The jewel in which resides Spirit Energy!
Spirit Amber!
A black... Spirit Amber?
That's Gauche's...
Honey Waters
Be healed.
Heart regeneration.
Shindan Loaded!
Black Needle!
But, that's...
Why?
Hey, you!
It's a Bee!
There are Bees here!
Government dogs are mixing into our gathering!
Lag, this doesn't look good at all...
Why?
Why do you have Gauche Suede's Spirit Amber?
Boy... What might you be talking about?
And besides, this town should have long been off the delivery routes of the Bees.
Perhaps I should ask you what business you boys have coming here?
Lag, my friend... I think, for now, we'd better...
Mach Scramble Dash! Gus, run for it!
Don't let them get away! Catch them!
Sarah...
Can't we stop this already? How long do you plan to...
Can't you finally resign yourself to it?!
There's no turning back now.
What the...
Niche!
You can't! Don't cut people!
It's an attacking-people-is-not-allowed chop.
Niche...
You remembered!
You damn government worker bees!
Owww!
Connor!
Niche! Save Connor, and let's get out of here!
Get out of here.
Here she comes!
Niche?
La...g...
Niche, Steak!
Could Niche and Steak have drank that honey water?
Niche!
Please escape.
You're...
Shh.
Damn, where'd the other one go?
He ran that way.
R-Right, Master Hunt!
Hey! This guy's heavy! Help me out here!
Niche, Steak...
Connor...
Please come with me.
Who are you people?
Don't misunderstand me.
I'm not a believer in them.
But if you want to leave this town safely, you will help me, Bee.
You will deliver our letters.
Mistress Sarah, Mistress Sarah!
What is it?
This child's arms are almost like...
Claws, just like Master Hunt's!
You two are dismissed.
Uh, right...
I hope Lag got away.
I'm counting on you, Gus!
What's your name?
Lag Seeing.
Um, how far down are we going to go?
Not much further.
This is...?
It's an underground passageway that was used long ago.
Only the oldest residents know of it, so we're safe here.
My name is Ann. Ann Grado.
How old are you?
Um, I'm 12.
You are one shrimpy little Letter Bee, that's for sure.
I'm 14.
We're only 2 years apart, though...
2 years is a whole lot!
Being 14 makes you a lot more grown up in different ways!
Not like some 12 year old!
There.
Those are?
Those are the letters that the people of this town have written.
This many?
But, why?
I thought that Honey Waters had long since turned down letter delivery...
The ones unable to become Spirit.
It's their fault.
Five years ago they appeared in this city.
They gained approval among the dissatisfied youth who live here.
They gathered believers to them and grew powerful in the town.
And as a protest against the government, they stopped allowing Letter Bees into the city.
I collected and hid these letters from the old residents to keep them out of sight.
Why didn't the people of the town try delivering the letters themselves?
It was impossible.
The moment someone tried to carry bags of letters outside the town...
He was attacked by gaichuu...
We quickly rescued him and the letters, but...
He woke up, but it was like his soul was gone, and he never spoke again.
He died.
Ann... That person who was part of the "Artificial Spirit" experiment...
The one unable to become Spirit.
Are those people telling the truth?
They said it was a government plot, but is that really...
Wouldn't you know that better yourself?
You're the ones who devote your lives to working for the government, right?
I haven't been told much about the government or the capital.
And I don't do this for the government.
I put my life out there as a Letter Bee to deliver people's important letters.
W-Well I don't know if they're actually for real or not either!
But their sermons are full of lies.
Like how the government created the gaichuu, and how Letter Bees lead them around...
I can't believe that.
Because the gaichuu are attracted to people's hearts.
and the letters which hold such strong amounts of heart.
People don't encounter gaichuu around this area much.
What else could I think when he was attacked so quickly after trying to carry the letters?
I see!
Letters are no different than people's hearts.
In that case, perhaps they are attracted to the heart contained within them.
The gaichuu didn't come after you?
If its territory moved since then...
I hear rumblings from underground...
There shouldn't be any volcanic activity near here...
We don't have time!
We have to hurry and deliver the letters immediately!
Lag, help me!
This child's beast arms...
They are far more skillfully grafted than yours, Hunt.
How pitiful.
I bet she was part of some freak-show somewhere.
Perhaps she'll follow in our footsteps.
Her mysterious hair is nice as well... She could make a bundle in a side-show.
This is strange... She doesn't have any scars from the operation!
Sarah!
She's...
She couldn't be... She's a true "one unable to become Spirit?"
I knew it! You were fakes.
Oh, my!
We've picked up something quite wonderful, Hunt!
If we raise this girl as our daughter, we could increase our offerings...
No, even better... If we offer her to them, we might actually be able to join Reverse!
I've heard that if you're a member, you can live the good life in the capital!
I don't wish for the good life.
If we continue this, we'll hurt more people.
I know it's painful, but can't we go back to living the way we used to?
For me, as long as you are with me, Sarah...
Well you might not want it, but I do!
You think a man with paralyzed, monster arms and a mask like you can live normally in a town like this?
Sarah!
This is... the only way for us.
Their lookouts are on the watch.
Let's find an opening and sneak outside.
Right!
Niche has the blood of some creature called a Maka in her. She doesn't have anything to do with the government.
Is that mixture a medicine?
I ground together night-weed 26 with cocoa tobacco.
It's an ointment to leach out the honey water.
It will ease the pain, and help her heal.
If you're awake, then you heard everything, didn't you?
I'm sorry. But I understand now.
That Spirit Amber is also fake, isn't it?
Lag was all hot-blooded and didn't notice, but the way the light flashed was totally different.
Correct.
It's a jewel called a "Black Jack." It creates sparks if you rub two together.
It has an effect of counteracting the toxin in this town, so it is of benefit to the people here.
You sure know a lot. Almost like a scientist.
My own studies.
I thought it might be helpful to people one day.
Hunt-san!
I know that you don't have evil in your heart!
So then, why?
If you really have the knowledge to help,
why do you keep deceiving people?
I want Sarah to be happy as well.
But...
That's not happiness, that's my butt!
Huh? My butt?
My butt! My butt! Stop the tickling!
There's something under my butt!
Gus, you came to save me?
That's my dingo for you!
Hurry, Lag!
Wait a second!
What is it now?
I can't just go like this.
I have to save Niche and the others!
How can a weakling like you seriously think of rescue...
We don't have time.
It's coming closer.
It?
W-What's that?
Hunt, look outside!
That's...
The gaichuu, Cidre!
It's territory should have been farther to the East!
Why is it in the town?
Nail down the gates!
Make a barricade!
Right, Mistress Sarah!
Don't just stand there!
Let's go, Gus!
The Bees brought the gaichuu with them!
Damn them! They play dirty!
That boy...
Shindan loaded...
Red Needle!
It didn't even flinch.
I've got to find the gaps first, or...
Red Needle!
Ann, get someplace safe!
Ann!
It came all this way searching for these letters...
This is all there is to be done.
I should have done it from the start!
If I had done this in the first place, then...
My dad wouldn't have been killed!
Ann!
The person that was attacked was your...
Your dad, knowing the dangers, tried to deliver these letters.
I think he understood the importance of letters.
Don't waste his sacrifice!
I will deliver those letters!
And your father's heart, too!
I will deliver them, no matter what!
Lag!
Connor, Gus!
Thank goodness, you're safe.
How's Niche and Steak?
They're still in those people's safe house.
Why is a Cidre here?
Are those letters that she has?
I'll explain later.
I can't find the gaps anywhere...
Okay, Lag. You be the decoy and get its attention.
Gotcha.
Let's turn this guy upside down.
[Note: Shinjirai = Heart Land Mines]
Not with a shindanjuu, but with shinjirai and Spirit Amber!
Let's do it, Gus!
Shinjirai, set!
Shinjirai, set...
Connor!
Good, Lag! Stand back!
Don't lolly-gag!
R-Right!
The land mines I bury are fragments of my hunger!
Resound! Yes, Yellow Explosion!
Look, Lag! The gaps are in its rear-end! Shoot it with a Red Needle!
Lag?
So if you shoot the gaichuu in its butt with this gun, that'll stop it?
That seems like even I could do it.
Please let me go!
You did sure did an impressive job training that monster!
But without that gun of yours, would the gaichuu realize you're its master?
What are you talking about?
Mistress Sarah!
We should feed this one to the gaichuu as a warning to the government!
That's right!
That'll show the damn government!
Do it, do it!
You...
Stop this, you fools!
Quit believeing all that rubbish I spouted!
Who but a Bee can defeat that monster?
Sorry 'bout this.
Let me go!
This is also for Mistress Sarah's sake...
Master Hunt!
I regret what happened to your father.
It's over.
Sarah! The lies end now!
Hunt...
Man...
Look at you pitiful fools...
Connor...
Lag...
We're gonna clean this up right now!
Next: Heart's Recollections, Three