01x05 - I'm With You

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Colonel Milizé!

April 13th, Stellar Year 2142

Father!

If anybody's still alive,

cover your ears and get down!

You okay?

Confirmation complete.

Returning to base.

Want some?

Even at a time like this, I thought

maybe you could eat something sweet.

Or do you not like chocolate?

Good.

Father

said we were doing horrible things

to the Eighty-Six.

So why did you protect me?

Well

We're part of the Republic.

We were born and raised here.

It's a citizen's duty to fight to protect his country.

It's something to be proud of.

I'm not one of those losers

who just talks and does nothing.

So I fight.

I'll fight and protect this country to the end.

I have a brother.

I guess he's about your age.

He's probably grown up big and strong.

You haven't seen him?

No. I can't go home yet.

Thank you.

I'm Shourei Nouzen. Call me "Rei."

Such a strange name

It's a rare name in this country.

You're not from the Republic?

My brother and I were born here,

but our parents were from the neighboring country.

Do you know what the Empire of Giad is?

The country that made the Legion

Aren't you scared to fight?

I am.

But if I don't fight, I can't survive.

So I won't die. I can't.

I have to go back to my brother.

June 16th, Stellar Year 2148

What is your brother doing now?

He's dead.

He died here on the eastern front,

five years ago.

I'm sorry.

No, it's fine.

Remember when you asked me if there was

something I wanted to do when I left the army?

Y-Yes.

There isn't anything I want to do.

But there's something I have to do.

I've been searching for him

for the past five years.

You mean his body?

No.

June 24th, Stellar Year 2148

Morning, Lena.

Morning.

It's so good!

I know, right?

The cream is artificial,

but the strawberries are real.

Oh, right.

Want to go look at party dresses next week?

For the Revolution Festival.

It's that time already?

Do I have to go, you think?

Of course.

All the good dressmakers will be

booked up if you don't act fast.

Sorry. I'm a little busy.

You haven't been around much lately, Lena.

If you're looking for a dress,

why not ask a gentleman to go with you?

I heard you met another prospective partner.

Rudolph, right?

He was cute.

You have something good to say about one?

Does this mean it's finally—

Not a chance.

Because

He's 5.

I know they want my family's money,

but seriously?

Why did you put up all the photos

from your past prospects?

My team did it as a joke.

So I won't forget, they said.

Lena, are you sure you're not tired?

Your face is a mess.

Is it?

You're overusing the Para-RAID.

I told you that sharing

sensory data puts stress on the brain.

I just happened to be up all night

analyzing combat data.

I know I've said this before,

but there's no point in doing

any favors for the Eighty-Six.

So don't you think

it's okay to go to the party?

June 30th, Stellar Year 2148

But what if there's a battle

during the party?

We'll be fine.

Who puts on a party during wartime, anyway?

Nothing that happens inside the walls

has any effect on us.

We appreciate the analysis

of the enemies you provide,

but it's not something that needs

to take up all your private time.

Is my help unwanted, Captain Nouzen?

No, analysis from a larger perspective

that encompasses the entire theater is valuable.

Your estimates of enemy force composition

are accurate and of particular help.

Thank you.

I'm glad.

But you don't need

to spend all your time on it.

Too much time focusing on the b*ttlefield,

and you'll end up like me.

What kind of joke is that?

Understood.

I'll go enjoy myself then.

With the stupid party,

and the stuffy dress and high heels.

The Revolution Festival?

Do you remember something about it?

I think I saw fireworks.

In a garden with a fountain,

in front of the palace.

The palace?

Did you use to live in District 1?

I don't really remember, but I believe so.

Oh, wow!

I remember going with my brother.

I'm sorry, I shouldn't have

It's fine.

I can't remember the faces

or voices of my family.

He said you'd probably grown up

big and strong.

I could tell he really cared about you.

Your brother really wanted to go home

and be with you again.

I hope that's right, but

Uh, Captain, you're supposed

to be on patrol, aren't you?

Are you in your room?

I apologize.

Well, if you've decided it's not necessary,

I'll respect that, but

I thought you'd be angry.

I'm not that much of a stuffed shirt.

Nobody will see us here.

It's fine.

Hey, stop!

Sorry, Major.

Major?

I-It's nothing!

Really, it's nothing!

Major, we're beginning preparations for combat.

No warnings have been issued here.

No, the Legion are coming.

Confirmed. We're ready to go at any time.

Same with the Third Platoon.

Roger.

Captain Nouzen, how did you know

the Legion are coming?

If you weren't on patrol,

how could you find them so fast?

Major, would you please cut your Para-RAID?

There are a lot of Black Sheep this time.

It's dangerous to remain synced with me.

"Black Sheep"?

If you're curious, I'll explain later.

But cut the sync, please.

I can't know what's going on

without the Para-RAID.

I'm not cutting it.

I warned you.

Undertaker, you're too far ahead!

They'll surround you!

Mommy

What?

This isn't static.

Mom.

Help me.

Help me.

It's so hot.

No! No!

No!

No!

Major!

Major Milizé!

I'm cutting the link, Major!

I don't want to die.

Kaie?

That voice

Mom Mom Mom

It's so hot!

Help me!

No!

What?

Mom! Mom!

Help me!

Mom!

No!

No!

Help me!

No!

No!

I don't want to die!

June 30th, Stellar Year 2148

Mom.

What? It's not static.

Mom!

No! Help me! Help me!

You're even more annoying than usual today!

No!

Are you okay?

No!

Major! Major Milizé!

No Make it stop

I'm cutting the link, Major!

I don't want to die.

Damn. That's Kaie!

How? Didn't you torch her

with her Juggernaut?

Help me!

They took her? Damn it!

I don't want to die.

Gunslinger.

Heading 060, distance 800.

The enemy's front rank,

the third Grauwolf from the right.

Roger.

I don't want to die.

I don't want to die. I don't want to die.

Target silenced.

Good work today.

Thanks.

Everybody was really

giving it their all today.

They wanted revenge, huh?

It's a nasty thing.

But you know, I thought

they'd all pass out from exhaustion.

Maybe they're all feeling lonely.

At this time, normally

No Handler's ever called

after hearing those voices.

No more report-writing for you, huh?

Yes, it's fine, Major.

I'm impressed.

I'm sorry for losing control today.

Not at all.

Captain

Those voices I heard during the battle

What are they?

Once, I almost died

Actually, I think I did die.

So that's why I can hear them.

The voices of the ghosts

who died as I did, but are still here.

"Ghosts"?

But there was just the Legion out there, right?

I think they're ghosts, too.

They're the army of a lost country,

with no reason to exist

now that the Empire's gone.

So the reason you know

when the Legion are coming

Yes, it's because I can hear them.

When they come, I know.

I always hear them, even when I'm asleep.

Wait "Always"?

Do you hear them now?

Not just during battle, but even now?

Night!

How far away do they have to be?

I don't know the exact distance,

but I'm aware of every Legion

past the former borders of the Republic.

Isn't it painful?

I'm used to it.

It's been a long time since it started.

Since when?

And did you hear Lieutenant Kaie Taniya's voice

because she became a ghost as well?

Captain?

The Republic government predicts

the w*r will end in two years, right?

How did you know?

Theo heard from the commander

we told you about before.

The Legion has a timer.

In a little under two years, it'll run out.

Right?

Yes.

The Legion's central processing unit

is modeled after a human brain.

That design will cause it

to stop functioning in two years.

If that design won't work,

they just need to replace it

with another beforehand.

Using materials that are readily available

on the b*ttlefield where they live.

You can't mean

Human brains.

Their central nervous systems are more

advanced than other living creatures'.

The Republic forbids the burial of Eighty-Six.

The brains themselves rot,

and I've heard multiple Legion

with the same voice.

So it's more likely a copy of the brain.

Then

Kaie is probably out there still somewhere.

So I don't think it's the same as

what you'd call a "soul."

The original human's mind isn't inside.

You can't communicate with it.

It's just a fading echo of who they were—

their thoughts copied at the moment of death.

Ghosts that haunt the Legion.

And those are the Black Sheep?

Yes.

Black Sheep that hide among the white ones.

Of course, the Black Sheep are more common now.

Major, you're going to lose this w*r.

What do you mean?

The Legion with the new designs

won't shut down in two years.

But what about the Eighty-Six?

The only ones left are children,

and they're all already fighting.

We'll all be dead soon.

When that happens, will you Alba fight,

now that you've learned to push

the costs of the w*r onto someone else?

Well

You can't.

But there are fewer Legion now!

They're down to about half their number

compared to a few years ago.

To the degree you can observe them, right?

It's true that the amount of Legion

you can observe has decreased.

But that's only because

there are more at the rear.

They're conserving and building up their forces?

That's not possible.

The Legion aren't that smart.

Or so you thought.

That's the other reason you'll lose.

What do you mean?

The heads of the dead that the

Legion take are all badly damaged.

But the Black Sheep are still better

at processing than the normal Legion.

So what if they got an undamaged brain?

Is that possible?

A ghost commander,

who leads and guides the unthinking Legion.

We call them Shepherds.

And the armies they lead

are vastly more powerful than the others.

Wait. This isn't a hypothesis?

They already exist?

Can you hear their voices?

I can.

They're commanders. Their voices travel far.

Yes. There's one at the rear

of Combat District 1.

But the Republic will lose years from now,

after you've all been wiped out, right?

That's true.

So we just need

to wipe out the Legion before then.

Let's fight. I'm with you—

No, I'll just do my best.

I'll analyze the enemy. Come up with plans.

Anything I can do.

Captain Nouzen

Your term of service is up this year, right?

So let's win before then, and both survive.

Yes

Can we call it a night?

It's lights-out here.

Sorry for keeping you up late.

Goodnight.

It's your fault!

I'll be going soon,

Brother.

"Through to the End."