Back in the days of our youth,
the world seemed grand and full of dangers.
But once we had grown older and acquired our Canti,
we felt that nothing would be able to scare us anymore.
We believed that from the bottom of our hearts.
Based on my observations of the battlefield,
the losses in this battle were split ten to zero.
The Robber Fly colony achieved a perfect victory.
Most of what remained of the Giant Hornet soldiers was severely mutilated,
to the point where they were reduced to lumps of flesh.
How could the military power of the Giant Hornets be wiped out so easily?
As for Kiroumaru,
judging from evidence left at the scene, it is safe to conclude that he managed to escape,
but his whereabouts are currently unknown.
Also...
Well, I'm not sure if it's relevant.
What is it?
None of the dead Giant Hornet soldiers had any sort of weapon on them.
Even if we suppose that the victorious Robber Flies took their weapons,
common sense would dictate that we should find unusable ones on the battlefield.
At any rate, there was nothing that could be called a weapon.
I see. Thank you for your report.
Does anyone have an idea based on this information?
I went to the scene myself yesterday,
but it had already been wiped clean of possible evidence.
Doesn't that suggest they have something to hide?
I have my own theory regarding that,
but as I have no proof, I'd like to present it last.
Would it be safe to say the Robber Flies wished to hide their means of attack?
UTW
Presents
ＳＨＩＮＳＥＫＡＩ
ＹＯＲＩ
Peace and Cooperation
Saki!
I thought we agreed to meet over there.
We did?
The monsters this year are quite elaborate, don't you think?
Hey!
Look, there!
What?!
Hey, wait!
A Crimson Flower
Episode Eighteen
I want that big one!
Catch it for me, Bro!
All right! It's swimming this way!
They match!
Yeah, they do!
What if a monster comes? Will it eat us?
Don't worry. It won't.
Really?
I think so...
Want to free them?
Yeah.
Saki!
Look, there.
Right there.
A child monster.
Where?
Over there.
Can't you see it?
Your eyes must be deceiving you.
I've never heard of the monsters being played by children.
Well, maybe they started this year?
The rapid technological and military advances of the queerats indicate they have some source of information.
You mean a false minoshiro?
Yes.
It is possible that a number of the old National Assembly Library's mobile terminals are still operational.
The queerats may have caught them and are perhaps extracting information from them.
Then, Mizuho-chan, tell us as Head of the Library.
Would there have been a way for them to annihilate the Giant Hornet army so easily?
Class four forbidden documents...
The third category of class four forbidden documents, "catastrophe,"
describes several different weapons of mass destruction.
Such a weapon would be capable of the immediate annihilation of a queerat army.
That was not the work of bombs.
So pretty...
Maria!
Where are you?!
Maria...
Saki...
No...
But... she was there...
Mamoru and the faceless boy were there, too...
These are arrows of the Giant Hornet soldiers that we found during our inspection that day.
Does anything appear noteworthy to you?
These arrows are entirely undamaged.
These are not exceptions either.
Every single Giant Hornet arrow on the battlefield was undamaged.
You're right.
Bombs would have damaged the arrows.
Yes.
But...
Wouldn't any arrow be damaged once loosed, regardless of whether it hit or missed?
Under normal circumstances.
The only way I can explain undamaged arrows
is that they were stopped mid-flight by Cantus.
Shisei, don't drag this out.
What is your theory?
I hope I have your forbearance as I say this.
The Giant Hornet army was annihilated by a human using their Cantus.
That theory also lines up with Asahina-kun's report.
So a human used their Cantus to disarm the entire Giant Hornet army?
But that's quite a difficult—
No one in this or any other village would do that.
I can guarantee that.
What about the ones who left the villages a long time ago?
How do you explain their remains?
At this point, I'm beginning to doubt those too.
This is because the one who brought us those remains was none other
than whom I suspect to be the puppet master of this atrocity, Yakomaru.
It will take some time, but I believe that convincing bones could be arranged.
They will most likely understand if presented those.
Portions of our skeletons cannot be reliably told apart from yours.
The tall ones of our race are similar in height to a young god.
We will carefully chafe their bones with stones...
We can be certain they were their bones.
We examined the remains as thoroughly as possible.
They were human bones.
There were no inconsistencies in age or gender.
The DNA matched as well.
The dental records that were kept at Harmony School put it beyond reasonable doubt.
It is absolutely certain that Akizuki Maria and Itou Mamoru are dead.
Hence, they cannot be connected to this.
Saki... I feel the same.
I want to see them if I can, even if they're just ghosts.
But...
I wasn't imagining things.
She was there.
Yeah. I'm sure you saw her.
But that was what you expected before we even got here, right?
What makes you think that?
Your yukata. It's nothing like last year's.
You look like you're in mourning.
Today the dead return from the underworld.
I'm not surprised you saw them.
Were you able to meet them, Saki?
Yeah.
All committees have approved of the complete annihilation of the Robber Fly colony and all its allies.
This will be carried out by the team of Wildlife Protection officers that Inui here is heading.
That is all.
Excuse me, I wish to suggest one more thing.
The Summer Festival is scheduled to be held a week from now,
but I suggest we postpone it until the situation has stabilized—
Rejected!
I can't believe you're suggesting we postpone an eagerly anticipated event because you're scared of some pitiful queerats!
You coward!
There are no other questions, I expect.
Dismissed, then.
I thought the festival would be postponed as well after all the chaos.
I'm glad it wasn't.
Yeah.
Hey, look!
See, I was right.
I guess so...
Weird.
Why are there mosquitoes inside the Holy Barrier?
Maybe Inui-san's team is back.
So they're done?
Yeah.
Weren't they scheduled to clean up the Robber Fly group by today?
Satoru!
Someone... Someone collapsed!
He's dead.
Don't tell me that child...
That wasn't a child.
It was a queerat.
No way! That can't be!
They realized they'd be butchered anyway, so they decided to launch a last-ditch attack.
Then the Robber Flies are...
We have to tell the others!
What's that? Fireworks?
No!
Die!
Stop!
We have to get out of here!
I see!
They want to surround and attack the town square!
There must be more of them this way.
Let's go to the square!
But the square—
Don't worry.
The people there would never go down so easily.
They've probably turned the fight around already.
STOP
To prevent interference, please refrain from using your Cantus.
I will handle this.
Wow...
You are bad little rats to have deceived us.
Should I tear out your tongues? Turn you inside out?
Dry you out in the sun like fish?
Or maybe I'll crush your bones, stretch your bodies like dough and make a triple-layered mochi out of it!
Why was the gang earlier coming from upwind?
I knew it!
They're using poison gas! Be careful!
I see, I see!
Thanks for telling us.
I suppose they aren't complete idiots!
Upwind?
I kept wondering why they attacked from upwind instead of coming from downwind and locating us by sense of smell.
I can't believe it!
They turned the wind around?
Yeah, they did.
You filth!
Die!
Did you think your camouflage would trick me?
You dirty rats!
Hang in there.
Unbelievable...
Those little rats actually got me...
I'm sorry. I was careless.
Why are the children of Heaven given such frail bodies?
The art within me is losing its flame...
What a waste.
May you see beauty...
The immediate danger has passed.
However, do not allow yourselves to let your guard down.
All present members of the Defense Committee are to gather immediately.
Hereafter you are to follow your training for states of emergency.
Form your groups of five.
If your group is missing members, merge with another group.
Never walk with less than five.
Patrol the villages once your group has gathered,
and eliminate every last remaining queerat in the streets.
Should they try to claim that they belong to loyal colonies,
Saki!
Mom!
ignore what they say and destroy them.
Where's Dad?
Don't worry.
He's fine.
I request all medical staff to gather here.
Please move all immobilized patients to the community center.
Tomiko-san!
Where is Torigae-san?
She was always the most anxious and the most cautious of us.
In retrospect, Hiromi-chan was the only one who suggested that we postpone the Summer Festival.
We're the only ones left from Group One when we were at Sage Academy.
Let's join up with another group.
What's on your mind?
I don't know.
But my anxiety is gnawing away at me.
Please be very careful, Saki.
Don't split up, thinking your Cantus will keep you safe.
Got it?
Yeah. Don't worry.
I don't remember having felt this much hatred since the fiend called K.
The despicable queerat called Yakomaru will have to pay.
I vow to subject him to agony no living being has ever suffered before
as he dies a slow, protracted death.
I'm Akizuki Maria, and I was 14...
...when I fled Kamisu's 66th district together .with Itou Mamoru twelve years ago.
We were both confirmed dead afterwards.
I loved you, Saki.
But I couldn't abandon Mamoru,
and I could no longer live in those villages anyway.
And well, we can't have kids since we're both girls.
That's right.
Yeah?
Am I right?
Nani mo iranai
何もいらない
I need nothing else
Anata ga ireba ii
あなたがいればいい
When you are by my side
Sotto yokogao iki wo korosu
そっと横顔 息を殺す
I look at you in profile and hold my breath
Mabataki sureba kieteshimaisou de
まばたきすれば消えてしまいそうで
I'm afraid it might vanish like an illusion if I blink now
Mitsumesasete suki da yo
凝視めさせて好きだよ
Let me look at you, I love you
Ah kigi ga furue furidashita yuki
ああ 木々が震え 降り出した雪
The trees shake in the wind and snow gathers on the ground
Ashiato futatsu shiroku
足跡 ふたつ 白く
Two lines of white footprints show
Toki yo tsumore
時よ 積もれ
Snowflakes of time, gather
Kami ni mune ni futari dake no yume ni
髪に 胸に ふたりだけの夢に
In our hair, our hearts, our dream
Sakenai hana no
咲けない花の
This flower cannot bloom
Tane wa yuki ni dakare
種は雪に抱かれ
And the snow embraces its seeds
Yorisou no
寄り添うの
As they huddle together
Shizuka ni wasureraretai
静かに忘れられたい
Quietly they wish to be able to forget
FROM THE NEW WORLD
Damn it! Stay back!
What the hell is that?!
Run...
Hurry...
He'll be back!
He? Who?
What happened?!
Darkness