The one who showed up this time sure is pretentious.
According to the Division of Astronomy, the spectrum of the detected star contained characteristics of a Moratorium.
Burned to a crisp, just like the bacon I ate this morning.
Moratorium, huh?
This isn't good.
What's going on?
Why Tahara's daughter?
Do you have any particular information on her?
When I was a child, Papa told me there was an amulet inside that was protecting me.
Information about Tahara's daughter being a contractor or something didn't exist until today.
Do you know what this means?
Tahara's research was progressing according to his plans.
We'll obtain both at once.
It's time for work, Ruuko.
No...
It isn't me...
It's not my fault!
Meyer & Hilton?
When the U.K. started mobilizing during the Argentine Coast War,
they supplied the country with contractors for artillery purposes, since they were the first company to implement such weaponry.
I haven't heard any good rumors about them.
Inbreeding in order to mass-produce contractors...
Manufacturing hybrids by breeding distinct supernatural beings...
Experimenting with neurosurgical contract validation on civilians...
What is their relationship with the Moratorium in question?
Unknown.
However, around ten years ago,
a Japanese man was hired as a researcher.
There has been no leakage of details.
Their purpose of entry, the subject of the research,
and the emergence of the new star...
There may be some correlation between them.
Understood. I'll have Saitou and Kouno look into it.
I'm on the trail of the Moratorium.
Hurry, Kirihara.
The Moratorium must be apprehended and quarantined at once.
They are neither contractors nor Dolls.
Rather, they're defective monsters who merely abuse their powers and have no sense of self-awareness.
I'll do my best.
National Observatory
Boss!
Good work, Inspector.
How's the target, Chief Ishizaki?
Our mediums have tracked it again around Nerima Ward.
However, we have only confirmed the tail end of a strong, sentient resonance.
We have suspended further monitoring activities for the time being.
What about the evacuation alert?
We have already issued one for a five kilometer radius under the pretense of a broken gas line.
It has been a while, Hoshimi-sama.
It's me, Kirihara.
The reason why contractors are called contractors in the first place
is because they have to go through a mentally exhausting, yet necessary procedure,
referred to as remuneration, after using their acquired abilities.
The process of remuneration is deferred for the Moratorium.
After a period of time, most of them alter their states into that of a Doll,
much like our mediums.
Unlike standard contractors, the Moratorium cannot control their abilities.
That's what we're dealing with.
To be honest, the Observatory doesn't know any more than what the people from External Affairs do.
Moratorium sightings are few and far between.
I see.
Its pulse seems a little unstable this time.
Long story short, there's no telling what it'll do.
There you go again, raising your brow!
You're not young anymore, so be careful or those wrinkles will become permanent.
You're as old as I am. You're not in a position to say that to me, Kanami.
Don't worry about me. I don't take life seriously enough to develop wrinkles.
You haven't changed at all.
Neither have you.
To all residents: please proceed to your designated evacuation areas at once.
This area is extremely dangerous.
Refrain from using vehicles, do not carry any luggage, and proceed swiftly without panicking.
Mai?
I repeat...
To all residents: please proceed to your designated evacuation areas at once.
What are you doing in a place like this?
If you don't hurry, you'll be in danger!
The gas lines are broken.
Yuka!
Is she a friend?
Oh, yeah.
It's all right, you don't have to be scared. Let's evacuate together.
No, don't come near me!
He's my father, you know.
Go!
Please!
No!
Mai?
Let's hurry!
I said no!
Dad!
What the...
I told you...
I said no!
There it is.
Target sighted at Nakano Ward, Maruyamakita.
Do not antagonize the target.
Wait for the Special Forces to arrive.
A child?
Episode Four
A New Star Shines in the Dawn Sky... (Part Two)
Dr. Tahara, you're so mean-spirited.
Everything has gone according to your plans, hasn't it?
I'm talking about your research on suppressing contractors from awakening.
In any case, I didn't realize your daughter was the subject of your experiments.
Of course, I could personally make a trip to your factory, but...
I would prefer to avoid further casualties.
I will release your daughter.
You have my word.
Um... His hair is messy and...
Is it true?
Did you use your daughter as a sample for your experiment?
What did you do to your daughter?
What did you plant in Mai's wrist?
I'm sure you've heard about it before.
I was the sole survivor of the First Gate Reconnaissance Troop.
I had brought a certain material back with me at the time.
There was a possibility I could block the activation of a contractor's abilities by implanting it inside their bodies.
I discovered it two years after being employed by Meyer & Hilton.
Around the same time...
M-Mai!
Stop that!
Why?
The way contractors were regarded by the public...
You know what I'm talking about, don't you?
By implanting the unknown material found within the gate into Mai's wrist...
I attempted to prevent the activation of her abilities.
I was grasping at straws.
No, straws isn't correct. What I was grasping at were seeds.
In retrospect, those seeds may have contained the curse of the gate.
It might have been punishment for treading inside.
The seed implanted in Mai will eventually deteriorate.
After that happens, her ability will be awakened.
As I continued my research,
I came to the conclusion that complete suppression would be impossible.
Furthermore, the host body of the implanted seed would transform into a Moratorium.
There's no telling when its curse will subside.
With my own hands, I turned my daughter into a monster that can't even become a contractor.
I destroyed whatever data remained.
I erased Mai's memories using the M.E. and left the company.
I couldn't afford to let them find out about it.
I didn't want her to become the subject of an actual experiment.
So you abandoned everything you had and ran off to this town.
Didn't I just say it's impossible to suppress the activation of the contract?
Are you saying I should continue this meaningless experiment on my child?
I was able to bring back two seeds.
One is in Mai's wrist.
The other...
If the seed within Mai began to deteriorate to the point of vanishing entirely...
If I could cultivate the seed and implant it again,
I'd be able to suppress the Moratorium's instinctual behavior forever.
The only time I had peace of mind was when I watered this pot.
However, time stopped this morning.
It didn't bear any seeds.
I was frightened...
Frightened of witnessing the result of my sins.
If I knew this was going to happen, she would have been better off as a contractor!
You're confessing your sins to the wrong person.
You deserve to be confined inside this room forever.
It was supposed to bear lots of fruit.
Mai...
Lots and lots of seeds for your amulet were supposed to come out.
And the eyebrow is bushy with spots of whiskers...
Finally here?
Yeah, some dog wandered in.
That idiot!
Koutou Ward, Shinonome warehouse district.
A contractor?
It looks like you and I are alike.
That's as far as you go!
Or do you not care about what happens to Tahara's daughter?
You should have retrieved the daughter instead of going after me.
Really, you hired a strange contractor...
Dr. Tahara.
Return my daughter.
In that case, are you willing to lend us a hand?
I will not return to your company.
I brought referential material from my research instead.
Hand it over.
My daughter comes first.
Hey, your beloved papa has come to pick you up, Mai-chan.
No, I don't know... that person.
No!
H-Hurry up and hand over the documents!
What the hell is this?
References.
What are you trying to pull?
Hand over the real thing!
This is all that's left of my research.
No! No! Let go!
No, Mai's papa is more handsome!
He's stronger!
No, your father is a horrible person.
He's not horrible! He tells me many, many stories!
He protects Mai!
Mai likes Papa very much!
Papa likes you very much, too.
I love you...
Mai.
Forget about him! Get a hold of the sample!
Smiles don't belong on people like you.
Mai...
My work... is finally done.
Mai...
I'm home.
Welcome back...
Papa.
Wait... It was Ruuko who did it, not me!
Stop, Mai.
Why?
D-Don't...
Her remuneration.
Did she become a contractor?
A Moratorium?
The probability is practically zero...
Geez, strange things sure do happen.
I'll forget about what happened to Tahara.
I have something much more interesting instead.
I feel as if I've killed many people.
Don't be so depressed.
Contractors exist solely to kill people.
I guess you're not depressed at all.
Where am I going?
Heaven, although it'll be a long journey by ship.
When we arrived at the scene, the Moratorium's location
and Messier code BK201, which was flickering along with it,
could not be traced.
Eventually, investigation of Case Code 1032 was transferred away from the Department of Intelligence.
To this day, no information of any significance has surfaced.
However, one thing's for certain.
The star that appeared that day has yet to fall.
The being who came from Eastern Europe was a woman once referred to as a demon.
Her blank eyes show a pale, cold light full of loss.
A breath escapes from lips that remain sealed.
Is it the devil's whisper or a sigh of relief?
The catastrophic wind was never to blow again.
And the trap was set.
Episode Five Red Giant over Eastern Europe (Part One)