Soukou no Strain

Mom. Dad. I've been made squad captain for the next mission.

It's a major operation to rescue friendly forces,

but I will do my very best not to shame the Werec name.

My only concern is Sara, who'll be left all alone...

Ralph-oniichan...

Sara.

Here...

I drew this.

It's a picture of you. Take it with you...

Thanks. I'll take great care of it.

This is for the picture.

Now we both have one. Now we'll always be together.

And actually, it does this...

Come here, Sara.

You've improved.

The Box Step is basic!

I bet you'll be even more skillful when I return!

You're going 130 light years away!

You know I'll be long dead by the time you come back!

Sara...

Sara... I have to go now...

I'll be back.

I'm...

I'm going to go!

To where you'll be!

Sara...

Only you can accomplish what you've decided.

As long as you believe in that, there's surely nothing you can't do!

I'll be back!

Yes... I absolutely will go!

To where my brother is!

Here we go, Sara!

This is no sweat at all!

Sara! You seem to be doing exceptionally well today!

Just like every other day!

But please leave some for us, too!

These ones are mine!

You're doing a good job of driving them into a corner!

Got 'em!

That's not fair!

Not bad, Cedie!

I'll never beat Ralph Werec if I always let you outdo me!

Whatever.

Let's clean up the rest!

Group B, training exercise complete.

Top honors go to Strain 01. Reasoner Sara Werec.

46 dummy TUMORs downed.

I'd expect no less from a Werec.

Yes.

So the Grabera Spatial Armor Infantry Research Institute

can send another of its finest Reasoners again this semester...

Good work today!

Mimic storing completed. Mercurion circulation starts.

Let's work hard again tomorrow, okay?

Cedie!

Umm, say, Sara...

Yeah?

No, uhh, you know, on our next day off, would you-

Hey, you two!

What are you standing around for? The next lecture's about to begin!

We'll go on ahead!

Wait! Hold on!

Let's hurry!

It's no use. I can't say it...

C'mon, Cedie! Hurry!

Right!

Wait for me, Brother!

With the discovery of Mercurion,

mankind gained the means to approach the speed of light.

The conflicts that occurred with the resulting territorial expansion

caused a split within mankind, however.

Many years have passed since war first broke out

between us, the Union, and the Deague.

We can say that this fighting itself is now part of human history.

Maintaining the expanded battle lines

requires ceaseless technological innovation and top-notch manpower;

the first being the Strains, and the second being you Reasoners.

We are not scientists.

As such, we cannot turn the tide of the war with new technology.

There's only one thing we can do: polish our skills as Reasoners.

Hey, Mary.

What is it, Colin?

Is there still no progress with those two?

It... would seem not.

Yeesh. Cedie has no drive at all.

All Sara thinks about is her brother. It won't be that easy for him.

Ralph Werec, for example!

He is the finest Reasoner to have graduated from this academy.

In the recent Alabomeris campaign, he downed ten Deague warships

and was the youngest person ever to receive a Gloire Strain.

What we most need now are first-rate Reasoners like him!

That is how we will achieve victory in this longstanding war!

Here we go now.

Ahh! Wait up!

You almost got left behind, you know.

S-sorry...

I can't wait to be like Sara's brother!

It won't be long now!

Only 20 flight hours left until graduation exercises!

The sub-light speed exercises, huh...

Yeah. I'll be able to go to my brother soon...

There you have it. You got it rough, Cedie, with someone like her.

W-what are you talking about, Colin?! Sara isn't-

Huh? What?

Uhh, nothing...

It's Higgins...

He let his Mimic get damaged recently, as I recall...

What do you suppose he's going to do now?

Your Mimic contains cultured brain cells harvested from you

while you were still just in your mother's womb!

In other words, it's like your twin! If it dies, it's not coming back!

The moment you lose your Mimic, you are no longer a Reasoner!

You'll be a useless nobody from then on!

Listen!

Take better care of your Mimic than you would yourself!

We can create replacement limbs, but not replacement Mimics!

Too slow! I'll see your ass in detention!

Next!

No dilly-dallying!

Soon we won't have Instructor Havisham's sage advice anymore...

Though, to be honest, he's a real earful.

I can hear you! I have just one thing to say to that!

"When things look bad, screw up good!"

Right, Instructor Havisham?

That's correct!

Well, you guys've been top of the class for some years now.