Blast of Tempest (絶園のテンペスト)

Yoshino!

I'm taking Aika home.

Just don't skip class.

You won't have enough credits to pass if you miss one more.

It'll work out.

Later.

Yeah.

See you around, Aika.

Couldn't you at least give him the time of day?

Mind your own business, Mahiro.

I don't get why you hate him so much.

Like, he might not be a good guy, but he's not that bad.

He's just a con artist pretending to be a nice guy.

The kind of guy who could lie with a straight face.

That's harsh.

The time is out of joint;

O, cursed spite...

The time is out of joint;

O, cursed spite...

That ever I was born to set it right!

Episode 1

Episode 1

The Mage

in the Barrel

The Mage

in the Barrel

Damn it, Samon. This was your plan?

Bravo.

Now I'm stranded on an island

with some cheap sandals and a sundress.

I guess it's better than being stuck here

with nothing but my underwear.

But I can't even use magic in this state...

Master Samon.

Is this really enough to stop the princess?

On this island,

she won't be able to acquire the offerings she needs to use magic.

As such, the princess is no different than an ordinary girl.

So the princess...

Yes, she will perish on that island.

That's Samon for you.

He probably put up a barrier to make the island invisible, too.

I won't be able to seek help from outside.

Guess I'm stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Look here, Samon! You better watch your back!

I'm Kusaribe Hakaze,

the strongest mage ever born into our clan!

I'll put an end to your ambitions—

Guess I should gather some food first...

The Defense Force's held a large-scale drill recently,

Eat all your celery, too! Promise to do it.

aimed at protecting the most remote islands.

The Ministry of Defense made a statement on the drill,

which included new tanks equipped with a C4I system to facilitate intelligence sharing,

as well as command and control measures...

Messages Received From: Girlfriend Subject: Tomorrow

Looking forward to our date tomorrow. If you stand me up again, I'll never forgive you.

"Looking forward to our date tomorrow.

If you stand me up again, I'll never forgive you."

Such combined arms exercises are unprecedented.

Defense Force's Large-Scale Onshore Drill

Defense Force's Large-Scale Onshore Drill

Let's see what we have—

Rumors Around Town

Rumors Around Town

m 0 0 l 100 0 100 100 0 100

Carrots Growing in Asphalt

Dog with Human Face Spotted!

Balls That Roll Uphill

Flying Pineapple Spotted

Elderly Man Makes Clouds Disappear

How much weight does a simple promise carry?

Hey, do you think Yoshino's cute?

I guess...

But without Mahiro around, he's just another guy.

He's so fine. Why don't you go for it?

I heard a rumor that he has a girlfriend...

I do.

Huh?

Was he talking to us?

Who does he think he is?

Does he think he's better than us?

Takigawa,

have you heard anything from Fuwa?

It's been a month already.

True.

Well, if he isn't dead, he must be out there somewhere.

How can you say that?

I guess if it's his old friend talking that way, he must be all right.

But he disappeared without even notifying the school.

And it is Fuwa...

He seems like the kind who'd cause enough trouble to make the papers.

You're right.

What?

If he's alive, he'd probably be killing someone right about now.

If promises carry weight...

Yoshino!

All by yourself, eh?

This just isn't my day.

Five, huh?

Feels pretty light.

How much is in there?

He's got quite a bit.

Let's hit the arcade, then.

Again?

I can't do it.

I can't take on five guys at once.

But...

But if Mahiro was here...

Fifteen in a row?

Even a child would know to run away.

Fights aren't about numbers...

Besides, Yoshino was with me.

Even though we were surrounded, it was easy.

So in other words, this is all Yoshino's fault.

What? I'm the victim here!

I was dragged into Mahiro's mess, so—

Then you should have fled alone.

I couldn't just abandon Mahiro—

Are you stupid?

Not even Mahiro is stupid enough to sit there and take all those guys on alone.

Acting like a victim makes you look even worse.

Hey, now...

Everyone says it.

If not for Takigawa Yoshino,

the police would've killed or arrested Fuwa Mahiro by now.

And it's your responsibility.

This is all your fault.

Hey, Mahiro...

Acquiring what you want isn't just difficult...

It's also trivial.

Even if you got what you want,

it wouldn't make you happy.

Are you Fuwa Mahiro?

Mahiro again?

Excuse me, I am Evangeline Yamamoto.

My friends call me Fräulein Yamamoto.

Unemployed, twenty-eight years old.

I'm not a shady character.

Everything about you is shady.

And what's your profile?

Takigawa Yoshino, a sophomore.

What's your relationship to Fuwa Mahiro?

He and I go way back.

And that's enough for you to visit his family's plot?

Have you heard from Mahiro recently?

Not a word since he disappeared a month ago.

Really?

Really...

Sorry, but this is important.

A gun suddenly shoved in my face...

This is totally surreal.

But...

But...

Two weeks ago,

a young man in his late teens was seen in a certain area.

One week ago,

an individual thought to be the same boy was seen elsewhere.

Both areas are now under quarantine and entrance is strictly prohibited.

Hold on...

The news never mentioned that—

In the second area,

the boy saved someone's life.

When asked his name, the boy called himself

Fuwa Mahiro.

I don't understand anything you're saying...

He really isn't the type to rescue somebody.

That's a terrible thing to say about a friend.

He's a pretty terrible person.

Even when dealing with a beautiful girl?

Say, around fifteen years old?

No, he might've saved her.

Does she sound like his type?

Mahiro had a little sister.

If he saw someone who looked like her, he wouldn't've been able to leave.

He treasured Aika more than anything.

Treasured?

Past tense?

She now rests under that gravestone.

Yoshino, why did Aika have to die?

It's probably like the police said.

Someone broke in, looking for money—

You know what I mean.

Until that day, Aika lived a normal life.

Why did she have to die this way?

And the killer even got away.

We still don't know that for sure.

It's been ten months and they don't have any leads.

Nothing left behind...

No witnesses...

They don't even know if the killer was acting alone.

We just don't know.

The task force hardly does anything anymore.

There's no chance that the case will move forward.

It's absurd!

It doesn't make sense...

Isn't absurdity part of the human condition?

You don't even give a shit, do you?

Well, I guess Aika never did like you...

So, how would you handle such absurdity?