Kuromukuro (クロムクロ)

As I thought, it was you after all.

I merely fulfilled everyone's wishes.

Not one person survived.

Oh, they did.

Look there.

Yuki…

Muetta-dono?

D-do you need something?

Were you practicing?

But you weren't focusing on the tip of the sword.

I was thinking about something.

The significance of only me surviving.

Significance?

I don't know how to express it clearly.

Is it alright for me to go on like this? A troubling question.

I heard that you were a human of the past age.

You don't seem much different from me.

Kennosuke!

Come and eat your breakfast quickly…

H-hey, Muetta, what's up with your appearance?

Come on, change your clothes quickly.

Y-yes.

Why did you come to school?

Why did you?

I had nothing to do.

Because of the Efidolg, you have no connectivity, right?

I just can't broadcast. That's no reason not to record.

If we defeat the aliens, communications will be restored, right?

Will we really be able to defeat them?

Will everyone die?

It's not like there's any shortage of provisions.

But won't we be killed by aliens here?

They'll make us subjects.

That's better than being killed.

Is that so?

Making that depressive face won't change anything.

And what when you regain connectivity? Will you just keep doing that forever?

There's no reason to stop.

You're way too easygoing.

Why should I give up on my desires and worry about an unknown future?

Don't you have something you want to do, yourself?

I want to protect Yukina, and I want her to recognize me as her protector.

I know that it's just a foolish delusion of mine.

But even delusions can be realized if one has the guts.

C-Carlos, what about you?

I don't have any crazy plans. It's best if nothing changes.

What are you talking about, all of a sudden?

However, I don't want to just sit here spacing out and waiting to die.

I want to leave this as proof of my existence.

He started saying something complicated.

Carlos is being serious!

So, the hinge stone is a device for opening a wormhole?

When the hinge unlocks, how quickly will the main Efidolg force appear?

It's unknown.

They may or may not appear immediately.

Given their numbers, it won't be in a day.

In case we surrender without a fight, what will happen?

They will start making preparations to travel to a new planet

using the resources and infrastructure of the conquered one.

That's how it went with my planet.

Then humans will…

Do you think there is any future for beings stripped of their freedom?

For underestimating humans, we should shove a 120mm smoothbore up those aliens' asses!

If we at least had some reinforcements…

Beth…

Beth!

Y-yes!

Because of the field enveloping this area,

we currently can't receive any outside assistance.

Also, communications on frequencies below 30 THz are jammed.

In other words, we can only rely on the Black Relic and GAUS 1.

We can go for guerrilla warfare.

Being a SAS major, you should know how to conduct that.

If only we had one more geoframe…

There is one at the bottom of the lake.

You mean Muetta's?

That's still a tough situation, but there's no need to despair.

Good morning!

Two Shirahanes… or maybe not.

No way, an alien just transferred in!

Why did she come here?

Because she saved my life.

And the Efidolg had been deceiving her.

She isn't one of them anymore. Isn't that right, Muetta?

Well, it's all right.

There are plenty of vacant desks.

It was you who saved me. I'm grateful.

I'm glad you are unhurt.

Why did you save me, your enemy?

Well… to protect a woman is a man's duty.

It doesn't matter if she's friend or foe.

It does matter.

She isn't an enemy now.

Sophie.

About that…

Now, now…

Here.

I'm Ogino Mika.

Call me Mika.

Mika.

You two really are identical, so to say.

Well, she's kind of my ancestor.

But why did you take her to school?

It would be mean to leave her all alone.

It's better if she converses with everyone here.

Shock interview!

The striking truth about Efidolg is about to be revealed from one of it's pilots.

Hey!

You! Have some empathy for the other party.

What are these people doing?

Nothing useful.

What is the objective of the Efidolg? What do they plan to do next?

To unlock the hinge and summon the enforcement fleet.

Enforcement fleet? What is that?

A large fleet of one thousand ships to enforce the rule of Efidolg on this planet.

One thousand of those huge ships?

You guys…

Huh? Sensei, why are you here?

I see. You want to study that much.

You'll regret it if you don't study at every opportunity.

Studying at such a time?

Once, there were two frogs living together.

Huh? Frogs?

Those two frogs jumped into a jar full of freshly squeezed milk.

After drinking a fair amount, they realized something.

They were so deep in milk that there was no way to jump out.

One of them gave up early and drowned itself.

But the other frog managed to get out.

How do you think it did that??

I didn't know frogs could drown.

Through sheer determination!

That's correct in a way.

It was determined not to die there.

The stirred milk gradually turned into butter,

giving the frog a stepping stone to jump from.

But, you know, if the first frog had known how butter is made, it wouldn't have died.

That's why studying is of utmost importance.

Huh? That was the point of the story?

I feel like I'm being deceived.

Now that you've been motivated, let's start our lesson.

I still have so much to teach you.

Ouma, come to the career counseling room later.

Me?

It's so quiet here.

How disappointing.

Is it alright to leave Muetta alone?

We must defend this place until the stone's been recovered.

Useless humans.

Indeed, troops recruited on site cannot compare to real Efidolg soldiers.

But we have all the information now.

They know nothing about how unlocking the hinge will bring forth destruction.

Frogs singing in the snow

What does "career" mean?

It means one's future course.

Can't I remain a samurai?

Being a samurai is an ideology.

It doesn't put food on your table.

Ever since I was born, I've been a samurai of the Washiba clan.

I never saw anything wrong with that.

Be born a samurai, die a samurai.

The story of your life was supposed to be like that,

but now there won't be such a conclusion.

I will avenge Yukihime-sama and quell the regrets of the Washiba clan.

But now you're questioning even that motive, aren't you?

The Efidolg who came to Earth now are not your real enemies, are they?

In this world, you can't complete your own story like the other children.

However, you will also find the one thing that only you can do.

Something only I can do?

Mhm.

I don't know what that is, so I can't tell you.

But you are young and have plenty of time.

These are bad times.

But if you want to change that, you can only move forward.

I'm sure that you will find your own semblance of hope.

Did Takekuma-sensei tell you something?

He counseled me on my career.

Counseled you, Ken-chan?

What did you say you wanted to be? Samurai?

He already is one.

Wasn't curry chef your goal?

Not a bad idea.

What? Really?

Like this.

T-this is…

Delicious, isn't it?

Delicious. What a taste!

That was fast!

What did you always eat before, anyway?

A square thing.

Square?

Unlike what's here, it wasn't delicious.

I… I really had nothing.

I am empty. Who am I, really?

There is nothing to be worried for.

Both Yukihime of Washiba and Muetta of Efidolg are just appellations.

You are a human with a free will, right?

My heart pains.

You're just uneasy about it.

But so is everybody. Everyone is uneasy.

Oh, yes. I get super uneasy after eating too much.