So, Sir Trillram.
My Landing Castle is about to take its meal,
so this laser transmission will be terminated soon.
Let's wrap this up quickly, shall we? What is the status of our rat extermination?
Are we awake?
Oh, no you don't. You need to stay in bed.
Where am I?
The school. The enemy hasn't figured out we're here yet.
We've managed to give them the slip for the time being.
What about the others?
Inaho and his friends, you mean?
They say they're going to fight.
Using the equipment here.
Against that Martian Kataphrakt.
Hey! What's the deal with this?!
Orders from HQ, sir.
As soon as the citizens are evacuated, we're to abandon this base and pull out.
We have someone still fighting out there!
You're the only one left.
Lt. Koichiro Marito.
And you are?
Darzana Magbaredge.
Captain of the amphibious assault ship Wadatsumi, 4th Fleet Escort Force.
This is Kaoru Mizusaki, my XO.
One of our people is still fighting in the northern district!
The only reason we're still secure here is because she's holding them off!
"She"?
Warrant Officer Yuki Kaizuka.
A radio jamming field is covering the entire Shinawara area.
GPS is down, too.
Even if we went out to rescue her, we wouldn't be able to pinpoint her location data.
But, ma'am!
Our responsibility is to escort and protect the ferries that are carrying refugees.
There are still people who haven't made it out!
My kids' names weren't on the passenger manifest!
My students.
All right. I'll put in a request to HQ to form a rescue party.
I'll leave you one landing craft.
However, if you can't put together enough people to crew her,
then I expect you to let this go.
Nao? You're here, right?
Nao!
I'm in here.
I know that, that's why I'm here.
Do you have any idea what you kids are getting yourselves into?
I'm perfectly aware that it's crazy.
Then why are you...
For some reason, that Martian is obsessed with trying to kill us.
In other words, as long as we stick to the school,
his attacks won't spread to the city proper or the harbor.
Luckily, everyone who lives around here has been evacuated.
Even so, that doesn't mean...
Okisuke is dead.
"Make decisions as circumstances dictate. If you have to, trust your gut and make the call."
Isn't that what you always tell me, Yuki?
I'm pretty sure that this is one of those times.
I'll do it.
I can't let an injured person do this.
Nao!
Everyone is on edge.
That's why I want you to keep them safe.
I want you to cheer up and reassure the people who are scared.
That's something that we just can't do.
Princess... You wished for peace more than anyone, and yet...
Who would do such a thing?
So what you are saying is that not only did you fail to kill the rat,
you have even lost track of where it may have gone to hide.
With all due respect, Milord Saazbaum.
She has not eluded me just yet.
From that tunnel she fled into, she could only go to one area.
Namely, Shinawara's northern district.
When she grows impatient and pokes her head out of her hidey-hole,
my Nilokeras' vaunted eagle eyes will immediately spot him, and-
Fool.
Do you think we have the luxury of playing the waiting game?
If we do not have the rat's exact location, so be it.
We shall simply blow the entire city to kingdom come.
We shall conduct a meteor bombardment.
M-Milord Saazbaum! Count Cruhteo's Landing Castle is too close!
Would he not view that as an attack against him?
There are times when sacrifices must be made.
Orbital corrections will take several hours.
To ensure that the rat does not flee elsewhere in the meantime,
maintain a close watch.
Yes, Milord!
What's that?
I've been collecting all we know about that Martian Kataphrakt.
The bullets you fired at it didn't bounce off, they were all absorbed, weren't they?
How's the signal?
Borderline.
Such impudence!
Here goes...
It's not just bullets. When active sensor pings hit it, they don't come back.
Meaning what, exactly?
Infrared, acoustic detection, lasers, they're all useless.
There was no echo return.
It doesn't just absorb kinetic energy, but also radio waves and lasers.
I think that's the special characteristic of that wall.
Wall?
The energy field that covers its surface.
Call it a barrier, I guess.
A barrier...
A barrier that absorbs anything that touches it:
Matter, light, sound, radio waves, everything.
But if that's the case, how can he see what's on our side of the barrier?
Huh...
All information from the outside is blocked by the barrier.
It's possible that he can't see or hear anything on this side through the barrier.
Barrier Absorb
In my opinion, the inside surface of that barrier appears completely black.
Light
Sound
Radio Waves
But if that's true, why do his attacks hit?
You're right. How can he hit anything if he's not looking?
He precisely targeted us from the other side of a building when we were running from him.
But then, even though he'd been chasing us so relentlessly,
he gave up the chase the instant we ran into the tunnel.
I bet that he wasn't the one who was looking at what was outside the barrier.
I think that he's using some separate cameras to allow him to see, probably in the sky.
Something like this.
That's how he kept managing to track us no matter how far we ran,
and why he didn't want to go into the tunnel.
It's because he can't see what's in front of him when that barrier is up.
He's probably searching for us from overhead right now.
That makes sense.
And conversely, it means we're safe as long as we stay under cover like we are now.
But the instant we go out, he'll spot us.
We'll probably only get one chance at this.
Oh come on, we're out of backup batteries...
And whose turn was it to check them this week?!
Frigging Marito...
Say, Inaho..
It'll be us three heading out in the Kats.
So we need two more people for the decoy truck, right?
Who do we ask?
Please, allow me to help.
Princ-
A Scandanavian babe...
I feel that it is my duty to go through this time of crisis, this trial.
Middle schooler syndrome?
Please.
He killed my father. Let me take part.
Our own lives will be on the line.
I understand that. You can count on me.
We carry out the plan tomorrow morning. We leave at first light.
We're going to drive off that Martian Kataphrakt.
Still working?
What about you, Inko? Can't sleep?
The student council office is pretty cold.
Yeah, the heat is turned off. We want to minimize any signs of human habitation.
Calm is sleeping like a baby, though.
I hope he doesn't catch a cold.
What?
I mean, you're worried about a cold
when you guys might die tomorrow.
Sorry.
It's okay.
It's not like I'm fearless or anything.
I thought we were going to be rescued.
But then they were all... Like they were nothing.
If that happens to us, we probably won't even know what hit us.
What kind of regrets will I have in that moment?
I can't bear to just sit around doing nothing as I think about that.
That's how I feel. Calm probably does, too.
If you're not up for it, Inko...
No, I'm fine. I'll go rest up for tomorrow.
Inaho. Don't catch a cold, okay?
Same to you, Inko.
Allow me to thank you again.
We five will now carry out the mission
to rescue friendly forces and civilians still remaining in Shinawara's northern district.
Make that we six.
Captain Magbaredge?
I've delegated our ferry escort duties to XO Mizusaki.
They're to rendezvous with us after the op is complete.
Let's get a move on.
I've taken an interest in you, Lt. Koichiro Marito.
Look at that!
A signal round... Three reds.
That's in the direction of the school!
"Commencing attack"?!
All right, rat... Time to finish you off!
We're moving out! Follow me!
Damn it! This road's so narrow!
Don't worry about it! You won't have points deducted today!
I see it! 10 o'clock!
There you are, pillbug!
Commence operation.
Why you little... It can't be!
It's stopped moving!
Just like Inaho said!
Look. Release the safety. Raise it. Fire.
Simple, huh?
You stinking rats!
You okay, Kaizuka?!
Lt. Marito!
Sir Trillram!
What in the world is that?
Hey, this wasn't part of the plan!
The trailer!
Milord?
Give me its position! Where is it?!
T-To your southwest, heading towards the city center.
That guy is crazy...!
Cover me! That bat's wake is dispersing the smoke!
We have to shoot it down!
Wait, Calm!
Terran Kataphrakts...!
Forgive me!
Calm!
Damn!
Are you okay?
Yeah. My stabilizer's gone, but I can still run, barely.
Rockets seem to work fine on that one.
A sky carrier...
It's a Vers tactical transport.
I'm given to understand that it has no special equipment or capabilities
beyond machine guns and missiles.
Smoke screen!
Right away!
Voltage, check. Oil pressure, check.
Temperature, check. RPMs, normal.
Nao, Good luck! -Yu
Force feedback checking program, start.
Ejection seat functional. IFF confirmed.
Tactical datalink, activated.
It's here.
All systems green. Hold open.
There's no escape.
1200 meters to destination. Estimated time to rendezvous, 93 seconds.
I'll buy some time. Be quiet for a minute, okay?
You dare mock me?!
You've led me on quite the chase...
Run, it's me he's after!
I will not. It is 54 seconds until our estimated rendezvous time.
I shall buy us that time.
How pathetic... You are going to beg for your lives?
Restrain yourself!
In the name of the Vers Princess Royal, I shall not tolerate this outrageous behavior!
Her Highness Asseylum Vers Allusia? It can't be!
Leave at once, you ill-mannered ruffian!
Impossible! That's not possible!
Fire all missiles! Target: enemy Martian Kataphrakt!
How can you be alive?!
Let's see...
Master arm switch. Fire control. Lower dampers...
Inko, hurry!
Oh, fine!
You waste your time! My Nilokeras' defenses are impregnable!
The likes of you could never scratch it!
Targeting correction! 0-1-6, 0-1-2!
Fire!
Fire, fire, fire, fire, fire!
The water, it's...
Why, you little...
Calm.
Let's see... The soles of its feet?
Anything else?
Found it!
The water isn't being sucked in!
Rear armor! Below and to the right of the intake! The gap between the claws!
Impossible!
We knew that your barrier had gaps.
Ground contact surfaces, for instance. You can't put up a barrier under your feet.
If you did, you wouldn't be able to stand.
The very invincibility of your barrier makes it impossible
to completely cover yourself in it.
The receiver for your external cameras. That's one of the barrier's gaps.
This is for my friend.
They did it?
Oh, yeah!
It can't be...
The Martian princess...
Sir Trillram! You're alive!
Are you being sarcastic?! Where have you been all this time?
I have been making temporary repairs to the sky carrier...
Take me to it! We're leaving this place right now!
Sir, wait! Princess Asseylum... She is alive! I don't understand!
I know she is!
That's why I'm going to kill her and make certain this time!
How big a fool are you, you inferior scum?
If I let her live, my entire clan and its followers will be branded as traitors!
Let's go.
You bastard, what do you think you're doing?
Give me tha-
That parade, it was you...
You were the ones who tried to assassinate the Princess!
You'll... regret this...