stronger now." Tori: "The time will come to show our strength." Tori: "The tournament starts in two weeks." Tori: "We will now announce who's in our starting lineup." Tori: "Riku." Riku: "Okay..." Riku: "Oguma-senpai will be the centermost of our forwards, the hooker." Riku: "You're in charge of the scrums." Oguma: "Gotcha. I'll defend the team." Riku: "Shotani will play lock." Riku: "Support us with your height and versatility." Shotani: "You can count on me." Riku: "Horyu's our flanker." Riku: "Your job is to lead the charge and be first into the tackle." Horyu: "Okay! I'll do my best." Riku: "Our captain's in at scrum-half." Riku: "And I'll play fly-half." Riku: "Akira will play center. It's the easiest place to attack from." Akira: "Yeah." Riku: "Don't just do whatever you want. Stick to the strategy." Akira: "Yeah, yeah, I hear ya." Riku: "Unbelievable." Riku: "Rando-senpai's on the wing. Use your speed to score tries." Rando: "Got it." Riku: "As for the number eight..." Tori: "You haven't decided yet?" Riku: "No." Tori: "In that case..." Tori: "let's hit up Nada-san." Riku: "Are you sure?" Tori: "We're only going to talk to him. I have some things I want to tell him, too." Riku: "That's it for the starters." Tori: "We'll take it to them with this lineup." Tori: "Sekirei isn't the only strong team that will be at the tournament." Tori: "There's also Shikuniyama, the other Big Three team. And we can't underestimate the other schools either." Tori: "We'll crush all of them!" Tori: "And we'll come top of the pile! Let's go win!" Oguma: "Tori, why'd you suddenly change your mind about Nada-san?" Rando: "Weren't we going to wait?" Tori: "I understand what you're trying to say. It's just..." Tori: "Our team now isn't like it was before." Oguma: "Yeah." Tori: "I wanted to tell him that." Rando: "And ask him to come back as an afterthought?" Tori: "It's not an afterthought. To beat Sekirei and Shikuniyama, we'll need his strength." Tori: "After all, our goal is to win." Shimahara: "Let's have a good game." Shimahara: "Surround the passer. Don't let him pass." Shimahara: "Not hard enough." Shimahara: "Move up!" Captain: "You're a strong side, for sure. But you won't beat us in the tournament." Shimahara: "Yeah. Let's hope we both do well." Left: "Shikuniyama" Right: "Momomine" Amagawa: "Let's go." Player: "Spread out!" Arimura: "Well, then... How should I win today?" Amagawa: "We're leaving." Arimura: "Well, looks about right." Tori: "Excuse us." Tori: "Nada-san, we need to talk." da: "Okay." Tori: "Sorry for just showing up like this." da: "It's fine. I'm glad I get to talk to you guys again." da: "How's the rugby team?" Rando: "Good. The members who are still with us are having fun." da: "I see." Oguma: "Nada-san, you seem to be doing well." da: "I guess." Tori: "Nada-san, we beat Sekirei." da: "Yeah, I heard." Tori: "It was only their second string, though." da: "What are you talking about? It's still impressive." Tori: "It is, isn't it? The moment we won, I was overjoyed." Tori: "I wanted to experience that feeling with you again." Tori: "Nada-san, I'll cut to the chase." Tori: "Will you come back to the rugby team?" da: "You're fine without me." da: "You beat Sekirei without me." da: "The team's coming together well. A third-year returning now would disrupt things." Tori: "That's not true! Everyone would be over the moon if you came back!" da: "I'm carrying an injury. I'll never play like I did back then." Tori: "Rugby is really fun for me right now." Tori: "Practice is tough, but it's like I can feel myself getting better." Oguma: "Yeah." Tori: "Honestly, I've never felt like this before." Rando: "Talk about pouring your heart out." Tori: "Play rugby with us again." da: "Tori..." Tori: "Besides, this year's first-years have got real spirit." Tori: "They can be impudent, selfish, timid, and bossy..." Rando: "A load of them don't listen to instructions." da: "Sounds like there's a lot of variety on the team." Tori: "Yeah. They're all interesting guys." Tori: "And one of them doesn't know who to stick in the number eight role." Tori: "Nada-san, you're the best number eight I know." Tori: "Please lend them your strength." da: "You've gotten stronger." da: "I'm not that strong yet." da: "The injury I suffered won't heal so easily." da: "I don't mean my leg. I mean my heart." da: "It seems to have affected me more deeply than I thought it did." da: "Where we are now is, I've quit rugby." da: "Sorry." Tori: "Nada-san..." Rando: "We made it even harder for him to return." Tori: "That's not true." Tori: "Riku. About Nada-san..." Riku: "How did it go?" Tori: "He's not coming back right away." Riku: "I see." Tori: "You could try to be a little disappointed..." Riku: "If you were gloomier, I would be too." Tori: "What?" Tori: "Unbelievable. In any case, we'll have to keep winning if we want to lure Nada-san back." Riku: "Yes. That was always my intention." Tori: "After all, he's part of the Soran rugby team." Tori: "All right." Text: "Substitutes Name Nada Seiichiro" Rando: "You sure that's a good idea?" Tori: "Yeah, it's all good. After all, he's like us." Oguma: "Like us?" Tori: "One loss became an open wound." Tori: "We already know how to sew that wound up." Tori: "Let's go, guys!" All: "Yeah!" Akira: "The tournament's finally underway." Riku: "You'd better follow orders." Akira: "We'll see." Riku: "Next time:" Both: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c Frenzy and Ambush "Frenzy and Ambush!"" Riku: "We'll overcome all in our path." Both: "Try Knights!" Ohata: "Rugby Lesson!" Text: "No Side No Side" da: "This time, we're looking at "no side."" Tori: "It's a cornerstone of the spirit rugby is played in." Ohata: "The winner is whoever scores the most points by the end of the game." da: "If both teams score the same, it's a draw. In some tournaments, overtime will be played to break the deadlock." Tori: "Games are split into halves, with each half lasting 40 minutes. High school games are shortened to 30-minute halves." Ohata: "And when the game ends, the players shake hands." da: "This is called the spirit of "no side." It's very important." Text: "No Side" Tori: "So never forget to show respect and gratitude."

Chairman: "Good morning, one and all. We are pleased to once again play host to the prefectural qualifying rounds for the National High School Rugby Tournament. Despite the gloomy weather forecast, it's a beautiful day today, and the hours of training the players have put in, day in, day out..." Riku: "Why are you so jittery?" Akira: "Isn't it obvious?" Akira: "I'm excited 'cause I get to play all these guys real soon." Akira: "Doesn't that excite you, too?" Riku: "Yeah." Riku: "You're right. It is exciting." Eptitle: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c Frenzy and Ambush" Akira: "I wanna play 'em already." Riku: "Hold your horses." Left: "Shikuniyama" Right: "Kinosaka" Riku: "The biggest test on our side of the draw is Shikuniyama." Riku: "As one of the Big Three, there's no doubting their strength." Akira: "It doesn't matter who we're up against. We just have to crush 'em." Riku: "If we play them, it'll be in the semifinals." Riku: "And in the final..." Tori: "Hey, get over here already!" Tori: "It's time, guys." Tori: "We've done everything we can to prepare. All that's left is to show it on the field." Tori: "Sekirei awaits us in the final." Tori: "But don't look past our first game." Tori: "If we lose it, none of that will matter." Tori: "Let's do this!" All: "Yeah!" Tori: "Okay, that's all from me. The game starts at one, so go get some lunch." All: "Okay!" Tori: "Hey, don't overeat before the game." Akira: "I won't have enough energy if I don't eat." Tori: "Sheesh." Tori: "What's wrong, Riku? Aren't you eating?" Riku: "Oh... nothing." Shotani: "Akarin-senpai!" Tori: "My name's Tori. What's up?" Shotani: "Who are we playing in our first game?" Tori: "I told you that yesterday! We're playing Haizawa High." Shotani: "Right, right." Tori: "Try to remember it this time." Shotani: "But I'm so forgetful." Tori: "Jeez. Listen, Haizawa is—" Yoshinaga: "Whoa, whoa, whoa. You don't even know who you're playing?" Tori: "Yikes." Shotani: "Who's that?" Oguma: "Haizawa's captain." Yoshinaga: "You sure you guys are okay, Fuyuhara?" Tori: "We had some new guys join the team recently." Yoshinaga: "Recently? You're letting your rookies play?" Yoshinaga: "Well, I guess you don't have much choice. Soran lost a truckload of players, after all. All your third-years, wasn't it? Including your captain. Musta been terrible." Yoshinaga: "Or were you glad they quit and cleared the path for you lot?" Oguma: "Yoshinaga-san, that's enough." Yoshinaga: "Huh?" Oguma: "That's enough." Yoshinaga: "Well, it'll be fun finding out just how bad a "Big Three" school can stink." Rando: "Calm down. It's what he wants." Oguma: "Yoshinaga-san can be a bit, well..." Horyu: "He seemed... kind of unpleasant." Shotani: "I don't like guys like him." Tori: "Who does he think he is?! That cocky little turd!" Riku: "Let's calm it down." Riku: "We just have to win. That'll shut him up." Riku: "Don't you agree?" Riku: "It's all right." Riku: "If we play like we know we can, we won't lose." Tori: "Yeah, you're right." Tori: "Does anyone here think we've gotten weaker?" Akira: "No." Tori: "That's right. So let's go show them that!" Tori: "The first game comes first!" Tori: "Let's crush Haizawa!" Riku: "Do you remember our game against Sekirei?" Akira: "Huh?" Riku: "Recreate their first play." Riku: "It's on you." Akira: "This is the first time I've thought one of your strategies was a good one." Riku: "Why, thank you." Riku: "Think you can do it?" Akira: "Who do you think you're talking to?" Riku: "Sounds promising." Riku: "Don't hold back. As the captain would say:" Riku: "crush them." Yoshinaga: "What are you, stupid?" Yoshinaga: "You're guaranteed to get taken down if you run at our line there!" Yoshinaga: "See? It's over. Nice try. What?" Yoshinaga: "What the hell is he?" Yoshinaga: "This isn't good! Stop him! Do it now!" Yoshinaga: "Damn!" Akira: "You're weak." Yoshinaga: "Who... Who the hell is this guy?" Riku: "You ran all the way to the try line." Akira: "Of course I did." Riku: "You could've passed." Akira: "I decided I'd make a play even better than Sekirei's on my own." Akira: "So? Did it work?" Riku: "It worked a treat." Riku: "The enemy is terrified." Akira: "In other words, a resounding success." Riku: "Yeah. We're in total control of the game." Riku: "So..." Both: "We'll press our advantage!" Riku: "That's right." Yoshinaga: "They just caught us off-guard." Yoshinaga: "If we know they're coming..." Akira: "I'll take you all on!" Akira: "Send as many guys my way as you want!" Yoshinaga: "A-A pass?!" Rando: "Sorry, Kariya." Akira: "Hey, Riku! Why didn't you pass me the ball?! I feel like this has happened before!" Riku: "Then you should remember, shouldn't you?" Riku: "Akira, we won't break out the playbook today." Riku: "We'll use other methods to crush them." Arimura: "I see..." Yoshinaga: "There's no way... I'll let it end like this!" Yoshinaga: "Pass!" Yoshinaga: "What?!" Shotani: "I'd better show off what I can do, too." Yoshinaga: "Get back there!" Riku: "Nice work." Horyu: "Thank you very much." Yoshinaga: "Someone stop him!" Yoshinaga: "You can't be serious!" Left: "Soran" Right: "Haizawa" Akira: "Hey." Akira: "We're strong, aren't we?" Akira: "This is what Soran is now." Riku: "Good game." Riku: "Let's play again." Tori: "It's true that we lost our third-years." Tori: "But..." Tori: "We've become stronger." Tori: "Did you see the look on his face? Serves him right!" Rando: "That was an easy win." Oguma: "Yeah. I think we played well." Shotani: "That felt great!" Horyu: "Our training camp paid off, for sure." Riku: "There's that, too. It shows that we made good use of our training camp." Akira: "Either way, we just have to crush everyone in our path." Tori: "All right! Let's ride this wave all the way to the final, guys!" All: "Yeah!" Shimabara: "Hey, Fuyuhara. It's been a while." Tori: "Sh-Shimabara-san." Shotani: "Who?" Horyu: "Uh, no clue." Oguma: "That's the captain of Shikuniyama, one of the Big Three." Shimabara: "I saw your game. You pulverized them." Tori: "Thank you very much!" Shimabara: "I was worried after Nada and the other third-years quit," Shimabara: "but you've done well to rebuild." Tori: "Thanks." Shimabara: "I see. So this is what Soran is now." Shimabara: "You guys are strong." Shimabara: "Of course you'd beat Sekirei, even if it was their second string." Shimabara: "But you do have weaknesses." Shimabara: "And when you play against us, we'll exploit them as much as we can." Shimabara: "Prepare yourselves." Riku: "Yeah, I look forward to it." Shimabara: "That's some poker face you got there, Haruma Riku." Shimabara: "I look forward to our game." Rando: "Shikuniyama is a tactically astute team." Rando: "Shimabara-san is their focal point. He quickly identifies and implements counter-strategies against all opponents." Rando: "He's a bit like you." Riku: "I see." Horyu: "What do you think our weaknesses are?" Shotani: "Who knows? I wonder." Riku: "It doesn't matter." Riku: "No matter what their game plan is, we'll handle it." Tori: "Okay, guys. Get changed and we'll go watch Shikuniyama's game." Akira: "So, Riku, what strategy will we use?" Riku: "Well—" Tenkawa: "Whoops." Tenkawa: "Sorry." Tori: "We're leaving." Tori: "Shimabara-san is pumped." Rando: "It is his last tournament." Oguma: "You can feel how much he has riding on it." Left: "Shikuniyama" Right: "Kinosaka" Shotani: "They're playing Kinosaka." Shotani: "Are they any good?" Tori: "Never heard of 'em." Rando: "Neither have I." Oguma: "Me neither." Horyu: "Then, to be blunt, they're not all that strong?" Rando: "Probably not." Tori: "I'm sure it'll be a crushing victory for Shikuniyama." Riku: "Akira." Akira: "Yeah." Akira: "That guy..." Akira: "He's no ordinary guy." Riku: "That guy..." Tori: "It's starting." Kino: "Damn!" Shimabara: "They're playing rough." Tori: "Shimabara-san is amazing." Rando: "It was a good decision." Oguma: "He's watching his surroundings closely." Horyu: "It feels like his movements are perfectly efficient." Shotani: "I bet it's fun to be able to move the ball around so well." Tenkawa: "Arimura, what should we do?" Tenkawa: "They're strong." Arimura: "Nothing to worry about." Arimura: "It's all right, Tenkawa-kun." Arimura: "After all, this game is already in the palm of my hand." Rando: "You're kidding..." Oguma: "No way..." Left: "Shikuniyama" Right: "Kinosaka" Tori: "Shikuniyama... lost?" Riku: "I have a bad feeling about Kinosaka." Akira: "Your animal instincts tell you that?" Riku: "I'm not like you." Akira: "Next time:" Text: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c Rugby and Chess" Both: ""Rugby and Chess!"" Riku: "No matter what happens, I won't look back." Both: "Try Knights!" Ohata: "Rugby Lesson!" Text: "Running & Passing Running & Passing" Shotani: "This episode, we're covering running and passing." Rando: "As basic fundamentals, they're important to the game." Ohata: "One of the key features of rugby is, you can run around freely while you're holding the ball." Shotani: "In other words, you can run with the ball without needing to dribble." Rando: "It's an essential way of moving the ball forwards." Ohata: "You can also pass the ball to your teammates by throwing it." Rando: "But you can't pass the ball to players ahead of you." Ohata: "You can only pass to players beside or behind you." Shotani: "It'd be easy if you could pass forwards." Text: "Running & Passing" Ohata: "Next time, we'll chat about common fouls."

Announce: "The runner-up in the middle school competition is Arimura Rinto-kun." Announce: "And the winner is..." Announce: "Asamiya Riku-kun." Student: "I heard he only took up chess less than a year ago. Seriously?" Student: "Serial champ Arimura got beaten by a beginner?" Arimura: "You were strong, Asamiya-kun. I hate to admit it, but I lost." Riku: "Yeah." Eptitle: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c Rugby and Chess" Left: "Shikuniyama" Right: "Kinosaka" Tori: "Shikuniyama... lost?" Horyu: "Shikuniyama controlled the pace of the game in the first half." Rando: "Kinosaka went for brute force, but Shikuniyama soaked up everything." Rando: "That's Shimabara-san's specialty." Left: "Shikuniyama" Right: "Kinosaka" Rando: "They even had a lead." Oguma: "But... they didn't get far enough ahead." Akira: "It was that guy." Akira: "He scored all their points by himself." Shotani: "Kinosaka's captain, Tenkawa Shogo. He breezed past three guys in one move." Tori: "Yeah. I thought he was a one-man team, but..." Riku: "Things changed in the second half. Power remained their focus, but their gameplan suddenly became a lot more precise." Rando: "They snuffed out all their attacks, even after they changed up their tactics." Riku: "It's like they were able to read minds..." Arimura: "Hey. It's been a while." Arimura: "I knew you wouldn't remember me." Arimura: "In that case..." Arimura: "I'll reintroduce myself properly one day." Arimura: "Later." Shotani: "Rikkun, you still thinking about that thing?" Riku: "I feel like I've seen it before." Shotani: "Let me take a look." Shotani: "Let's see here..." Riku: "I feel like I recognize him, too." Shotani: "There's something written on it. "Grand Cup Runner-up..." I think? Grand Cup Runner-up" Shotani: "What's up? Did you just remember something?" Riku: "Arimura... Rinto..." Riku: "I played him back when I played chess." Akira: "What's that guy doing on a rugby field?" Riku: "How would I know the answer to that? Kinosaka Soran More importantly, Kinosaka..." Riku: "At this rate, we'll face them in the semifinals." Riku: "We need a strategy to counter them." Horyu: "Has Kinosaka always been this strong?" Tori: "No, they were total unknowns before. This might even be their first time at the tournament." Shotani: "Hey, wait..." Shotani: "Isn't Kinosaka basically a hive of delinquents?" Tori: "Oh, yeah! Come to think of it, I heard it's full of problem kids who keep getting trouble into trouble." Shotani: "No wonder they never made it to a tournament." Horyu: "So why this year?" Shotani: "Maybe Rikkun's acquaintance had something to do with it." Tori: "Or it could have been the captain who transformed the team... maybe?" Akira: "Tenkawa Shogo, huh?" Riku: "He might even be stronger than you." Akira: "We won't know that until we face him." Riku: "Soran Soran Soran Soran Soran Soran Soran Soran Soran Soran Soran Soran" Left: "Kinosaka" Right: "Soran" Tori: "If we win this next game, we're in the final." Tori: "Let's go win it! Give it all you've got!" All: "Yeah!" Tori: "Listen up. There's no need for us to change our style." Riku: "Arimura..." Arimura: "Looks like you remembered my name." Riku: "What do you want?" Arimura: "I'm just here to do some reminiscing. Oh, this is for you." Horyu: "Oh, uh, thank you." Tori: "Hey, what's going on?" Arimura: "Captain Fuyuhara, can I have a word with Haruma-kun in private?" Riku: "I don't mind." Tori: "We're in the middle of practice. Just keep it brief, okay?" Arimura: "Thank you. Let's go over there." Tenkawa: "You sure about this?" Arimura: "It'll be fine. You stay here, Tenkawa-kun." Arimura: "It's been a while, Asamiya Riku-kun." Riku: "It's Haruma now." Riku: "Why are you even here?" Riku: "You're a chess player. What are you doing on Kinosaka's rugby team?" Riku: "Answer me!" Arimura: "Oh, I'm sorry. I don't mean any harm. After all, I'm more surprised than anyone. I suppose we should start with how you and I first met." Arimura: "You defeated your opponent in the final of the chess tournament easily. I was that opponent." Arimura: "What stayed with me more than my defeat was your expression." Arimura: "I wondered how you could look at me with so little emotion." Arimura: "Then it hit me. I'd failed to make any kind of impression on you whatsoever. I was frustrated. My desire to defeat you verged on desperate." Arimura: "But... I couldn't beat you." Arimura: "You never once looked at my face." Arimura: "And then... one day... you just disappeared. It was so sudden." Arimura: "I searched for you." Arimura: "That's when I found out who you really were. The son of a celebrated rugby legend:" Arimura: "Asamiya Riku." Akira: "Yo. If you're not doing anything, let's play." Arimura: "The son of a celebrated rugby legend:" Arimura: "Asamiya Riku." Arimura: "You quit rugby because of your physical shortcomings and took up chess instead." Arimura: "But chess could never replace rugby for you." Arimura: "Am I right?" Riku: "Enough talk about me. What I want to know is why you're here." Arimura: "Because of you." Arimura: "Because you became a god." Riku: "What?" Arimura: "You tasted bitter defeat." Arimura: "Despair overwhelmed you, and you died." Arimura: "But then... you got... right back up again." Arimura: "You came back from the dead!" Arimura: "In other words, you became a god." Riku: "I'm not a god." Riku: "Sorry, but talk to someone else. There's nothing I can do for you." Arimura: "Oh, you don't have to do anything." Arimura: "I came here to surpass you." Arimura: "Back when you were dead, I didn't stand a chance against you." Arimura: "Since then, I've admired you from afar. You've been my target." Arimura: "Here, on the rugby field... In the place that sets your soul aflame..." Arimura: "That's where I want to surpass Asamiya Riku." Riku: "I don't know what you're babbling about." Riku: "But I will tell you this..." Riku: "If you intend to stand in our way, we'll show no mercy." Arimura: "Yes! That's what I wanted to see!" Arimura: "The fire burning in your eyes!" Arimura: "A side of you I've never seen before!" Arimura: "I will... surpass you!" Horyu: "Riku-san! Come quickly! It's Akira-san!" Shotani: "Rikkun, you're back. You've gotta stop Akkun." Riku: "What happened?" Tori: "Akira picked a fight. He insisted on doing a one-on-one. I keep telling him not to cause trouble, but he never listens." Arimura: "Tenkawa-kun, accept his challenge." Tenkawa: "You sure?" Arimura: "Watching Soran practice without showing what we can do wouldn't be fair." Arimura: "So if it's all right with them..." Riku: "There's no need for this. Don't engage in a pointless contest." Akira: "They said they were okay with it." Riku: "Don't give our next opponent the chance to get the measure of you." Akira: "Why not? At least let me take one shot at beating him." Tori: "Okay, just one go." Akira: "Yeah! That's the spirit!" Riku: "But Captain!" Tori: "You're wasting your breath. You know he won't listen." Tori: "If he breaks through, Akira wins. If Akira's brought down, Tenkawa wins." Tori: "Got it?" Akira: "Yeah." Tenkawa: "Fine by me." Tori: "Okay. Just don't hurt yourselves." Akira: "I like that look in your eyes." Akira: "Your one and only thought is about how you're gonna stop me." Akira: "But you know what?!" Akira: "You're wide open!" Tenkawa: "Gotta admit, you've got passion." Horyu: "Akira-san... lost?" Tenkawa: "Arimura, let's go." Arimura: "Sure thing." Arimura: "Oh, Riku-kun. See you on the field." Akira: "I lost..." Riku: "You don't look scared of him." Akira: "The exact opposite." Akira: "I'll become stronger by gobbling him up and spitting him out." Akira: "Tenkawa Shogo. He's my next prey." Tori: "Tenkawa Shogo, huh?" Rando: "I can't believe how good he was." Oguma: "He cleaned Kariya out with one arm." Horyu: "He's strong." Shotani: "But what are we going to do? If Akkun can't beat him, it'll be a really tough game, won't it?" Akira: "Don't sweat it. I'll beat him next time." Shotani: "That's the spirit, Akkun. Ever the optimist." Riku: "But you're right. It probably will be a struggle." Akira: "You think I can't beat him? Is that what you're saying?" Riku: "Of course I don't think that." Riku: "I'll come up with a way to counter them. We're going to annihilate Kinosaka." Tori: "You're right! There's no way we can lose now!" Rando: "Yeah, man." Oguma: "Yup." Shotani: "Too true. We're strong now, aren't we?" Horyu: "And we've been training hard." Akira: "And I've gotta pay him back for earlier." Tori: "All right! Let's beat Kinosaka and go to the finals!" All: "Yeah!" Akira: "Hey, Riku." Riku: "Akira..." Riku: "Why are you looking so happy?" Akira: "Isn't it obvious? Tenkawa Shogo. I'm excited I get to play him." Riku: "But you lost to him today. You're resilient, aren't you?" Akira: "He's my next prey, after all." Riku: "The fact of the matter is, if you don't beat Tenkawa, we haven't got a hope of winning." Riku: "You're the only one strong enough to withstand his physicality, Akira." Akira: "I like the sound of that. This guy's worth hunting." Akira: "And what about you?" Akira: "Think you can handle Arimura?" Riku: "Honestly, I can't say for certain..." Riku: "But I'll come up with something." Riku: "We have to beat Kinosaka and go to the finals." Akira: "What did you and Arimura talk about earlier?" Riku: "Nothing important. We just had a brief chat about the past." Akira: "Something about chess, right?" Riku: "I used to play him a lot in chess tournaments." Riku: "We talked about that." Akira: "Really? About how you used to beat him, I'm guessing?" Riku: "Yeah. I never lost to him. Not even once." Akira: "Not bad. Then we'll be fine against Kinosaka, too." Riku: "It's not that simple." Riku: "I mean, like chess, rugby is a game of strategy, sure." Riku: "But rugby and chess aren't the same." Riku: "It'll take more than just my own strength to win." Riku: "It'll be tough out there." Akira: "What are you talking about? Isn't that why I'm here?" Riku: "What?" Akira: "Didn't I tell you before that I needed you in my corner? And you need me too, right?" Riku: "I will put a collar on you!" Akira: "Isn't that why you put a collar on me?" Riku: "You're right." Riku: "Let's prove to them that my tactics and your athleticism can beat them." Akira: "Sounds good. Bring it on!" Akira: "You and that Arimura guy are kinda similar, huh?" Riku: "I'm not that crazy." Akira: "If you say so." Riku: "Next time:" Both: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c Pawns and Teammates "Pawns and Teammates."" Akira: "He's my prey!" Both: "Try Knights!" Ohata: "Rugby Lesson!" Ogama: "This time, we're talking about knock-ons." Ohata: "A knock-on is when a player drops the ball forward, resulting in a penalty to the other team." Oguma: "Or when they whack the ball forward with their hands or arms." Horyu: "Or when the ball moves forward after striking their hands or arms." Oguma: "If the ball touches the ground or another player before they can grab it again, that's also a knock-on, so be careful."

Tori: "The semifinals." Tori: "Just another stop on our journey." Shotani: "After all, we're aiming to be champions. Right, Rikkun?" Riku: "That's right. No matter who we're playing, our only goal is victory." Akira: "Tenkawa Shogo..." Riku: "Tenkawa isn't our only problem." Riku: "Shikuniyama were undone by Arimura's tactical prowess." Akira: "Then... we'll crush him, too." Riku: "Yeah, that's the idea." Rando: "They're really up for it, aren't they?" Oguma: "Looks like they're overjoyed that they're facing a strong opponent." Horyu: "I-I'm so nervous, I can barely move." Shotani: "Relax, relax. Play your normal game, and you'll be fine." Tori: "Kinosaka's strong." Tori: "But we came here to win! Let's go!" All: "Yeah!" Eptitle: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c Pawns and Teammates" Left: "Soran" Right: "Kinosaka" Ref: "Right, time for the coin toss." Arimura: "Don't bother with that." Riku: "Yeah, we don't need it." Riku: "We'll take the kick-off. And you'll choose the ends. Right?" Arimura: "Naturally." Arimura: "Well, let's have a good game." Tori: "Our opponent's strong." Tori: "But our sights are set higher than this game." Tori: "Let's go out and beat them!" All: "Yeah!" Tori: "We soar into the azure!" All: "We glide through every storm!" Tori: "Let's go!" All: "Soran Azul Nova!" Arimura: "Hey, that looks pretty sweet." Arimura: "Tenkawa-kun, you should do something like that." Tenkawa: "We are leopards." Tenkawa: "Keep your eyes on your prey. Don't miss your opportunity. Show no mercy." Tenkawa: "Bare your fangs at them. Let's go, Kinosaka Leopards!" All: "Yeah!" Arimura: "Well, the time has come, Asamiya Riku-kun." Arimura: "Time for us to settle this." Shotani: "Okay, let's stick to the plan." Arimura: "Huh." Shotani: "Yoinks!" Shotani: "And from here... The fleet-footed thunderbolt, Soran's lock:" Shotani: "Shotani Pears Valentine." Arimura: "I see, Riku-kun." Arimura: "You sure know how to use your knight." Arimura: "I know what you're thinking." Arimura: "Kinosaka's strategy is to turn it around in the second half." Arimura: "That's why you want to seize the initiative now." Arimura: "But you know, Riku-kun, this development..." Arimura: "...falls within my expectations." Shotani: "Here I come." Shotani: "I've finally drawn him out." Oguma: "Avoid a contest of strength!" Shotani: "I know, Kuma-chan-senpai!" Shotani: "But..." Shotani: "Strength doesn't come into it if I run past him." Horyu: "He stopped Shotani-san with one arm?" Tori: "He took him down even though he was already past him!" Tenkawa: "You're light." Riku: "Are you hurt?" Shotani: "No, I'm fine." Shotani: "Sure took me by surprise, though." Riku: "Yeah. He's a juggernaut." Riku: "And he'll probably start displaying his true strength now." Ref: "Crouch!" Ref: "Bind!" Ref: "Set!" Shotani: "You're not..." Shotani: "...walking all over us!" Horyu: "What even is he?" Horyu: "It feels like he could beat all of us by himself." Shotani: "You can't be serious!" Shotani: "There's no way rugby is that simple!" Riku: "You're right." Riku: "No matter how big a problem Tenkawa is for us, he's only one man." Riku: "We'll pass him out of the game." Shotani: "Okay. Let's show them how multifaceted rugby can be!" Tori: "Riku." Shotani: "Rikkun, over here!" Akira: "Yeah!" Arimura: "Of course you'd do that." Arimura: "We can't handle both Shotani-kun and Kariya-kun attacking simultaneously." Arimura: "Or so you thought." Arimura: "But the person moving the pieces..." Arimura: "...is me." Arimura: "As long as I can predict all your attacks, I can handle whatever you throw at me." Riku: "Akira!" Akira: "What?" Tenkawa: "Just thinking it's not like you to wimp out." Akira: "I'm willing to stoop to this in order to win." Akira: "But don't worry. I promise I'll knock you down." Tenkawa: "I'd like to see you try." Left: "Soran Kinosaka Soran Kinosaka Soran Kinosaka" Riku: "We're ahead by one try, huh?" Arimura: "You'll be playing in the second half." Arimura: "Keep that in mind." Hazama: "I'll get them." Riku: "We'll start the second half with that play." Hazama: "Once this is over, I'll settle my score with you." Hazama: "I'll be the leader of the pack once more." Hazama: "Until then, I'll have some fun with you guys." Riku: "What do you make of him?" Akira: "He's got an ominous aura." Riku: "We should be careful." Left: "Soran" Right: "Kinosaka" Hazama: "You're first up on the block." Shotani: "What do you think you're doing?!" Riku: "No, don't, Shotani." Hazama: "What are you getting excited for? I just bumped into him, that's all." Shotani: "I'm talking about before that." Hazama: "It's nothing to start bawling about." Hazama: "Or are you all weaklings?" Tenkawa: "You sure about this?" Arimura: "We need his dirty play." Tenkawa: "If you say so." Tenkawa: "Can we win?" Arimura: "Of course we can." Arimura: "I dreamed of this moment when I knocked on the rugby team's door that day..." Arimura: "Let me join the rugby team." All: "What?" Arimura: "I'm not a player. But I can help you win with my tactical knowledge." Arimura: "So let me join the rugby team." Hazama: "We don't need you. Get lost." Arimura: "Go on, do it." Hazama: "What?" Arimura: "But that won't stop me wanting to join." Arimura: "I'll join the rugby team and use you to beat him." Arimura: "That's the path I've chosen." Hazama: "How about I test your resolve?" Tenkawa: "Wait." Hazama: "Tenkawa." Tenkawa: "Fighting is not allowed." Tenkawa: "I told you that." Arimura: "I wouldn't have minded getting hit." Arimura: "If it will guilt you into letting me join, swing away." Tenkawa: "What do you want?" Arimura: "I told you." Arimura: "To surpass him, now that he's taken up rugby again." Tenkawa: "Gotta admit, you've got passion." Hazama: "Yeah!" Left: "Soran" Right: "Kinosaka" Riku: "We'll use that play." Shotani: "Great! I've been waiting for you to say that." Shotani: "He's the one who's given them momentum." Shotani: "That play is the only one that can curb his fouling." Oguma: "You're right. It'll be harder for him to commit fouls if we team up." Riku: "It's on you." Oguma: "You can count on me." Riku: "All right." Oguma: "Here we go!" Hazama: "You're coming my way?" Oguma: "Shotani-kun!" Hazama: "I-Is this... a maul?" Oguma: "It's not over yet. Let's go!" Tenkawa: "What?" Hazama: "No way..." Shotani: "We did it, Kuma-chan-senpai!" Player: "All right." Arimura: "That was your ace in the hole, Riku-kun?" Arimura: "But that tactic won't work against me twice." Oguma: "Shotani-kun!" Tori: "You can't be serious!" Rando: "They're quick to respond." Arimura: "I watched you. I've always been watching you. I know every play you'll make." Arimura: "This is checkmate, Riku-kun!" Left: "Soran" Right: "Kinosaka" Tori: "We've kept the score to within a try." Oguma: "But we've hardly scored since the second half kicked off." Shotani: "What should we do, Rikkun?" Riku: "It's all right. I expected this." Riku: "I know what Arimura's strategy is." Riku: "We'll start our comeback now. Listen to my new strategy." Riku: "I'll give the signal." Riku: "Now!" Arimura: "There it is." Tori: "Horyu!" Horyu: "Got it!" Arimura: "They missed out Riku-kun?" Hazama: "You're not going anywhere!" Shotani: "Whoopsy!" Arimura: "They're excluding Riku-kun from the play?" Riku: "Arimura, let me teach you the difference between chess and rugby." Riku: "Your teammates aren't pawns." Arimura: "This was supposed to be a battle between you and me!" Riku: "That's why you lost. The ball can move forward without me touching it." Arimura: "What? Tenkawa-kun, why?" Tenkawa: "I knew they'd bet on you in the end." Akira: "I knew you would challenge me, if no one else." Akira: "Does this mean I can do what I like?" Riku: "Yeah. I believe..." Riku: "...in your strength." Akira: "I... win!" Left: "Soran" Right: "Kinosaka" Tori: "You did it!" Oguma: "I can't believe he beat Tenkawa-san." Shotani: "Ah, I knew he could do it." Riku: "Just like we planned it." Akira: "Never in doubt." Riku: "We beat Kinosaka." Akira: "Only one opponent remains." Riku: "Let's win. Next time:" Text: "m 0 0 s 100 0 100 100 0 100 c Soran and Sekirei" Both: ""Soran and Sekirei!"" Riku: "The time has come to prove ourselves." Both: "Try Knights!" Ohata: "Rugby Lesson!" Arimura: "This time, we're talking about forward passes." Riku: "Yeah." Ohata: "A forward pass is an illegal pass committed when the ball is thrown forward." Arimura: "In rugby, you can't throw the ball forward. If you do, it's a foul." Riku: "By "forward," we mean towards your opponent's dead ball line." Riku: "Passing it sideways isn't considered a forward pass." Arimura: "That's right."

Kazyua: "When the obi, wound up like a cocoon, unfurled..." Kazyua: "a girl emerged, like a vision of white." Kazyua: "A youkai? A fairy?" Kazyua: "There was no way I could know. And yet..." Kazyua: "her scent was comfortingly familiar." Eptitle Sign: ""The Scent of Cherry Blossoms."" Kazuya: "Huh?" Kazuya: "Where am I?" Kazuya: "Wait... This is where we part?" Kazuya: "No!" Kazuya: "Don't go!" Kazuya: "Don't go!" Chisato: "Eek!" Chisato: "How could you, you perv?! This is what I get for trying to wake you from a bad dream?!" Kazuya: "Ouch... What was that for?" Chisato: "I could ask you the same thing!" Kazuya: "White, huh?" Chisato: "Groping a classmate's chest wasn't enough? You had to look directly up her skirt, too?! Have you any shame or decency?!" Shiro: "Once she gets going, she'll be at it for an hour." Chisato: "Take a long, hard look at your life!" Osame: "Getting lectured by a braided, bespectacled class representative..." Chisato: "It may be after school, but that doesn't mean" Osame: "Some of us would pay to experience that." Chisato: "you can nap in the classroom like a layabout!" Chisato: "As a student, your first priority is your academic pursuits..." Kazuya: "Finally got away..." Kazuya: "Chisato's lectures feel like they last forever." Kazuya: "That dream..." Kazuya: "So it's even showing up in my dreams now." Kazuya: "This kimono sash, or obi, belonged to my late mother. While I don't remember her all that well..." Kazuya: "I keep her obi, with its familiar, comforting scent, near me at all times." Kazuya: "The scent of cherry blossoms..." Kazuya: "Well, better get going before Chisato finds me." Kazuya: "A wig?" Kazuya: "I don't remember that being here." Kazuya: "What the—?!" Chisato: "Where did Kazuya-kun go? I was going to walk home with him..." Kazuya: "Help!" Kazuya: "Stop!" Kazuya: "Wh-What is that thing?!" Kiriha: "An amasogi." Kiriha: "Hark. Here it comes!" Kazuya: "Wha... Huh?" Kazuya: "Oh..." Kazuya: "Well... I guess I'm dead." Kiriha: "Fool!" Kiriha: "It has been a long time, Kazuya." Kazuya: "Who are you?" Kiriha: "You little... ingrate!" Kiriha: "Aha. Look who has come." Kazuya: "Look, something crazy dangerous is going on around here. You'd better get away, fast!" Kiriha: "Kazuya..." Kiriha: "that is the host." Kiriha: "Do not covet the possessions of others." Kiriha: "This one belongs to me, fool." Kazuya: "I belong to you?" Kiriha: "I saved your life—twice. Do not complain." Kazuya: "First I get attacked by a youkai, now I get made into the underling of one?" Kiriha: "Who are you calling a youkai, imbecile?! I am a tsukumogami!" Kazuya: "Same difference!" Kiriha: "What did you say, idiot?!" Host: "Kazuya-san..." Kazuya: "No!" Kiriha: "This is your hour of reckoning, Kazuya. Agree to serve me, and I can save you." Kazuya: "Fine! I'll be your servant or whatever you want, just save me!" Kiriha: "I accept!" Host: "Kazuya-san..." Kiriha: "You must get past me first!" Kiriha: "Obi Strike!" Kiriha: "Followed by... an Obi Slam!" Kazuya: "Amazing... But you're going to kill her doing that!" Kiriha: "It won't perish so easily. See?" Kiriha: "Take this!" Kiriha: "Once more!" Kiriha: "It seems your desire is quite strong. But giving rise to an amasogi, and then losing control to it won't grant your wish. Return to your senses. Be not a slave to your emotions." Kiriha: "You must rebuke the amasogi yourself." Kiriha: "That way, your atonement shall be mild." Host: "If I can't have him... I'll destroy him!" Kiriha: "Shield Weave!" Kiriha: "Kazuya!" Kazuya: "I-I'm okay! It just grazed me." Kiriha: "You have exhausted my mercy!" Kiriha: "You and that amasogi can be skewered together!" Kiriha: "Spiral Weave!" Kazuya: "Don't!" Kiriha: "You ought be grateful to Kazuya." Kazuya: "So she was wearing that wig..." Kazuya: "Why'd she attack me, though?" Kiriha: "The wig became possessed by your classmate's feelings for you. turning it into an amasogi." Kazuya: "An amasogi?" Kiriha: "Something born of the desire to have you. A sort of instant tsukumogami, you could say. It then took control of this one." Kiriha: "If you had been captured..." Kiriha: "every orifice on your body may have been violated till its lust was appeased." Kazuya: "Every orifice? S-Still, I gotta say, being liked that much by a girl is pretty..." Kiriha: "Just so you know, that one is a boy." Kazuya: "No way! A-Anyway, could you explain exactly what just—" Kazuya: "Huh?" Teacher: "You there!" Teacher: "What are you doing here this late after hours?!" Kazuya: "Sorry! This, uh, girl fainted and..." Teacher: "What?! Did you do this?!" Kazuya: "No, I didn't do anything!" Kazuya: "I'm home..." Kasumi: "Welcome home, Ya-kun! I've drawn a bath! We can share it!" Kazuya: "No thanks. I'm not a kid anymore!" Kazuya: "I honestly can't remember her..." Kazuya: "That girl who saved me..." Kazuya: "Who was she, anyway? She seemed to know me, yet..." Kazuya: "nothing rings a bell." Kazuya: "She said she was a tsukumogami..." Kazuya: ""Not a youkai," my foot." Kazuya: "After I fell off the roof, I couldn't find my mom's obi, no matter where I looked." Kazuya: "Which means she must be..." Kazuya: "No..." Kazuya: "Don't go!" Kazuya: "That dream again..." Kiriha: "Tsugumomo!" Kiriha: "This is Tsugumomo!" Kasumi: "Ya-kun! Are you okay?!" Kasumi: "Huh?" Kazuya: "I-It's nothing." Kasumi: "Huh? But you let out an awful scream..." Kazuya: "Really, it's no big deal! I just... I just slipped and fell a bit!" Kasumi: "Really? Well, okay, then." Kazuya: "Yeah, seriously! I'm fine now!" Kazuya: "So, uh..." Kiriha: "You imbecile! Is that any way to treat your savior?!" Kazuya: "But if my sister finds out—" Kiriha: "Ahem... Rude as your lack of memory of me may be, I shall graciously explain, in detail. To start with, I am..." Kazuya: "A tsukumogami born from a kimono's obi, right?" Kiriha: "What, have you remembered?" Kazuya: "No, but it was the logical conclusion. The obi-like cloths that sprang out of my backpack and the girl that appeared out of them." Kazuya: "And the same scent of cherry blossoms as my mom's obi." Kazuya: "Plus, the obi went missing from my bag. What else could you be but the tsukumogami of that obi?" Kiriha: "Well answered, for a fool." Kiriha: "Indeed. The finger-woven pure silk ceremonial obi, Ayasakura." Kiriha: "I am its tsukumogami... Kiriha." Kiriha: "And you shall address me with a -sama on the end! Got it, servant?" Kazuya: ""Servant"?" Kazuya: "Listen, Kiriha...san." Kiriha: "I told you to use -sama!" Kazuya: "Of course, I'm grateful to you for saving my life." Kazuya: "But..." Kazuya: "I don't think that deal was valid, given your threat and my position." Kazuya: "And besides, the obi belongs to me. If anything, I'd be the master..." Kazuya: "Forget I said anything." Kiriha: "Very good! In that case, time for your first task, my servant." Clerk: "Welcome!" Sfx: "Sweets!" Kazuya: "Will that do?" Kiriha: "Yay, sweets!" Kiriha: "You forgot the pudding!" Kiriha: "When I ask for sweets I obviously mean pudding!" Kazuya: "How was I supposed to know?!" Kiriha: "What?! You owe an apology to the god of pudding!" Kazuya: "So you'll still eat them." Clerk: "Welcome!" Sfx: "Pudding!" Kiriha: "That's the ticket! Delectable! Pud-pud-pudding! Tasty pudding! Wherefore art thou pudding?" Kazuya: "You could have just asked for pudding to begin with." Kiriha: "Pud-pud-pudding! Pudding!" Kazuya: "Well, I'm going downstairs for dinner." Kazuya: "Try and keep it down, okay?" Kiriha: "Aye, you are dismissed!" Kazuya: "Thanks for the food." Kasumi: "Eat up! I made enough for seconds." Kazuya: "Okay." Kasumi: "By the way, Ya-kun, you were sure making a lot of noise today." Kasumi: "Rein it in a bit, or you'll bother the neighbors." Kazuya: "R-Right..." Kazuya: "Man, these boiled veggies are great!" Kasumi: "Really? I'm glad you like it!" Kasumi: "Hm? Did I just hear laughter?" Kazuya: "I-It's probably just the TV..." Inoue Kikuko: "I'm seventeen years old!" Kiriha: "Oh, please!" Kazuya: "Anyway, how long was Dad's business trip again?" Kasumi: "A bit longer? It seems he's still busy." Kiriha: "Damn it all! That combo is practically cheating!" Kasumi: "You're sure that's not someone upstairs?" Kazuya: "Wow, the miso soup is great, too! You can really taste the stock..." Kasumi: "What's wrong, Ya-kun? You're acting kind of weird." Kasumi: "Have you finally realized how attractive I am?! Do you want to marry me now?!" Kazuya: "Uh, I'm not so sure about that..." Announcer: "You lose!" Kiriha: "Oh, I am done! Ducking all the damn time! Why don't you go home and be a family man?!" Kiriha: "Anything else interesting around here?" Kiriha: "Ah, yes. It has been too long since my last." Kazuya: "I'm turning into a nervous wreck down here..." Kazuya: "Kiriha-san? Could you please keep it down?" Kazuya: "Huh?" Kazuya: "Where'd she go?" Kazuya: "Did she leave already?" Kasumi: "Ya-kun, go ahead and take your bath!" Kazuya: "Okay!" Kasumi: "I'll join you in a second!" Kazuya: "Please don't!" Kazuya: "Where did Kiriha-san vanish off to? Is she prowling for more snacks?" Kazuya: "Let's just hope she doesn't run into my sister while she's at it." Kiriha: "Kazuya, you pervert!" Kazuya: "Possibility two." Kiriha: "You have some nerve to try to peep on me in the bath!" Kazuya: "I swear. I-I didn't do it on purpose." Kiriha: "What are you doing?" Kazuya: "Y-Yes?!" Kiriha: "You are here to wash my back, yes? Get to it, then." Kazuya: "So she took the third option." Kiriha: "There, that's the spot. Keep it up." Kiriha: "Well done! My turn. Go on." Kazuya: "Hey!" Kiriha: "You are fortunate, Kazuya! You have the privilege to be washed by me tonight!" Kazuya: "That's fine! You don't have to!" Kiriha: "Why are you so embarrassed?" Kiriha: "We used to bathe together all the time..." Kazuya: "Th-That was a long time ago! Even if I don't remember it..." Kazuya: "It's true, though." Kazuya: "This feels familiar." Kiriha: "You have certainly grown, Kazuya..." Kiriha: "You were this little once!" Kazuya: "Come on, don't be silly." Kiriha: "Your dick, of course. And firm and proud it stands! Has my nude form aroused you?" Kazuya: "No! That's not— Don't look!" Kiriha: "What, still hiding its head in that hood? Here, allow me." Kazuya: "Huh? Wha—" Kiriha: "Come on already!" Kazuya: "S-Stop!" Kiriha: "You act like a ninny over something trivial." Kazuya: "It's a very delicate matter, involving a very delicate body part!" Kiriha: "Not very manly, are you?" Kiriha: "Oh, look at the time. Let's head to bed, Kazuya." Kazuya: "Oh, I'll go get the guest futon." Kiriha: "Why?" Kazuya: "Huh?" Kazuya: "Huh?!" Kazuya: "This isn't a good idea... Boys and girls past a certain age... shouldn't... well..." Kiriha: "But nothing has changed. We always slept together, did we not?" Kazuya: "Come to think of it, you're right. Well, good night, then." Kiriha: "Aye. Good night." Kazuya: "She appeared so suddenly. Just when I thought she'd saved me, she starts calling me her servant." Kazuya: "Now she seems to have made herself at home." Kazuya: "And yet... for some reason, this all feels perfectly natural." Kazuya: "Kiriha-san sleeping beside me, with her comforting, familiar scent." Kazuya: "How am I supposed to sleep like this?!" Kokuyo: "The malison has grown slightly denser." Kokuyo: "What shall we do?" Kukuri: "Ain't no need to rush it. 'Specially so soon after that incident." Kukuri: "For now, let's keep an eye on things." Kazuya: "My childhood friend Chisato and I end up trapped in the school's library. Our search for the cause gets us dragged into an even more bizarre situation."

Kiriha: "This tactic won't work anymore. What now?" Kazuya: "Your projection!" Kiriha: "Fool! Why didn't you defend with a Shield Weave?!" Sunao: "You're mine!" Sunao: "They're in my sword's range now! Try Shield Weaving or Wall Weaving this!" Kazuya: "I won't hesitate to use it... But I won't let Kiriha-san get hurt, either! Hand Weave!" Sunao: "It doesn't matter!" Kazuya: "Hand Weave: Watershed!" Eptitle Sign: ""Partner."" Honoka: "He redirected it!" Kukuri: "Try blockin' with an obi, and a sword will slice clean through. But that ain't the case with redirectin'!" Sunao: "My full-force attack was shut down... and by a mere obi!" Kotetsu: "Sunao-sama! Here they come!" Sunao: "My water doll can't take much more!" Kazuya: "She's retreating?" Kiriha: "She's made room to catch her breath! Don't give her the chance!" Sunao: "Don't get so cocky!" Kotetsu: "Sunao-sama! You must save your spiritual energy—" Sunao: "Shut up!" Sunao: "A projection... I can't do any damage like this!" Sunao: "In that case... off the parry... Empty Blade!" Kazuya: "A counter..." Kiriha: "We can't take initiative from a distance anymore!" Kukuri: "They've stopped." Honoka: "Hmm. Whoever moves first is at a disadvantage, now." Kiriha: "We have two obi at our disposal right now. We can block attacks, but not strike back. Staying defensive is wisest." Sunao: "Ranged attacks won't work anymore. And they won't come after me, since attacking leaves them open. Getting within the sword's range is my only hope." Sunao: "But my water doll can't take much more. If I take any damage while closing in, I'll lose." Honoka: "It's over." Kukuri: "Giving up already? That ain't like you." Honoka: "The more they dawdle, the more the obi recovers. Once they're back to three obi, it's game over." Kukuri: "Didn't Sunao withstand your big one during the regional god trial? Ain't she got some trump card to turn the tables?" Honoka: "She does, in a sense. The technique with which Sunao staved off Skyfire." Kukuri: "Skyfire?! Were you testin' her or murderin' her?!" Honoka: "Well, I had a hunch Sunao could take it." Honoka: "And the fact is, she did! That technique is plenty potent but only works within the sword's range." Honoka: "And with how things stand, Sunao won't be able to get them to close in." Kukuri: "I wouldn't be so sure." Kazuya: "I can't." Kiriha: "But why?! We're sure to win if we stay on the defensive!" Kazuya: "That isn't good enough." Kazuya: "We can't truly win unless we face Sunao-san at her best!" Kiriha: "Kazuya... Why does it matter so to you?" Kazuya: "Tsugumomo are more than just tools." Kazuya: "The only way we can make her understand that is by winning!" Kazuya: "By showing her our all!" Kiriha: "Very well. Understood! Let's give her everything we have!" Kotetsu: "They're closing in on us?! But if they'd stayed away and recovered, they'd have won!" Sunao: "No, I get it! I know what he's thinking!" Sunao: "Victory means triumphing over your opponent's all! That's it, isn't it? Fine then, I'll take you on!" Honoka: "Kotetsu can do more than project blades of spiritual energy. He can also shroud the blade in spiritual energy to reduce resistance and boost its speed." Honoka: "Show them, Sunao." Kukuri: "When a tsukumogami overwhelms its wielder, it's called tsukumo-possession. A tsukumo-possessed human gains incredible power, at the cost of losing control being physically drained. But if the two are in perfect harmony and share a deep bond," Kukuri: "a type of controlled tsukumo-possession is possible!" Kukuri: "And it's called..." Kazuya: "Kiriha-san!" Kiriha: "Right!" Kazuya: "Divine Possession!" Sunao: "Secret strike..." Sunao: "Winged Cutter!" Kazuya: "Power Obi!" Honoka: "Divine Possession?! I didn't know any human could use it!" Kiriha: "The slightest lapse will cost us! Every move must be quick and precise!" Kotetsu: "This clash is too dangerous! We should regroup—" Sunao: "No backing down!" Kukuri: "They're even?!" Honoka: "No." Kazuya: "Power Obi..." Kazuya: "Coiling Serpent!" Kukuri: "That does it." Kukuri: "The winner is Kagami Kazuya!" Kazuya: "Ow!" Kazuya: "What was that for?!" Kukuri: "That was mighty cool, Kazuyan!" Kazuya: "Well... thanks." Kiriha: "You're grinning like a buffoon!" Sunao: "Kotetsu!" Sunao: "Your spiritual energy was too spent to maintain the barrage." Sunao: "That and the accumulated damage Kotetsu had taken are what decided the match. Honoka-sama..." Honoka: "The blade is in one piece. Don't worry." Honoka: "They could have snapped Kotetsu, you know. Show some gratitude." Sunao: "Right." Kazuya: "I thought she considered tsukumogami mere tools." Kiriha: "No one who really thinks as such could demonstrate that much power." Kukuri: "Well, heck! That was some fight!" Kiriha: "With an obvious outcome." Kukuri: "Looked to me like y'all cut it pretty close." Kiriha: "Well, it wouldn't be much of a contest if we simply dominated." Kukuri: "There you go again! I reckon we oughta head home and celebrate!" Kiriha: "Since when is it your home? It's mine!" Kukuri: "It ain't yours, either, Kiriha!" Kukuri/Kiriha: "Kazuyan?! Kazuya?!" Kazuya/Sunao: "Tsugumomo." Everybody: "Tsugumomo!" Kukuri: "Then the reason Kazuyan collapsed..." Kiriha: "Aye. An effect of Divine Possession." Kiriha: "It's a technique that involves a tsukumogami and its user becoming one. It temporarily grants inhuman power. But in ruthlessly drawing forth that power, it puts a commensurate strain on the body." Kukuri: "Which done put him in this here state. Y'all didn't barely even use it." Kukuri: "Don't s'pose you know when he'll recover?" Kiriha: "I should like to think this is temporary, and he'll be back to normal soon." Kukuri: "Still, talk about dangerous. If Divine Possession had worn off 'fore you'd beaten Sunao," Kukuri: "you'd have had to protect the immobile Kazuyan while fightin', right?" Kiriha: "It wouldn't have even gone that far. I was spiritually depleted to the point that I couldn't have projected an obi. We only tested whether Divine Possession was usable during training, but didn't keep it up long enough to cause such side effects." Kiriha: "This was the first time we used it seriously. I didn't think the result would be this severe." Kukuri: "A technique you gotta be sure you'll win with, huh? Not somethin' you can pull out whenever." Kasumi: "Hey!" Kasumi: "Dinner's ready!" Kukuri: "Kazuyan! Say, "Ahh!"" Kazuya: "A-Ahh..." Kukuri: "So, whatcha wanna eat next?" Kazuya: "Uh, I guess the salad..." Kukuri: "Say, "Ahh!"" Kasumi: "Wait, what happened to Ya-kun?!" Kiriha: "Don't worry. He'll be fine again soon enough." Kasumi: "Don't tell me you forced Ya-kun into a dark room and subjected him to such hardcore treatment that he can't even stand anymore?! But perhaps I could be the one to heal Ya-kun's injured body and heart..." Kukuri: "You like it, Kazuyan?" Kiriha: "My, aren't you enjoying yourself." Kukuri: "N-No! I ain't been thinking a mite 'bout how we're like newlyweds!" Kiriha: "How about it, Kukuri? Why not help Kazuya with more than just eating?" Kukuri: "I-I don't mind." Kukuri: "Aw..." Kukuri: "Aw, shoot... Not like this!" Kazuya: "It's okay, Kiriha-san. It won't hurt to skip a single day's bath." Kiriha: "What are you talking about? You worked up quite a sweat today!" Kiriha: "Didn't you offer to help? Have you always been such an uncaring god, Kukuri?" Kukuri: "But I can't help bein' embarrassed. I mean, yeah, I wanna help Kazuyan, but... But..." Kiriha: "I've a brilliant suggestion, then." Kiriha: "Now then, Kazuya. Sorry for the wait. You can relax now." Kazuya: "I'm not sure how you expect me to do that, considering." Kiriha: "Displeased, Kazuya? It must be Kukuri's fault, then." Kukuri: "Forgive me, Kazuyan. I'm just so dang embarrassed." Kazuya: "Oh, no, it's not your fault, Kukuri-chan!" Kiriha: "Here." Kukuri: "Okay." Kiriha: "Now, turn this way." Kazuya: "Hey! My face is touching them!" Kiriha: "So what if it is? Pipe down." Kukuri: "I-I'm gonna wash you now, Kazuyan." Kazuya: "R-Right, thanks." Kiriha: "Aren't you high-and-mighty, Kazuya? Making a local god wash your back." Kukuri: "No kiddin', Kazuyan." Kazuya: "You're the one making her do it, Kiriha-san!" Kazuya: "Kukuri-chan, you can stop if you're uncomfortable." Kukuri: "It's okay. You did a downright fine job today." Kiriha: "Now then..." Kukuri: "There, now turn this way." Kiriha: "Hup." Kiriha: "What's the matter, Kukuri? Hurry up and wash it. His dick." Kukuri: "Don't blurt it out! You don't have to do that part! I can wash it myself, once I can move again!" Kiriha: "Don't be foolish. That part needs washing the most!" Kukuri: "Th-That's right. The only reason Kazuyan's like this is 'cause I done made him become a malison cleanser. He's always tendin' to our needs, and what's more, soon 'nuff he might be "tendin' to my needs" every night! All right! I'll wash it!" Kukuri: "It's cleanin' time! Brace yourself!" Kazuya: "Hang on a second! Just give me five min—" Kukuri: "It... It's in battle mode!" Kazuya: "I mean, you're clinging to me and washing me, naked..." Kukuri: "En... En garde!" Kazuya: "W-Wait! That's enough! Enough! You don't have to—" Kiriha: "Blasted Kukuri. Says she'll take care of you, then falls asleep first." Kiriha: "Now then, Kazuya." Kiriha: "I remember promising you a reward if you won." Kazuya: "Did you?" Kiriha: "I did." Kiriha: "What kind of reward should I give you?" Kazuya: "H-Hang on..." Kiriha: "There's no one to interfere now." Kazuya: "Kukuri is right there!" Kiriha: "Forget the child. She won't wake now that she's asleep." Kazuya: "B-But..." Kiriha: "Now... There's no escape for you, Kazuya." Kiriha: "There!" Kiriha: "There!" Kazuya: "Wait—" Kiriha: "There!" Kazuya: "Stop! My underpants—" Kukuri: "Well, look at the time." Kukuri: "Hey, Kazuyan. Rise and shine!" Kukuri: "Sheesh. Up you go!" Kukuri: "Oh, no!" Kukuri: "What in tarnation are y'all doin' now?!" Kiriha: "Pipe down! It's still early." Kazuya: "She made an obi." Kazuya: "And I can move." Kukuri: "Y'all did this as I was sleepin' beside?! Heaven may forgive you, but I ain't gonna!" Kiriha: "So says the child who couldn't even stay awake at night. Right, Kazuya?" Kukuri: "Kazuyan! What did you do?!" Kazuya: "To be honest, I kinda passed out part way through. As far as I can remember..." Kukuri: "So, how was it? Gimme details!" Kasumi: "Damn it all! What did you do to Ya-kun, you horny youkai?!" Kukuri: "Yeah! Don't spare any detail!" Kazuya: "I seriously don't remember." Kiriha: "Could you all quiet down?" Kasumi: "I can't let you live with this lewd tsukumogami anymore! Ya-kun, you should move into my room!" Kazuya: "Uh, I'll pass." Tv: "Tonight's top story: The truth behind the rumors. Not so hot after all? Beware the cologne hoax. Amagaki-san is reporting live from the scene." Kazuya: "There she is. Kiriha-san!" Reporter: "Thank you. I'm here at the factory that produced this suspicious cologne," Kazuya: "I'm heading to school." Kiriha: "Aye. Get going, then." Reporter: "where a crowd of men duped by the advertising" Kazuya: "You'd usually force me to take you along." Reporter: "are protesting in outrage." Guys: "Want girls!" Kiriha: "You've taken care of what we discussed?" Kukuri: "Yeah, of course. Right, Kokuyou?" Kokuyou: "Yes. The preparations have been put in order." Kukuri: "I got a lotta clout 'round here, y'know! I gotta say, I didn't 'spect you to be so considerate." Kiriha: "It's a master's duty to see to their servant's well-being." Suzuri: "Sunao, you are the heir to the Sumeragi clan." Suzuri: "The successor to our Sumeragi School of swordsmanship. But what's this? You attack this boy without warning, force him into a duel, and not only do you lose, you return with Kotetsu damaged! This is an outrage!" Suzuri: "You engaged in a legitimate duel as a woman of the Sumeragi clan—and lost. Such a woman cannot inherit this house," Suzuri: "much less our school, which prides itself on unmatched prowess." Sunao: "No!" Suzuri: "There are two ways for you to inherit the house and the school." Suzuri: "One is to see the person who defeated you dead." Suzuri: "But that is unrealistic." Sunao: "I see..." Suzuri: "That being the case, you must choose the other option." Suzuri: "You must marry Kagami Kazuya." Kokyuyou: "I must ask, Kukuri-sama..." Kukuri: "What's up?" Kokuyou: "You haven't forgotten, have you? About repairing the shrine..." Kokuyou: "I'm unable to cover the cost with just my part-time jobs. Isn't this the sort of situation where your clout would be of assistance?" Kukuri: "Easier said than done." Kokuyou: "Perhaps you have Kanayama-sama cover the full cost." Kukuri: "Anything but that! I'll be scarred for life!" Taguri: "Kukuri-chan should be coming by for more money soon. I wonder what I can get her to do this time?" Honoka: "The heat never gets any easier to bear, does it?" Shirou: "Hey, Kazuya." Chisato: "Good morning." Kazuya: "A transfer student? At this time of year?" Chisato: "Yes, I heard about it from Iraha-sensei." Shirou: "What?!" Shirou: "Here's hoping she's cute!" Osamu: "It could be a boy, you realize." Shirou: "No, it's a girl! A cute girl! A beautiful girl with huge boobs!" Shirou: "Mountains!" Teacher: "Good morning, class." Teacher: "I know this is sudden, but I'd like you all to meet your new classmate." Teacher: "Come on in." Kiriha: "The name's Obina Kiriha! Nice to meet you!" Boys: "Yeah!" Kazuya: "What brought this on, Kiriha-san?" Kiriha: "I can't leave my foolish servant alone, lest he get into mischief." Shirou: "Hey, Kazuya! What's the deal between you two?!" Kazuya: "I'm not sure where to..." Kiriha: "Oh, we're quite intimate."

K2: "Kazuya!" K2: "Come, it is morning." K2: "Honestly, sleeping later than your master? How impudent." K1: "Cut it out, Sis..." K1: "I barely got any sleep because of that weird youkai..." K2: "Who are you calling a weird youkai..." K2: "you hooded dingus!" Eptitle Sign: ""The Library and the Childhood Friend."" K1: "I can still make it in time! As long as I haven't been called for attendance yet..." K1: "I'm barely in the clear!" Teacher: "Not by a long shot." Chi: "You've let yourself go!" Chi: "Being tardy is an insult to the very foundations of wholesome academic life! Think about what you've done!" (K1: "But there was this youkai, see..." Shiro: "They're at it again." Yama: "The class rep is stern as ever with our esteemed Kagami." (Chi: "Don't make up childish excuses!" (K1: "Okay..." Chi: "Are you even listening?!" K1: "This is all Kiriha-san's fault." K1: "It's already past eight! I know I set my alarm clock!" K2: "Oh, that thing?" K2: "It rang most obnoxiously, so I silenced it." K1: "You dummy!" K1: "I'm heading out!" K2: "Aye!" K1: "Why are you following me?!" K2: "A servant can't simply run off without his master." K2: "Besides, we've never been apart before." K1: "That was when you were an obi!" K1: "This is bad. If she takes this "servant" business to school..." K2: "Servant! Servant!" (Girls: "Oh my God, do you see that?" K1: "Kagami Kazuya Inc.'s stocks will crash!" K1: "Fine. I'll take you to school." K2: "But of course." K1: "Though, if I can humbly make a request..." K2: "I am an obi again. Will that do?" K1: "Perfectly! Thank you so much." K1: "Now, let me put you in a bag to keep you clean." K2: "A commendable precaution!" K1: "And in this box, so you won't get damaged from being jostled!" K2: "How considerate!" K1: "Lastly, I'll tie up the box so it won't open if dropped!" K2: "Awfully thorough, aren't you?" K1: "Okay, I'm heading out!" K2: "Aye. Take care!" K2: "Kazuya!" K1: "Serves her right! That stupid youkai." Shiro: "What, remember a joke or something?" Yama: "Perhaps the class rep wrung him out too hard." K1: "Sorry, it's nothing!" Shiro: "Anyway, like I was saying..." Shiro: "they say that after school, when hardly anyone's around, a ghost will appear!" Yama: "How incredibly unrealistic." Shiro: "But there have been multiple eyewitnesses! Saying they saw a weird, hairy thing or a giant slug!" Yama: "That sounds more like some kind of unidentified animal than a ghost." K1: "They're probably talking about that..." Shiro: "Kazuya, are you even listening?" K1: "Sorry, I was zoning out!" Shiro: "What I'm saying is, this is the perfect time for a test of courage! Invite a cute girl to wander the dark hallways, just the two of you! Huddled up close—holding hands, even! If you're lucky, a kiss! If you're sly, a fondle! Play it right, and sweet Eden awaits! Go, go, go!" Shiro: "Now that's what I call adolescence!" K1: "What did I do?" Chi: "That's your idea of adolescence? Instead of plotting such ridiculous schemes, you should be double-checking your reports that are due fifth period." K1: "Reports?" K1: "Please, Osamu! Let me copy yours!" Yama: "Certainly, in exchange for 20 pages of screentone." Chi: "Copy?" Chi: "Copy what, exactly?" Chi: "We still have lunch! I'll even join you, but do it yourself!" K1: "No!" Shiro: "Forgive us, Kazuya. There's nothing we can do." Yama: "Amen." K1: "There's no way I'll finish in time. Let me copy yours." Chi: "It's plenty doable! Move your hands, not your mouth!" K1: "But..." Chi: "And that one's incorrect! How could Prince Shotoku have been a Warring States warlord?" K1: "Fine, I'll do it. Happy?" Chi: "Very good." K1: "Did I get something else wrong?" Chi: "Oh, I'm sorry." Chi: "I just remembered how I used to help you study." K1: "Oh, that's right! You used to come over and tutor me." K1: "Thank you for your assistance." Chi: "Well, you're quite welcome." K1: "I was falling behind back then, so you were a huge help." Chi: "And you're all caught up now?" K1: "Sorry, I guess I'm not much better." Chi: "Well..." Chi: "if you wouldn't mind..." Chi: "I could come to your house again..." Chi: "and help you study?" Chi: "I mean, I do enjoy teaching others and all." K1: "Really? Sure, I'd be..." K1: "Actually, maybe not now!" Chi: "R-Really? Sorry for being so meddlesome." K1: "Oh, no, not at all!" K1: "Oh, that was the last page." K1: "I finished the report, so I'll go put the books back." Chi: "Good job." Chi: "I'll head back to class." K1: "Sure. Thanks, Chisato!" Chi: "Huh?" K1: "Let's see..." K2: "There you are." K2: "Ka...zu...ya..." Chi: "Kazuya-kun? Is something wrong?" K1: "Nothing at all." Chi: "What happened to your face?!" K1: "It's okay. Yeah. I'm fine, actually." K1: "Anyway, weren't you going back to class?" Chi: "I was, but the door wouldn't open." Chi: "The windows won't open, either!" K1: "Both the windows and the doors. Every exit has been cut off." K1: "Which means..." K1: "we're trapped in here?" Kiriha: "Tsugumomo!" Chi: "This is Tsugumomo." K1: "Nothing's working." K1: "We can't even break the doors or windows, much less open them." Chi: "This is bad." K2: "You seem to be in quite the quandary, Kazuya. Your due comeuppance for trying to leave me behind!" K1: "Not wearing any...?" K1: "Wait over there a second, Chisato!" K2: "What is this? Feeling amorous this early in the day?" K1: "N-No! I told you not to come out! Wait, are you doing this to get back at me?!" K2: "I'd hardly bother with such roundabout means." K2: "You should know I'd simply beat you silly!" K1: "That's true..." K2: "Anyway, should misfortune befall you around here, it is safe to assume a tsukumogami is the cause." K1: "A tsukumogami? Like you?" K2: "Not like me at all, imbecile!" K2: "Listen well. Tsukumogami generally fall into two categories. Some, like myself, arise from objects or tools after many years, and are known as "tsugumomo". In contrast, that which attacked you yesterday, was a sort of tsukumogami that arises quickly from human emotions, known as "amasogi". Tsugumomo have fully-developed consciousnesses, and are enlightened creatures. Like myself." K1: "Uh-huh..." K2: "But amasogi are like newborn babies." K2: "Thus, they tend to cause problems like this." K2: "We shall need help to resolve this. That girl will do nicely." K1: "Huh?!" K1: "Wait a second!" K2: "Your patience was appreciated, girl." Chi: "It's nice to meet you. I'm Chikaishi Chisato." K2: "Right. I'm Kiriha the tsukumoga—" K1: "That's not right! Do it like we agreed." K2: "Fo demanfing..." K2: "Uh, I am Kazuya's... cousin? Here to... check? Check out the school." K2: "Uh, my name is Obina Kiriha. Nice to meet you." Chi: "A likely story." K1: "So um, Kiriha-san loves occult stuff, and knows a lot about strange phenomena." K1: "She said she could help us find a way out!" Chi: "I see." Chi: "In other words..." Chi: "this supernatural situation is being caused by one of these "amasogi"?" K2: "Exactly! You're quite a sharp girl." K2: "Now, to address our escape. Clearly, smashing doors and windows was all your imbecile mind could imagine, but I'm more clever than that." K1: "Yeah, sure." K2: "We'll use these." K1: "What are they?" K2: "Kimono clasps interwoven with my hair. They should react to amasogi, tsugumomo, or any other spirits." K1: "And we can find the amasogi with this?" K2: "That's right. This was caused by something around here being animated by a wish. Once we learn that wish, the resolution may prove simple." Chi: "Who would benefit from trapping us in the library?" K1: "I can't think of anyone." K2: "Further speculation won't get us anywhere." K2: "Now, get looking!" K1: "Yeah, all right." Chi: "I found it!" K2: "Already, eh?" Chi: "I think it's this book." K1: "Mine detects something, too!" K2: "Another book? Are there two amasogis?" K1: "This one, too!" Chi: "And this one!" K1: "And another!" Chi: "This one, too!" K1: "Even this one!" Chi: "It keeps going off!" K1: "Kiriha-san, they seem to be reacting to everything." K2: "Well, in that case, any means shall do if we can escape." K2: "So we'll just smash the door down!" K1: "We're back to that?!" K2: "Spiral Weave!" K1: "I'll explain everything later." K2: "Look! I am nearly through the barrier!" K1: "What in the world?" K2: "Well, now! It seems the entire study is the amasogi! Get back!" K1: "Come on!" K2: "Shield Weave!" K1: "Kiriha-san, above you!" K2: "Sledgehammer Weave!" K2: "Is that all you have?" K1: "Kiriha-san!" K2: "Ready to play, huh?" K2: "Run, Kazuya!" K2: "This way!" K2: "They're only targeting me?" Chi: "Looks like it stopped chasing us." K2: "Most disappointing! I was hoping for a bit more fun!" K1: "You just had to open your mouth!" K2: "Seems it wishes to have more fun, too." K2: "The books protected the girl?" K2: "That's it!" K2: "Kazuya!" K2: "Think back on your conversation with the girl since coming to this study!" K1: "Wh-Why now?" K2: "H-Hurry!" K1: "Uh, well, Chisato took me to the library..." K2: "Aye!" K1: "And she brought books from the shelves..." K2: "And then?!" K1: "And I mistook Prize Sudoku for a Warring States warlord!" Chi: "It was Prince Shotoku!" K2: "Doesn't matter! What else?!" K1: "And then... she asked to come to my house to help me study, and I refused!" K2: "That's it!" K1: "Kiriha-san!" K2: "Th-This thing's host is that girl!" K1: "Chisato? What do you mean?!" K2: "Slow to catch on, aren't you? Desires are what give birth to amasogi!" K2: "So grant her desire!" K1: "Chisato's desire?" K1: "Of course." K1: "Chisato!" Chi: "Y-Yes?" K1: "Would you..." K1: "come by my house sometime, to tutor me?" Chi: "Sure." K2: "Well, well. You ought be thankful I was here!" K1: "Thank you, Kiriha-san." K1: "I think I understand amasogi a little better now." K2: "A good experience, then." K1: "And, Chisato..." Chi: "Y-Yes?" K1: "I'm sorry I didn't realize how you felt sooner." Chi: "How I... feel?" K1: "Chisato..." K1: "you really love teaching people, don't you?" K2: "Honestly, Kazuya..." K1: "Crap, we've got two minutes till fifth period!" Chi: "Oh, no! My perfect attendance record!" Chisato: "Thanks for having me." Chisato: "Kazuya-kun?" Chisato: "Huh?" Chisato: "Kazuya-kun, I'm coming in." Chisato: "Caught in the very act!" K1: "Ow!" Chi: "How shameless! And obscene!" K1: "Chisato? Why are you—" Chi: "You asked to study at one o'clock!" K1: "Oh, right. My alarm— Again?!" K2: "What's all the fuss?" Chi: "I brought these. Help yourself." K2: "Well done!" Chi: "Kazuya-kun, Kiriha-san, I'm sorry about yesterday." Chi: "I still can't believe it happened, not to mention that it was my fault..." K2: "No need to blame yourself, Chisato. There was another, bigger cause—" K2: "malison." Chi: ""Malison"?" K1: "What's malison?" K2: "Let's see..." K2: "You might say malison is the distortions in reality—the gaps. Perhaps the root of all creation, or the remnants of it." K1: "I don't follow at all..." K2: "I'm not surprised. It exists everywhere, like air, but it reacts to people's wills, warping the laws of reality. In theory, with the power of malison, one could shape the world to one's will." K1: "Seriously? You could do anything?" K2: "At its normal density, malison's effects are limited. But think about how bizarre what happened yesterday was." Chi: "You mean the library incident was caused by abnormally high-density malison?" K2: "Precisely. But it's rare that sufficient malison accumulates in one place to produce an amasogi that powerful." K1: "Then why did it happen?" K2: "The local god who oversees this area is at fault." K1: "Local god?" K2: "Aye. It's all that idiot Kukuri's fault." Kazuya: "A mysterious priestess named Kokuyou takes us to a shrine, where a god in a Noh mask awaits us!"

Kokuyo: "You there." Shirou: "Th... They're huge!" Kokuyo: "You are Kagami Kazuya, are you not?" Shirou: "No, not me." Kokuyou: "But you look just like him." Shirou: "In what universe?" Kokuyou: "I see. I have no business with you, then." Shirou: "Wh-Whoa, hang on a second!" Shirou: "I can't let a chance like this slip by!" Kokuyou: "What is it? I am quite busy." Shirou: "Well... Kazuya and I are friends, actually." Kokuyou: "What? Take me to him, now." Shirou: "Sure thing! But in exchange..." Kukuri: "Should Kazuya-san awaken," Kukuri: "the situation will rapidly turn grave. This necessitates emergency measures." Kiriha: "Measures..." Kikuri: "I'll seal away the excess spiritual energy, along with all his memories of this incident." Kikuri: "That ought stabilize him." Kiriha: "Then, please!" Kikuri: "The problem then becomes what happens to you. A tsukumogami forgotten by its owner will very quickly lose its power. At worst, you might revert to no more than a mere obi." Kikuri: "For a tsukumogami, it would be akin to dying." Kiriha: "It matters not." Dad: "You forget anything, Kazuya? Did you use the bathroom?" Dad: "I'm gonna be home early tonight, so let's have dinner as a family." Kazuya: "Sure! I'm heading out, now." Kiriha: "My goodness." Kazuya: "What's up?" Kiriha: "Kazuaki is quite the doting father." Kazuya: "I guess so. He used to be more normal, I hear." Shirou: "Hey, Kazuya!" Shirou: "Go to hell!" Kazuya: "What was that for?!" Shirou: "Stuff it! I had a world of trouble thanks to you!" Kokuyou: "Now, hurry up and tell me where Kagami Kazuya is." Shirou: "Take it easy. We've barely met. Why not chat a bit first?" Kokuyou: "I must attend to my commandment as quickly as possible." Shirou: "Why don't you at least order something?" Shirou: "My treat!" Shirou: "Damn you, Kazuya. You could have told me you knew a girl like this!" Shirou: "Even if she's a little... well, a lot weird. Her hotness more than makes up for it! Especially that chest! How glorious!" Kokuyou: "It's your treat, you said?" Shirou: "Sure! Order whatever you want." Waitress: "Have you decided on your order?" Shirou: "Let's see..." Shirou: "Bring me a sirloin steak." Waitress: "The sirloin steak, then?" Kokuyou: "With both soy garlic sauce and tomato garlic sauces." Waitress: "Soy garlic sauce and tomato garlic sauce..." Kokuyou: "Also, the mushroom and grated radish hamburger steak and a beef stew. A seafood doria and a Japanese teriyaki chicken doria, the shrimp and macaroni gratin, the deluxe beef curry, the free-range chicken cutlets, and the stewed flounder. Also, the tuna tataki over rice and extra-fluffy rice omelet with ripe tomatoes," Kokuyou: "the wild vegetable soba, tofu and vegetable soup..." Shirou: "Wait—" Kokuyou: "The Shanghai fried rice with clear sauce, the stone-baked supreme pizza..." Shirou: "Whoa, hold—" Kokuyou: "...and the pappardelle di melanzane con pomodorini." Servers: "Here's part of your order. Here's more of your order." Servers: "Sorry about the wait! Here's the rest!" Servers: "She finished it all!" Servers: "Please, take this assortment of cakes as a reward." Kokuyou: "Right. Thank you." Kokuyou: "The meal was most appreciated. Farewell, now." Servers: "Thanks for dining with us!" Shirou: "Well, I'd better get going—" Servers: "Sir..." Shirou: "So they took all the money I had, and on top of that, I'm in debt to Osamu now!" Osamu: "Don't worry." Osamu: "You need but provide 500,000 yen's worth of service. Erasing, screen tones... I've got plenty of work in mind." Shirou: "Right on, Osamu-sama! Just name it. After this, Shiramine Shirou was subjected to a summer of doujinshi creation hell." Kazuya: "Anyway, you said this lady was looking for me?" Shirou: "I have no idea who she could be. Quit playing dumb! You can't deny the evidence!" Kazuya: "So what am I supposed to say?" Kukuri: "You knucklehead! Ya get treated to a meal at a restaurant..." Kukuri: "and ya end up forgettin' your job?! You birdbrain!" Kokuyou: "I'm terribly sorry." Kukuri: "Apologies ain't gonna cut it!" Kokuyou: "Lately, all I've had to eat are edible grass and mayonnaise," Kokuyou: "with my occasional sources of protein being frogs, snakes, and rats." Kokuyou: "I'm afraid the vision of such a feast stole my heart." Kokuyou: "The cause of all our ills is this shrine's donation situation. Maybe if its deity were notable enough to have been in the Kojiki records..." Kukuri: "So you're gonna go there?! When ya know I'm sore 'bout that?!" Kokuyou: "I think you must be hearing things. Who would dare call you a forgettable god, barely mentioned in a single sentence of the Nihon Shoki?" Kukuri: "You, clearly! I've done had it! Just bring Kagami Kazuya here already!" Kokuyou: "I shall." Kukuri: "Make contact after he leaves school. Got it? Don't go causin' a ruckus! And don't bring the washcloth girl." Shirou: "So that being the case... I challenge you, with lunch on the line." Shirou: "I'm flat broke here, man! Besides, Kasumi-san personally prepares your lunches, right?" Kazuya: "What do you see in that sister of mine?" Shirou: "Come on. Arm wrestle me." Kiriha: "Arm wrestling, is it?" Kazuya: "You know about that?" Kiriha: "Naturally! It was quite the pastime of mine." Students: "My lunch! Oh, no! Mine's gone, too! I was really looking forward to that cutlet sandwich!" Kazuya: "What the... Kiriha-san, you didn't—" Kazuya: "Sorry..." Kiriha: "As long as you understand." Chi: "Could it be another amasogi?" Kazuya: "Nah, it's just a thief or something." Kiriha: "But what human could consume the lunches of so many?" Kokuyou: "Is Kagami Kazuya in here?!" Everyone: "Found one!" Shirou: "Wait! That's her! The bottomless stomach!" Kokuyou: "Who are you?" Shirou: "The guy who paid for your meal yesterday!" Shirou: "Pay me back! Or let me fondle your tits!" Kokuyou: "You were most generous to me yesterday." Kokuyou: "But you were the one who offered to pay." Shirou: "Not for every item on the menu! I got screwed over because of you!" Kokuyou: "I'm sorry to hear that. But I have no money. You may rub my breasts." Shirou: "Yeah, I figured, but what are cops for if you can talk your way—" Kokuyou: "But I have no money. You may rub my breasts." Chi: "Judgment!" Kokuyou: "That matter aside," Kazuya: "Huh?" Kiriha: "I think not!" Kiriha: "I can hardly have you running off with my servant." Kazuya: "You promised you wouldn't come out!" Kokuyou: "Do not hinder my commandment, lowly tsukumogami." Kiriha: "I take it you serve her? She failed to teach you any manners, I see." Kokuyou: "I was strictly told not to bring you along. Begone, washcloth girl." Kiriha: "What did you just say?" Kokuyou: "We have no need of you, washcloth girl." Kiriha: "S-So Kukuri's dog dares bark at me?! Face me, you ogress!" Kazuya: "Let's handle this calmly! Okay?!" Kiriha: "Unhand me, Kazuya!" Kokuyou: "Lost your nerve?" Kiriha: "What?!" Kazuya: "Easy, easy! Let's resolve this in a peaceful way!" Kiriha: "I know." Kiriha: "You, with the demon teats." Kokuyou: "What is it, washcloth girl?" Kiriha: "Let us settle this dispute with a bout of arm wrestling." Kokuyou: "Very well." Kokuyou: "And why must I change into this outfit?" Shirou: "That's the official arm wrestling uniform!" Kazuya: "So it was your idea?" Chi: "I can't believe you're at it again—" Kazuya: "So it'll be a single round of arm wrestling. If Kiriha-san wins, she comes with us to the shrine. If she loses, she has to stay here. I can't help but notice that I have to go either way." Kiriha: "Kazuya, here." Kiriha: "Remove this desk. It's in the way." Kiriha: "Each of us may use only one arm. Both feet must remain planted at all times." Kiriha: "Fail to do so and you lose. Connect with a clean blow to the face and you win." Kiriha: "If I win, you will take me to her." Kokuyou: "I accept." Shirou: "I thought this was arm wrestling?" Kiriha: "Oh, it is." Kiriha: "But this is how we do it." Pe: "Hey! What are you kids doing?!" Pe: "It's way past the end of lunch break!" Shirou: "Sorry, we got a little absorbed in the arm wresting match." Pe: "Arm wrestling?" Pe: "What are you talking about?" Pe: "Huh?" Kokuyou: "A deal's a deal." Kokuyou: "Follow if you must, washcloth girl." Kiriha: "Call me that again and I will rend you asunder!" Chi: "There goes my spotless attendance record..." Kazuya: "Why'd you come along, anyway?" Chi: "I had no idea there was a shrine on this mountain." Kiriha: "Unheard of by the locals. What a sorry state." Kazuya: "It's my first time coming this way." Kazuya: "Except... it somehow feels like it's not." Kokuyou: "Here we are." Kokuyou: "Welcome to Hakusan Shrine." Kokuyou: "The mistress will now grace us with her presence." Kokuyou: "Tsugumomo." Kiku: "This is Tsugumomo." Kiku: "No surprise against this porcelain amasogi." Kiku: "A silk obi won't make a scratch." Kiku: "Will you call upon a hammer tsukumogami instead?" Kanaka: "Nope, it's fine! Let's go, Kiriha-chan!" Kiku: "Behold the Great Incarnation of Hakusan-Myouri, Kukuri-hime no Ookami." Kazuya: "A mask? Is she the goddess of this shrine?" Chi: "That's a Noh mask— a ko-omote, to be exact." Kiriha: "Look at you, so desperate to seem impressive. What's this, Kukuri? Our much belated reunion, and you greet me in a Noh mask?" Kokuyou: "Watch your mouth!" Kiku: "I remember asking for only Kazuya-san..." Kokuyou: "I'm terribly sorry. I was challenged by the washcloth girl." Kiriha: "And I dominated her!" Kokuyou: "You barely won." Kiku: "I see. Arm wrestling, was it? Time hasn't dulled your skills, Kiriha." Kiriha: "Naturally! I'm the one who leads you, 125 wins to 123 losses. What chance could your disciple have had?" Kiku: "No, the record is actually 124 battles, 123 losses, and 1 draw, to my advantage. Perhaps your mind has grown frail in lieu of your body." Kiriha: "Sounds to me like you've gone senile! And what exactly do you mean, one draw?!" Kiku: "Do you not recall the battle we called off due to heavy rain?" Kiriha: "That drizzle was an excuse to dodge an imminent loss!" Kiku: "At any rate, you do not have more wins than me! Stop making up stories!" Kiriha: "Face the facts, you goddess of idiocy!" Kiku: "How dare you, you washcloth youkai?!" Kazuya: "Hey! No fighting, please!" Kiku: "Now, the reason I summoned..." Kiriha: "Hold. Before that..." Kiriha: "The seal was to last until he had fully matured. Why has it broken already?" Kiriha: "And the disruptions in malison... Is there something at work here?" Kiku: "The seal has not been completely broken. Its effect has weakened, but his memories tied to the truth remain sealed, don't they?" Kiriha: "Yes. But this is untenable." Kiriha: "You should reapply the seal and soothe the malison disruption." Kiku: "I cannot do that just yet." Kiriha: "What?!" Kiku: "However, there is a solution." Kiku: "Kagami Kazuya." Kazuya: "Yes?" Kiku: "You will see to the exorcism of the phenomena in this region. I call upon you to be a malison cleanser." Kazuya: "Malison cleanser? Me? Not Kiriha-san?" Kiriha: "Impossible!" Kiriha: "Stop with your sadistic jokes! You can have your priestess there handle the malison cleansing!" Kiku: "I'm afraid I'm not joking." Kiku: "Kagami Kazuya-san..." Kiku: "Over the last few days, you've been party to several strange occurrences, yes?" Kazuya: "Yes..." Kazuya: "In this ordinary town, such aberrations occur only around you." Kazuya: "Do you understand why that is?" Kazuya: "No..." Kiriha: "Enough, Kukuri!" Kiku: "It is because you are the beacon that attracts the malison." Kiku: "The root of danger to all people, wherever you may go... That is what you are." Kiku: "The otherworldly threats caused by malison ought be dealt with by their very cause. Logical, wouldn't you say?" Kiriha: "Ignore her, Kazuya! That lying serpent simply wants you to do her bidding! We're leaving!" Kiriha: "A barrier?" Kiku: "This is hallowed ground. I'm afraid you'll have no freedom until I receive an agreeable answer." Kiku: "Do you absolutely refuse?" Kiriha: "Of course! Now drop this and let us through!" Kiku: "I'm afraid I have no choice, then." Kiku: "I suppose I can at least eliminate the seed of calamity." Kokuyou: "Pardon me." Kazuya: "Chisato!" Kiriha: "A hostage?! That's underhanded!" Kiku: "I am simply removing the innocent bystander. I'll ask again... Will you accept the duty of cleansing the malison?" Kazuya: "M-Me?" Kiriha: "Enough!" Kiku: "Very well. I won't tell you not to fight back." Kiku: "Run as you may, and make the most of your fleeting final moments." Kiriha: "Have you gone mad, Kukuri?!" Kiku: "Bear witness..." Kiku: "to the power of Kukuri-hime the water goddess." Kiku: "Now, dance for me, O droplets of water." Kiku: "Water Pressure." Kazuya: "Kiriha-san!" Kiriha: "Get back, Kazuya!" Kiku: "Pierce them, spouts of water..." Kiriha: "Double-Woven Shield Weave!" Kiku: "Water Spear." Kiriha: "She got through both layers like nothing!" Kiriha: "Wing Weave!" Kiriha: "I won't play your game!" Kiku: "Did you think the barrier did not extend to the sky?" Kazuya: "Kiriha-san!" Kiirha: "Do not speak, lest you bite your tongue!" Kiriha: "There is no way out. In that case..." Kiriha: "The weakening of the seal... Her refusal to show her face... It may very well mean..." Kiriha: "Sledgehammer Weave!" Kiku: "Water Curtain." Kiriha: "Greater Strike!" Kiriha: "I have you now! Spiral Weave!" Kiku: "Water Mirage. I'm afraid I have you now." Kazuya: "Kiriha-san!" Kiku: "It was clever of you to aim for the Noh mask. As you have surmised, my power is currently tied to this mask." Kiku: "Not that such knowledge will help you." Kazuya: "Are you okay, Kiriha-san?" Kazuya: "That's enough, Kiriha-san! I'll do what she wants!" Kiriha: "Fool..." Kiriha: "You needn't put yourself in the line of fire." Kiriha: "Just be silent, and stay behind me!" Kazuya: "But I..." Kiku: "Let us put an end to this, then. O noble white mountain peaks," Kiku: "gush forth with a blessed torrent..." Kiriha: "She's using the full incantation!" Kiku: "By the will of those whose dominion is all that swirls..." Kiku: "Water Impact!" Kiriha: "What now?!" Kiriha: "How do I stop this?!" Kiku: "It's over." Kazuya: "After taking the local god Kukuri-hime's attack, Kiriha-san is in big trouble! Her power spent, she's unable to keep fighting. I need to help her! But how?!"

Kuku: "Water Impact." Chi: "Oh, no." Kuku: "Oho." Kiriha: "How's that, Kukuri? This is my greatest defense." Kiriha: "Wall Weave: Shelter Formation!" Eptitle Sign: ""Trials of the Local God."" Kuku: "The Shelter Formation." Kuku: "You defended yourself with eight obi, I see. But I also see it has taken quite the heavy toll." Kazuya: "Kiriha-san!" Kazuya: "You've shrunk?!" Kuku: "I doubt you're in any shape to block a second Water Impact. Will you reconsider?" Kiriha: "I think not!" Kazuya: "Kiriha-san!" Kiriha: "Kazuya, if I fall, so be it. Do as Kukuri says." Kiriha: "All will have been for nothing if you die." Kazuya: "I can't just..." Kuku: "O noble..." Kazuya: "Just give up already! I just have to do this malison cleansing thing, right?!" Kiriha: "You can't." Kuku: "...gush forth with a blessed torrent..." Kazuya: "Why are you so against this?!" Kiriha: "Why, you ask?" Kiriha: "Because this is my reason for being here!" Kiriha: "Wall Weave!" Kuku: "Water Impact." Kiriha: "It's no good. I'm faltering." Kiriha: "Forgive me..." Kazuya: "Kiriha-san!" Kiriha: "Forgive me, Kanaka. I promised, but..." Kanak: "Hey. Hey!" Kanak: "Howdy!" Kazuya: "Who are you? Wait, where am I?! We were fighting a goddess, and got engulfed in water..." Kanaka: "Sounds rough! Water Impact is no joke. Kukuri-chan's got no mercy!" Kanaka: "Meanwhile, Kiriha-chan doesn't know when she's beat. She was dealing with a water goddess! Talk about getting in over your head." Kanaka: "Get it?!" Kazuya: "I should go. I really don't have time for this." Kanaka: "I actually need to ask a favor of you." Kazuya: "A favor?" Kanak: "Save Kiriha-chan." Kazuya: "Me, save her? From that goddess?" Kanaka: "No, no. The thing is, she's bound by an old arrangement. I want you to free her from it." Kazuya: "She's bound? What am I supposed to do?" Kanakka: "Well, that's simple!" Kanakka: "Get strong! So that you can protect her, instead of being protected by her!" Kazuya: "That's crazy!" Kanak: "Is not! But for now, here's how to use your abilities to escape this predicament!" Kazuya: "Let's see... An ultimate attack... and her true name?" Kanaka: "Yes! You've got the gist of it! Take it from here!" Kazuya: "Wait a second! What is Kiriha-san's true name?!" Kanaka: "You should know it already. Good luck, Kazuya!" Kiriha: "Are you awake, Kazuya?" Kuku: "How resilient." Kuku: "But you don't have time to recuperate." Kiriha: "Shield Weave!" Kazuya: "Wait! Change back into an obi, Kiriha-san! I'll use you." Kiriha: "You'll what?!" Kazuya: "You can't fight on your own anymore! Isn't that right?!" Kiriha: "Don't be ridiculous! You're my servant! Do not defy me!" Kazuya: "Your master, Kagami Kazuya, commands you!" Kazuya: "Return to your original form, Ayasakura!" Kiriha: "Where did you learn how to use true names?! Do you realize what you've done?! Now you must be the one to face Kukuri!" Kazuya: "Ow, ow, ow..." Kazuya: "I know." Kazuya: "Let's fight together!" Kiriha: "Y-You fool! Know your place!" Kazuya: "You don't have any strength left, do you?" Kiriha: "Have you a strategy?" Kazuya: "I do!" Kiriha: "Very well." Kukuri: "Improvisation born of desperation. But will it actually work?" Kukuri: "Water Pressure." Kiriha: "It comes!" Kazuya: "Shield Weave!" Kazuya: "Huh?" Kazuya: "Whoops." Kiriha: "That was pathetic!" Kazuya: "Ow! I'll get it right the next time!" Kukuri: "Water Wheel." Kazuya: "Whoa!" Kiriha: "Hah! Did you see that, Kukuri?! Behold Kazuya's skill!" Kukuri: "He certainly learns quickly." Kukuri: "Then let us see how you handle my full force." Kukuri: "O noble white mountain peaks, gush forth with a blessed torrent..." Kiriha: "Another big one! And if we don't weather this, we're finished!" Kiriha: "Show me how you wield an obi, Kazuya!" Kazuya: "Right!" Kazuya: "Flowing serpent, heed my will." Kazuya: "Twisting Water Wyrm!" Kiriha: "What now?" Kanaka: "I guarantee Kukuri-chan's finishing blow will be a water snake. So all you have to do is..." Kazuya: "Shield Weave!" Kiriha: "Fool! You can't defend against that thing with a single shield!" Kazuya: "Watershed!" Kukuri: "Impossible!" Kazuya: "Spiral Weave!" Kukuri: "Chilling Water Curtain!" Kiriha: "Ice?!" Kazuya: "Layered Edge!" Kiriha: "This technique!" Kazuya: "Kiriha-san!" Kukuri: "You were very close. It's impressive you cut through my defenses, but it seems you were unable to strike me down. Now, then..." Kazuya: "Stop it! Let go of Kiriha-san!" Kukuri: "Then what will you do?" Kazuya: "I understand." Kazuya: "I, Kagami Kazuya, accept the duty of malison cleansing! That's what you wanted, right?! Now, please, let go of Kiriha-san!" Kukuri: "You will be held to your words." Kiriha: "Kazuya..." Kazuya: "Kiriha-san, are you okay? Are you injured?" Kiriha: "I'm fine, you fool." Kukuri: "And so the matter is settled just as it should have been. I have high hopes for you, our new malison cleanser." Kiriha: "Tsugumomo!" Kukuri: "This here's Tsugumomo!" K3: "No! Don't look!" K2: "What happened to you?!" K2: "I see! Well, that explains the Noh mask! Your power really was tied to it!" K3: "You've done shrunk, same as me!" K2: "Hold, now!" K3: "What's the big idea?" K2: "You certainly made sport of me earlier, didn't you?" K3: "Now see, I got a right good reason for all this..." K2: "Save your excuses for later. First, let me repay your kind treatment." K3: "H-Hang on! I'm a goddess, ya know! I'm a goddess over here!" K2: "Who cares, you imbecile?!" K3: "Not the thighs! Yer exposing my unmentionables!" K2: "How's that? Well? Why not some more? So you're telling me" K2: "this was all a ruse to get Kazuya to command me?" K3: "Darn straight! I warn't about to kill Kazuyan. With my divinity dryin' up puttin' me in a pickle, he was just the tsugumomo wielder I needed! But knowin' Kiriha, I reckoned she wouldn't be awful keen on puttin' Kazuyan in harm's way." K3: "So I gave him a nudge to make sure he had to use you!" K1: "That was a nudge?" K3: "Kiriha would have to mind orders once commanded by her true name. Meanin' all I had to do was convince Kazuyan!" K3: "Well, them's the breaks! Lookin' forward to workin' with you!" K2: "Y-You... little pest!" K1: "Come on, Kiriha-san!" Chi: "She's just a child!" K3: "I ain't no kid!" K4: "Enough, you impertinent fool." K3: "Don't just sit there! Do something!" K3: "Blargh..." Chi: "Well, I'm this way." K1: "Sorry, Chisato. I'll make this up to you later." K2: "My apologies for the trouble, Chisato. We'll see you tomorrow." K1: "Hey, Kiriha-san..." K1: "Well... this whole malison cleanser thing." K1: "I know I was kind of forced into it..." K1: "but I'll try to do a good job at it." K1: "So I'll be counting on your help." K2: "Aye." K1: "Well, we'll head back now." K3: "Countin' on ya!" K2: "Kukuri." K2: "Make sure that Kazuya doesn't..." K3: "I know." K4: "Is this for the best?" K3: "I dunno. Nothin' for it but to have faith in Kazuyan." K3: "So... what're we gonna do 'bout this?" K4: "I'm not sure." K4: "The ventilation has certainly improved." K3: "No doubt." K1: "You really did shrink." K2: "Enough grousing! You're a lowly servant! I won't be stuck in this form, but it may be some time before I am fully restored." K1: "You're sure you're not hurt anywhere?" K2: "Do not treat me like a child!" K1: "Well, as long as you're okay." K2: "Are you really that concerned?" K1: "Well yes, I'm worried." K2: "In that case, why don't you take a thorough look?" K1: "Hey, wait a sec!" K1: "I should've known better..." K2: "Why act so defeated? You were the one who wanted to see." K2: "Yes, that's the spot." K1: "Yeah, yeah." K2: "Your hands feel much larger now." K1: "Only because you shrank, Kiriha-san." K2: "I imagine you're larger down there now, too." K1: "I-I am not!" K2: "The tub is so much bigger!" K1: "No playing in the bath!" K2: "Very well..." K1: "Spiral Weave: Layered Edge!" K1: "The eightfold layered Spiral Weave..." K1: "That was Kanaka's technique." K5: "Say, Kiriha-chan..." K5: "If anything... Hypothetically, if anything were to happen to me, take care of Kazuya." K2: "Someone as hard to kill as you? Don't be silly!" K5: "Is that a no?" K2: "Fine. Fine, then. Should that happen, I will keep Kazuya safe." K5: "Kiriha-chan..." K5: "Thank you." K2: "R-Right..." K2: "Kazuya..." K1: "Huh?" K2: "I'll keep..." K2: "you sablub-blub..." K2: "That was careless of me." K2: "Kazuya..." K2: "I fear I am done for." K1: "Oh, come on. You just got a little dizzy." K2: "Pudding... One last pudding before I..." K1: "I'm not falling for that." K2: "Pudding..." K6: "Old clothes? Of mine?" K1: "Yeah. Just on the off chance you still have them." K1: "From around preschool, if possible." K6: "What's this about?" K1: "Well... I just..." K6: "Oh, no! Have you discovered that you're into that sort of thing?!" K6: "Don't do this to me, Ya-kun!" K6: "Only pain and suffering lies down that path!" K6: "This may be my chance. I have to teach him the charms of an older woman! And then I'll take a firm hold of Ya-kun's heart! Bring it on! Your big sis will always welcome you!" K1: "Never mind. Sorry for interrupting your cooking." Chi: "Old clothes? I'll take a look, but I don't know if I can get them to you immediately." K1: "Yeah, that figures. Sorry for the sudden request." Chi: "I'm sorry. I'll get on it as soon as I can." K1: "Yeah, thanks. I'll see you later." K1: "I guess I can look through my clothes for something she could wear." O: "I've brought them." K1: "Osamu..." O: "Here are the items you requested." K1: "Thanks." K1: "Sorry for springing this on you. I appreciate it." O: "I will not pry." O: "You have your reasons for desiring little girls' clothing. I suppose it just means we all have our inner shadows that we keep hidden from others." K1: "Please stop. You don't even know the half of it." K2: "Oh, well done, Kazuya! Give it to me, quickly now!" K2: "You bought pudding, yes?" K1: "Oh, well, I did buy some while I was out." K1: "Here. I borrowed some clothes for you to wear. My clothes wouldn't fit you, and I'd feel bad making you stay in obi form all the time." K2: "How considerate!" K2: "You're finally learning to think like a servant!" K2: "Kazuya..." K2: "what in the world..." K2: "made you select..." K2: "these clothes?!" K1: "Well, I asked Osamu just in case he had some, and he lent me these." K2: "Osamu? The kid with the glasses? What on Earth is he?" K1: "Not sure." K1: "He says they're reference materials for his manga..." K2: "I'm hardly sure if this qualifies as clothing." K2: "It's just a string." K1: "Well, hopefully a few of these are actually wearable." K2: "So, which of these costumes is to your liking? If you're insistent, I might consider wearing one of them." K1: "No, that's all right." K2: "No need to be modest." K1: "No, seriously, it's fine." O: "Kagami-kun..." K1: "Oh, Osamu. About yesterday—" O: "You must have enjoyed yourself yesterday." K1: "Well... Osamu? Now hiss'n leer— Listen, Osamu, just wait, it's not—" Chi: "What's this about hissing, Kazuya-kun?" K1: "It's nothing." Chi: "How suspicious..." K1: "Seriously, it's nothing! Now that I've been chosen as the malison cleanser, Kiriha-san is going to teach me how to wield an obi. Just then, another amasogi case happens!"

Tv: "And next up is the shock comedian, Eko-chan!" Kazuaki: "Excuse me..." Radio: "Bottom of the third, tied at 3-3 with Kaneda at bat. The pitcher lets it go, and—" Kazuya/Eptitle Sign: ""A Certain Day in the Kagami Household."" Kasumi: "Pudding." Kasumi: "Ya-kun!" Kasumi: "Please." Kukuri: "Cabbage!" Kiriha: "Potatoes." Kasumi: "Oh!" Kiriha: "Come, what's the matter?" Kukuri: "Whachu say?!" Kiriha: "Come get me!" Kukuri: "You're right gettin' my goat here!" Kazuya: "I'm home!" Kukuri: "Welcome home, hun!" Kukuri: "Do you want dinner? A bath? Or maybe..." Kiriha: "I want some pudding." Kiriha: "Let's eat some pudding. (The way it melts in your mouth) I'd stake my life if it meant getting to eat pudding." Boy: "Pudding... Pudding..." Mom: "Don't imitate her!" Kiriha: "Pudding, pudding, all the pudding in the world..." Women: "She must really love pudding. Poor thing." Kiriha: "Oh, how I want some. Second verse..." Kazuya: "Enough!" Kukuri: "Mizu youkan, youkan, mizu youkan, youkan... Shall we eat some?" Kiriha: "Come, Kukuri." Kokuyou: "Thank you for shopping with us." Kukuri: "Kokuyou! Jiggle-jiggle!" Kokuyou: "Oh." Radio: "Is he squaring to bunt? Wait, there it goes! Look at it fly! A home run bunt!" Kiriha: "P-P-Pudding, p-p-pudding... Hey, hey, hey! Taste how the vanilla custard and caramel melt together!" Kazuya: "We're back." Kukuri: "We're home!" Kokuyou: "We've returned from the store." Kiriha: "Here, we bought what you asked for." Everyone: "Time to eat!" Kazuaki: "Right, I thought so too... Guess not." Kokuyou: "Delicious." Everyone: "Thanks for the meal!" Kiriha: "Pudding, pudding, pudding!" Kiriha: "So good!" Kiriha: "Pudding, pudding, pudding!" Kukuri: "Mizu youkan!" Kiriha: "Pudding, pudding!" Kukuri: "Mizu youkan!" Kiriha: "Pudding, pudding!" Kukuri: "Mizu youkan!" Both: "Thanks for the snack!" Kiriha: "Tsugumomo!" Kazuya: "Tsugumomo..." B Part Eptitle Sign: ""The Super Popular Fragrance."" C: "Kazuya-kun..." K3: "Kazuyan." K1: "This insane situation... It all started this morning." K1: "What the heck?!" S: "Hey, Kazuya, Class Rep, and Osamu! Running kinda late, huh?" Guys: "Wh-Wh-What the hell is this, Shirou?! You've always just been MCS! The Mojo-lacking Champion Shiramine!" Guys: "What gives?!" S: "How's this?" Girl: "Oh!" S: "What's wrong?" Girl: "Shirou-sama, you naughty boy! Shirou-sama, me, too!" S: "Like this, then?" Girl: "Ooh! Me, too! Do me, too!" C: "Inappropriate!" C: "Please disperse this supremely perverse harem immediately!" Girl: "Whatever, you four-eyed square! Don't try and ruin our romance! That's right! Tell her!" S: "Come on, my babies, don't fight over me!" O: "Our esteemed Shiramine, whom no girl has ever paid any mind, has become overwhelmingly popular overnight." O: "It hardly seems like a natural phenomenon." K2: "Indeed!" K2: "It's supernatural!" K2: "I'm certain this is an amasogi's doing." K1: "Come on, Kiriha-san! I keep asking you not to come out! If the others see you..." K2: "Pipe down, you servile oaf!" K2: "Who will notice amid this commotion? According to the malison forecast, we're in for some denser malison over the next few days. I had expected something to happen." K2: "Now, Kazuya, it's for precisely these matters that a malison cleanser is needed. Let's see you work your magic." K1: "But what do I do?" K2: "Think for yourself!" K1: "O-Okay." K1: "H-Hey, Shirou!" K1: "Shirou, listen to me!" S: "And how may I help you, Kazuya-kun?" S: "I'm quite busy with all this popularity I have." S: "Surely you noticed." K1: "I know that you used some kind of tool to get popular like this!" Guys: "A tool?" C: "Is it a good idea to reveal that in front of everyone?" K2: "Good grief." K1: "Any love you get using it isn't the real deal! It's fake! An illusion!" Guys: "A tool... ...to get popular? Then anyone can have... ...a harem?" Guys: "A harem?!" K1: "Now, Shirou! Destroy the tool and erase its effects!" Shirou: "Wh-What are you, stupid? You're wrong, stupid! They've just finally noticed my charms, stupid! I-It's not because I used some magical cologne!" K2: "Shot himself in the foot." Guys: "A popularity cologne..." Shirou: "O-Oh, no!" Guys: "Give us some!" K2: "We've no choice. Kazuya!" Guys: "Give it! Give it to us! Harem, harem!" S: "Dumbasses! No way am I giving it up! It belongs to me!" K1: "Obi Strike!" S: "Won't... give it... up..." K1: "Sorry, guys." O: "Kagami-kun." O: "I'm afraid it's not over just yet." Guys: "Popularity..." C: "They're acting strange." K1: "Is the amasogi causing this, too?" K2: "The desire that spawned the amasogi likely resonates too strongly with them." Guys: "Give it up!" K2: "They're not in their right minds." Guys: "Give it to us!" S: "Stop! Leave me alone!" K1: "Shirou, we're getting out of here!" Guys: "Give... Us... Popularity!" Guys: "Wanna get... All the chicks... Cologne!" K2: "To think a single amasogi could frenzy them like this... How desperate are these losers?" K1: "Well, you know." K1: "No other choice! There!" C: "Up ahead, too!" Guys: "Make us popular! Give it! Harem!" O: "This way." S: "Ow! Ow! Ow! I won't give it up! Never, damn it all!" O: "In here." S: "Ow!" S: "Ow, ow, ow..." O: "We can wait them out here." Guys: "Want girls..." Guys: "Want girls..." Guys: "Want... ...girls!" K2: "Don't panic, Kazuya. Cast these beasts aside!" K1: "Sledgehammer Weave!" K1: "Spiral Weave!" K1: "Care to explain?" S: "Fine..." S: "Yesterday..." M: "No, thank you." S: "Wh-Why...?" M: "Two months ago, it was Suganuma-san the third-year." M: "A month ago it was the first-years Miwa-san, followed by Suzuki-san. A week ago it was Akashi-san, and then three days ago, you told Shiraishi-san in Class 4 you liked her, right?" M: "A girl wants someone with eyes for her alone." M: "Goodbye." S: "What's the deal here? She seemed to know all about me." S: "Who's the asshole spreading the word about all my attempts?" S: "Damn it! After I practically drenched myself in this crap! So much for "The Hot Guys' Cologne that makes all the girls want you!"" S: "Let's see, here. "Wanna score? Here's your ticket!" "The cutting edge Hot Guys' Cologne that unleashes your pheromones"? "A splash of this, and all the girls will want you"?! "Drench yourself till you reek, and you'll be a go-go girl magnet!"" S: "I'm gonna be a go-go girl magnet for sure with this! Aw, this is just too good!" S: "I should've known better." S: "What a rip-off." S: "Guess I'll pick up Weekly Boingy: Heavy Breathing Special and head home." Cologne: "Let's not be hasty." Cologne: "You needn't give up." Cologne: "Try using me once again." S: "And so, I used it." S: "Sorry for trying." K1: "So that's what happened..." K2: "If we get any closer, it could affect us. Careful, now." C: "I understand." K1: "If you don't destroy an amasogi yourself, you'll suffer malison atonement. Basically, the backlash causes bad things to happen." K1: "You'll handle it, right?" S: "Yeah, I get it." Girls: "Shirou-sama!" Girls: "Oh! We love you!" S: "It was fun while it lasted." K1: "Shirou..." S: "I know." Girls: "Shirou-sama!" K1: "Shirou!" S: "I know, okay?!" S: "Of this life, I have plenty of regrets, but screw it!" K1: "Too strong! This amasogi's effect is too strong!" K1: "Help!" K1: "I'm home!" K5: "Welcome home. Why the rush? Goodness, look at your state!" K1: "I just had a bit of a fall. I'll go take a bath to clean off." K1: "What a relief..." K1: "Now then." K1: "What do I do with this? I brought it along without thinking. I should've made him properly destroy it on the spot." K1: "I guess I can ask him tomorrow." K5: "Ya-kun?" K5: "How's the water?" K1: "Just right!" K1: "That scared me. I'm glad she's normal." K5: "Ya-kun." K1: "Yes?" K5: "Can I join you?" K1: "Come on, quit joking. Nee-chan! Your clothes—" K5: "Well, I can't bathe with them on." K1: "But that's not the..." K4: "Pardon the intrusion." K4: "I will wash your back." K3: "We're gonna join ya!" K4: "Consider it an expression of gratitude." K3: "No need to thank us!" K4: "Now, Kazuya... Let's clean off together." K3: "Y'know, Kazuyan, if ya rub bodies like this, it cleans both of them!" K1: "Help!" C/K2: "Hold it right there!" C: "Kazuya-kun is mine!" K2: "No, he belongs to me!" K1: "This just got even more complicated!" K6: "You've gotten so big, Ya-kun..." K4: "What's the matter? You're so stiff." K3: "Does that feel good, Kazuyan?" K3: "Does it?" K2: "Say, now, what's the matter?" K2: "Surely you can handle more." C: "Kazuya-kun, that tickles." K4: "We can put it between mine, like this..." C: "It's twitching so much." K6: "Look at all that!" K3: "But Kazuyan's still rock hard." C: "It's so warm, Kazuya-kun..." K2: "Well, let me try this time." K4: "How was that?" K4: "Does it feel good?" K1: "Just now... three times..." K1: "They were all watching, and it happened... three times." K2: "Now, then... let's decide who goes first." K1: "First...?" K3: "Ain't it obvious?" K4: "The order in which we'll be deflowering you." K2: "Rock, paper, scissors! One more time! One more time! One more time! One more time!" Kazuya: "Sorry, Shirou. The only way I get out of this..." K2: "One more time! One more time! One more time!" Kazuya: "is by doing this!" K2: "One more time! One more time!" Guy: "My eyes... They're burning..." K1: "Afterward, as his malison atonement, Shirou began emitting an intensely foul odor." Guy: "It stings!" K1: "Our class was like hell, and the suffering lasted a whole week." Shirou: "What's going on?" K1: "A female student who shouldn't exist is appearing like a ghost. We start digging into what seems like a haunting, when we discover the truth behind the trouble!"