Kuromukuro (クロムクロ)

Are you all right?

Wh-What just happened?!

It was suicide.

That's what happens when the relic of a demon cuts itself.

I've seen it before.

So they die...

Of course they do.

That's the first I've heard of this!

And that was a man, not a demon!

That was...

A demon in human clothing!

It's kill or be killed! There's no place for meaningless prattle on the battlefield!

No!

I want nothing to do with this...

"The demons are aliens!"

Your dad's a big, fat liar!

You liar! Jerk!

Get lost!

I'll go make friends with the demons.

And I'll come back with gifts that'll surprise everyone.

Huh? Where's Dad?

What does "vanished" mean?

He's gone?

"The survivors of an ancient civilization,"

"earthlings returned,"

and "that was a geoframe Japan developed in secret."

There are all kinds of rumors making the rounds.

Also, several countries have called the Japanese foreign ministry and demanded an explanation.

The Security Council is divided on this issue, too.

Some want to hold talks, and the others want to fight.

All this over the leak of one video...

Ken.

While he looked rather unlike your drawing,

was he one of your so-called "demons"?

No.

Then who was he?

I know not.

But a demon's a demon!

Sitrep on the invaders.

As of now, Japan is the only country which has managed to eliminate one.

Are the others still sticking around?

Yes.

The one that landed in the Nevada desert destroyed Area 51 and has stopped moving ever since.

The others seem to be behaving similarly, too.

The one that was nuked in Novosibirsk was rescued by its mothership and then descended from orbit again.

Director, do you have any new information?

Judging by how similar they are to the artifact,

it's safe to assume this is the second coming of the "demons" said to have landed 450 years ago.

So you're saying they were the ones who brought the artifact to the Earth?

Yes.

The Black Relic is something the princess stole from the demons.

Princess?

You didn't do it? It was your princess?

How?

I know not!

What could they be after?

It looks like they're on a search of some sort, though we're unsure of the exact details.

One thing we do know is that every spot they've landed at exhibits a positive gravity anomaly.

This place is no different.

Either way,

Ken, Yukina, you are humanity's beacon of hope.

If you stay strong, the invaders will learn that we won't let them walk all over us.

All I care about is executing the fiends that destroyed the Washiba Clan.

We'd appreciate it if you did your best too, Yukina.

I don't wanna do this anymore.

I cannot have my revenge unless I use the Black Relic.

I'm not your tool.

I don't want to die or see anyone killed.

And I bet the princess died because you're such an awful pilot.

There is not a bone of racial bigotry in my body.

People who can't fight, regardless of the color of their skin, are all equally worthless.

A pig without the lipstick of fight is just a pig.

Make like bacon and fry.

Yukina won't be getting in the artifact anymore.

Wow, so even heroes go to school.

Amazing, huh?

Apparently only Japan has managed to take out an alien.

They're superheroes.

Carlos?

Why didn't ya save 'em?

Ya coulda saved 'em with yer geoframe!

What are you talking about?

Akagi and Kayahara are missin'.

They left on a bike ta see the geoframes and haven't come back.

Wait, they went to the airport?

Could ya try lookin' for 'em?

Ya know people high up in the UN, right?

Mr. A...

He seems familiar...

That's Akagi's father. Haven't ya met him at the facility?

Oh, he's the one who fixes Sophie's GAUS.

That stream was Kaya's?

Everyone knows.

Seriously?

You look down.

I don't wanna ride that geoframe.

But it's awesome!

You're a superhero!

It's too much for me.

I don't wanna hear that the fate of mankind rests on my shoulders.

Yeah, you're not used to being in the spotlight.

"Noble or plebeian,

young or old,

wise or foolish,

we are all bound by the inevitable."

What's that about?

You're Japanese and you don't know it?

Hagakure! It's from Hagakure!

I can't believe you don't know of the bible of bushido...

What're you even talking about?

So what does it mean, Sophie?

Everybody dies someday.

Well, duh.

And in fact, pilot mortality rate isn't nearly as high as you'd think.

The world is full of far riskier jobs.

That's not what we're talking about.

It's the same thing.

Will you die a fighter?

Or will you die a coward?

I'm not that strong.

Not doing something only you can do is basically a crime!

Uh...

Could you take your seats, class?

Marina? Where's Take-poo?

Mr. Takekuma has an emergency meeting to attend, apparently.

So I'm in charge of your class today.

It's gotta be about Akagi and Kaya, right?

They're actually missing...

Um...

Please keep it down!

I understand where she's coming from, really.

It'd be great if we could avoid bloodshed.

Words I never thought I'd hear from a killing-machine marine.

Well, if I actually became a machine, there'd be no going back.

I didn't think you still had the heart to feel that way.

I hope you take a 120mm up your ass and die!

Welcome back, Chief.

Sorry for causing you trouble.

Oh, we're fine.

Are you sure about this?

We're gonna have this ready to go today!

Yes.

Looks like we'll be able to transport it on schedule.

Good thing we can use the passage meant for transporting the GAUS.

Er, today's pool class is self-swimming.

I don't have any tasks in particular to assign,

but please take this seriously.

Okay.

So you're allowed to wear that just because it's "self-swimming"?

Wait, why'd you even bring it to school?

I love swimming, you see.

Th-They're practically naked!

Outrageous!

And why are you wearing a loincloth?

Whoa, you're scarred all over.

Are these seriously sword wounds?

Of course.

This is naturally what happens when you go to battle.

Wow.

Did you actually get cut?

This is amazing.

You're like a man's man.

But how are you alive after all this?

Yeah, you should've died several times by now.

Dead man walking.

So you really did go through life-or-death battles.

You think Akagi and Kaya actually died?

I don't know, man!

Shall we swim?

Yeah...

Let's swim, Yukina!

Um, Ouma...

Is something on your mind?

Nay!

You can talk to me!

Oh, right.

You're an advisor.

Yes! I'm an advisor!

I don't understand.

What is it?

I've basically never spoken to lasses, so...

Girls?

I'm prepared to protect her from any suffering.

But forcing a lass to do my bidding would make me a disgrace of a warrior—nay, a disgrace of a man!

Yeah, you shouldn't force yourself on her.

As loath as I am to admit it, there's nothing I can do about this.

You're still young! Failures are part and parcel of youth!

But what do you really want?

I only want her to ride behind me...

Behind you?

On a motorbike or something?

Wha—

Oh, to be young again!

You have to confess!

Confess!

Confess?

Tell her all about how you feel,