Well, I'll be back.
Wait, Satoru!
Don't worry.
The sooner I get back, the better.
But...
Don't look at me like that.
You know that I'm unbelievably good at making up excuses.
You're a smooth talker, but...
Then it's fine!
Satoru!
Saki?
I'm going too.
I'm worried when Satoru is alone.
I'm sure Tomiko-san will understand.
We'll be fine.
Oh, gee.
Now I'm sounding like Satoru.
Anyway, you two wait here.
Don't be rash now.
Flakes
of
Snow
I'm sorry.
I just couldn't come home yesterday.
Are you hungry?
I know you must be tired, but the chairman of the Board of Education wants to see you.
Let's go there together now.
Can we let her rest a little?
It's not wise to make them wait.
I'll be fine.
Let's go, Dad.
UTW
Presents
ＳＨＩＮＳＥＫＡＩ
ＹＯＲＩ
Good day.
I have been instructed to let only your daughter pass.
Saki, I don't think I have to tell you,
but please answer all questions as truthfully as you can.
I know.
Watanabe Saki-san, yes?
Sit there.
I am the vice-chairman of the board, Komatsuzaki Masayo.
Answer all questions truthfully.
Do not lie, and do not hide anything.
Do you understand?
Yes.
You learned that Itou Mamoru-kun ran away from home yesterday in the early hours of the morning.
Is this correct?
Yes.
When did you learn about it?
Before school.
Akizuki Maria-san told me.
What did you do after finding out?
We went to school at first, and later looked for him when we had the chance.
Why did you not inform your parents or your teacher?
Because we hoped to bring him back before it became a bigger issue.
You could construe that as an attempt to hide it from us.
On those grounds, you...
Very well.
On to the next question.
You went in search of Itou Mamoru-kun during independent observation, I believe?
Who was with you?
Akizuki Maria-san and Asahina Satoru-kun.
I see.
Did you find Itou Mamoru-kun?
What is it, Watanabe Saki-san?
This is an official court of inquiry!
You must speak truthfully!
Asahina Satoru-kun testified that you found Itou Mamoru-kun together,
the latter having injured his leg and unable to travel.
He then left you and Akizuki Maria-san behind to care for him, and returned alone.
Chairman!
It's fine.
This court was formed to establish the truth.
Trying to make her contradict herself is not the goal.
Now, then.
Did Asahina Satoru-kun tell us the truth?
Yes.
Why did you return alone?
We were expecting you to bring Itou Mamoru-kun with you.
I urged Mamoru to come back with us.
But he refused no matter what I said.
They'll kill me if I go back!
Exactly! He barely escaped death as it is!
There was nothing I could do, so I returned alone.
We didn't dare leave Mamoru alone, so Maria stayed behind with him.
So we can assume that Akizuki Maria-san is still persuading him to return as we speak?
Yes.
I'll live off the land.
I have my Cantus, so I'll be fine.
I have no choice because I can't live in the villages anymore.
But that's not true for you, Maria.
I guess that's why you ran away without asking me for advice, too.
There really is nobody as kind as you.
But we'll always be together from now on.
All right?
It's a promise.
Will I ever see you again?
Of course.
I'm sure we'll meet again.
Maria...
Watanabe Saki-san!
What on Earth were you thinking when you returned alone?
I don't know.
What are you trying to...
There is no need for you to think so much.
Simply answer our questions truthfully.
Leave the rest to us.
All right?
Yes.
You said Itou Mamoru-kun was very reluctant to come home.
I assume you know the reason for this?
Yes.
What is it?
Answer the question!
Do you have any idea what's happening in the 66th district of Kamisu right now?
An order to remain indoors has been enacted and the people tremble with fear!
And it can all be blamed on the selfish actions of one single student!
I don't want to die!
Say something!
I believe Mamoru ran because he didn't want to die.
What? Don't say something so absurd!
I am only answering your question.
Mamoru was approached by a Tainted Cat on two separate occasions recently.
The first time, it appeared to only tail him.
Stop!
Do you have any idea what you're saying?!
The second time was two days ago, after school.
Mamoru was ordered by our teacher to stay behind after school
and sent to a room near the inner yard in a deliberate attempt to isolate him.
You...
Mamoru barely escaped death when he met the Tainted Cat there.
That is why Mamoru—
Silence!
You have made a mockery of this hearing.
Your conduct constitutes a grave violation under the Code of Ethics.
I am very disappointed as well.
Your parents will surely lament that it has come to this.
Will I be disposed of?
What a repulsive girl you are.
The committee is in meeting.
Await your time.
Perhaps I came at a bad time.
But I'm afraid I must speak here.
May I handle Saki-chan's case?
Please pardon me, but the Board of Education has exclusive jurisdiction over such matters.
Outside interference would not be wise, Tomiko-sama, even if it is the request of one such as you.
You're right. My apologies.
However, I must partly take the blame for Saki-chan.
I don't quite understand.
You see, I have told Saki-chan about many things.
Including the Tainted Cats.
That is quite unprecedented!
Yes.
But it was necessary to rear the person who may lead our villages in the future.
She will?
So, Hiromi-chan...
Please be lenient with Saki-chan.
Tomiko-sama...
The boy is not the only one missing.
A girl has disappeared as well!
I know that.
But is that not largely your own doing?
Our doing?!
Yes.
The decision to dispose of Itou Mamoru-kun was rash and unwise.
Your inability to successfully bring about his disposal...
...was what caused this whole situation.
That...
I will not deny partial responsibility.
I'm the one who ordered for the experiment to be conducted on Group One, after all.
But now is not the time to dwell on the past.
We need to discuss how to proceed from here.
Am I wrong?
You are absolutely right.
I'm happy we feel the same.
May I use your hearth?
Um, right now, that room is...
I don't mind.
Don't touch a thing in there.
Eat.
Um, is Satoru all right?
He's fine. Don't worry.
Now eat while it's still hot.
Don't worry.
They only attack when commanded.
I see.
May I ask something?
Go ahead.
Tomiko-san—
I-I mean, Tomiko-sama...
Tomiko-san is enough.
Tomiko-san, you mentioned ordering for an experiment to be conducted on Group One.
I see you were paying attention.
You are all very special.
Everyone is normally hypnotized repeatedly from a young age so we can control even their minds.
However, we did not, by and large, take the freedom of thought away from you and your friends.
Why us?
Because...
Docile lambs alone cannot protect the villages.
Leaders need to be broad-minded and tolerant.
Their convictions must be strong enough to do even dirty work from time to time.
However, too many unforeseen events have taken place.
My biggest regret is having to dispose of the boy we had the greatest hopes for.
Regarding this case, normal children would be paralyzed with fear at the prospect of crossing the Holy Barrier.
They are different, however.
Threatened with death at home, they chose instead to live alone in the wilderness.
A very rational decision, if you ask me.
It is the result of free thinking.
Perhaps I would've done the same.
However, it also threatens the fundamental safety of the villages.
Is their departure really such a big problem to the villages?
I am quite sure they will never return.
I do not think they will have a negative influence.
You don't see the true nature of the problem.
What might that be?
Did you know?
Ancient civilization had something called nuclear weapons.
Just one of them had the power to eradicate an entire city.
Managing them was the source of much deliberation and stress.
However, the situation we face now might be even worse.
The world is now filled with something that is potentially far more fearsome.
What is it?
Humans.
A single Fiend can effortlessly wipe out an entire district.
Moreover, unlike nuclear weapons, a Fiend slaughters for as long as his body permits.
But if we guard against that...
That's not what I mean.
You're too preoccupied with the processes by which Cantus can go out of control.
The real problem is that Cantus symbolizes endless energy.
Between fifty to sixty thousand people now live on the Japanese archipelago.
Each one holds the potential to bring about unimaginable horrors.
Please bring them back.
If they come back, I will vouch for their safety.
But if they continue to hide from the villages, they will not live long.
Why?
The Board of Education will devote all their attention to their disposal.
All queerat colonies will be ordered to eliminate them.
The neighboring districts will receive letters asking for help in their disposal.
They all have their own ways of dealing with the problem, which they will naturally use to defend themselves.
That's so cruel.
Yes, so bring them both back before it happens.
You have three days.
I'll delay the Board of Education for three days.
I will leave immediately.
I would have been prey for those cats had you not come, am I right?
I'm not too sure.
Why do you hold so much influence?
I'll accompany you to the dock.
Where do you think political power comes from?
The powerful men of old used fear through direct violence, wealth, brainwashing, and so forth to obtain power.
I didn't use any of that.
All that I had on my side was...
...time.
Time?
Yes.
I'm completely unremarkable as far as humans go, but I had a lot of time.
What age do I look like to you?
About 67.
That's an amusing guess.
You got the last two digits right.
I'm 267 years old.
You can't be...
My episode with the Fiend was 245 years ago.
I've been chairman of the Ethics Committee for 170 years.
How did you...
...live so long?
...remain so young?
Is that what you're thinking?
Please, don't look at me like you've seen a ghost.
But...
I was a perfectly average student.
However, there is one thing I can do that even Shisei cannot.
You see...
I can regenerate my telomeres.
Telomeres?
That's what we call the ends of our chromosomes.
Every time a cell divides, its telomeres are shortened a little because they can't be fully replicated.
Once the telomeres have worn down, the cells lose their ability to replicate,
and death is inevitable.
So you can live forever if you regenerate your telomeres?
Who knows?
Nobody knows what forever is like.
I live on while everyone around me passes away.
I myself and the vast history contained up here is the source of my influence.
Have a safe journey, Saki-chan.
I will be back.
I'll have a new exercise for you once you return.
You must be quite bored with what you've been doing in school.
Not at all.
Learning how to fix a vase can be helpful.
I suppose.
I'll share a secret with you.
The mental image to repair your telomeres
is a little like the one needed to fix a broken vase.
Saki!
Satoru?
I'm glad I caught up to you!
I was afraid I'd have to look all over for you in this snow.
Why? Weren't you questioned by the Board of Education?
Yeah.
They made me wait for ages afterwards.
Then they suddenly told me to catch up to you.
I was really confused because I had no idea you came back.
It really surprised me.
Do you know what we need to do?
Yeah.
We need to bring Maria and Mamoru back, right?
Let's go.
Huh?
Hey, don't just stop.
Wasn't it around here?
That pine...
The igloo...
Goodbye.
Nakisou na aoringo kakaeteru mune no oku
泣きそうな青リンゴ 抱えてる胸の奥
In my chest, I carry a green apple that wets my eyes
Korogatte tsuyogatte
転がって 強がって
I fall over yet pretend to be strong
Kyuukutsu na sora niramu
窮屈な空睨む
I glower at the sky and it seems to suffocate me
Unmei ni juujun ni
運命に従順に
Do I look like I'd wait quietly
Jukusu no wo matsu mon ka
熟すのを待つもんか
For destiny to ripen it?
Sen no kaze
千の風
The winds
Agaite sakende
あがいて 叫んで
I struggle and scream
Fuke fuke
吹け吹け
Blow and blow
Watashi wa shabondama
わたしはしゃぼん玉
I'm a soap bubble
Soredemo shinjiteru
それでも信じてる
And still I have faith
Yokisenu arashi ni
予期せぬ 嵐に
In a sudden storm
Joushou shite kakou shite
上昇して 下降して
I rise and fall
Aragau shabondama
あらがうしゃぼん玉
I fight, soap bubble that I am
Soredemo ikiteku
それでも生きてく
And still I live on
Hajikeru shunkan niji hanate
弾ける瞬間 虹、放て
I make a rainbow when I burst
FROM THE NEW WORLD
It has been a long time, gods.
We need your help.
As you wish.
Don't look back.
I get the feeling they're trying to replace us humans.
What?