At the end of the pain you bear
A possibility you'd lost track of is waiting
You'll soon forget even your tears
And be drowned in a new pleasure
The story of history, striving towards its destruction
If I'm with you, it's not that scary
Even now, the hopeless world
Seems like it'll end, but it isn't ending
I'm sure the scene you've half given up on
Will look rose-colored if we're together too
Well... Who are you, Sir?
I know you, Lightning Emperor Ginji Amano.
Oh, you do?
But I don't think I know you though.
Sarai Kagenuma...
Mr. Kagenuma?
I'm sorry. I can't remember you.
I am something that is always in the Limitless Fortress.
I see all and hear all.
I also know you very well.
Oh, you do?
No, I mean, please give me directions! I'm lost...
The sky is that way,
or do you mean the Beltline, maybe?
Babylon City...
Do you know something, by any chance?
About Makubex, or about Masaki?
It's your path. Whether you go or turn back is up to you.
Hey, wait!
No matter when I come, this place never changes, does it?
It's filled with death and despair and a mysterious vitality.
That's a perfect way to put it.
How surprising. You're a poet, Doctor Jackal.
It's been a long time, hasn't it, Kyouji Kagami?
I wanted you to be a little more surprised, but perhaps that was impossible.
I'm quite surprised, I assure you.
After all, I didn't expect to be able to see you the very moment
I entered this Limitless Fortress.
That was dangerous.
I really can't let down my guard when you're my opponent.
I'm in the middle of a job,
but if I've got the opportunity to do battle with you again,
then I'll just have to be a little late.
Is it a delivery for the Lightning Emperor, I wonder?
I see. Are you involved this time too, then?
In one sense I am, and in another sense I'm not.
But what's certain is that I don't feel like fighting you here.
Oh? Do you think I'll withdraw because of that?
I do. After all, I must have you enjoy yourself more.
It would be a pity if you were eliminated from the game now.
The Lightning Emperor and the others should be assembled at the pharmacy.
You'd best hurry.
What a shame. Let's meet again, Kagami.
If it's true that I'll be able to enjoy myself,
then taking this job was the right decision.
It's this way, I'm sure of it!
Mr. Akabane?!
What a perfect moment for us to meet, Ginji.
She's started to stabilize.
Judging by how she looks, she should be fine.
Jeez! You made me worry, you wench.
She's still in grave condition.
We'll have to leave her to rest for awhile.
Right...
What am I supposed to say to Yamato if something happens to you?
This guy has several broken bones and bruises too.
It looks like he fought with someone very skilled.
Masaki Kurusu, huh?
You're back?
Miss Himiko? And Shido too?
He says there's no need to worry.
Well, they aren't in any condition to fight though.
So you guys were attacked too?
Yeah, I got a welcome from someone nasty.
What about you guys?
Yes, we met an old group member.
Kazuki...
Yeah, I know. Agonizing over it now won't do any good.
By the way, isn't Mr. Ginji with you?
Nope, apparently he's lost.
I guess there's no choice but to go looking for him.
I'm home!
Mr. Ginji!
Wow, you managed to get back here by yourself.
Well...
I heard about this place from Miss Hevn, you see.
I joined Ginji on the way here.
So this is data sent by Makubex?
Say, Mr. Akabane, Sakura... Was Sakura okay?
Let me see, she seemed to have quite a high fever.
We have to hurry.
If we don't make Kaoru erase the Seal of Flame, Sakura will...
Don't get impatient, Lightning Emperor.
My sister is a stout-hearted person. She'll bear it until we get there.
Yes...
For now, let's look at the data from Makubex and decide on our next move.
It's dangerous to act without thinking.
The monkey trainer said that the enemy really is Masaki Kurusu.
Why would he do something like this?
Maybe we'll find out if we look at this.
Old man, take a look at this for us.
This is the Beltline?
The Beltline...
That's the place between Lower Town on the lower floors where we are now
and Babylon City on the high floors?
Yes, a long time ago, I went there once.
I only just barely stepped into it,
and it was all I could do to get back out.
Kazuki!
Why did you do something so reckless?!
Why didn't you tell us?
I'm sorry.
There was something I just had to find out.
You don't mean the ones who killed your family are there?
I don't know.
It's just that, when my mother told me to go to the Limitless Fortress back then...
I don't understand what she meant.
I thought the truth might be there.
Then take me with you! I told you I would protect you, didn't I?!
I don't want to take you with me to a place that I know is dangerous.
It's enough for me that you even came to the Limitless Fortress with me like this.
Kazuki?
Kazuki!
Kazuki! Kazuki!
What kind of place is this Beltline?
In a word, it's like Hell.
The people who live there are aggressive,
and no matter how many you defeat, more appear.
Sometimes they also appear here in Lower Town,
hurting people who've committed no crime and plundering everything possible.
Is something the matter, Ginji?
You look pale.
What? No, it's nothing!
This is the Archive?
That's the computer Makubex was accessing,
the one you could call the record of Limitless Fortress prophecy, right?
Makubex is there?
But why would he be in a place like that?
You know something, don't you old man?
Spit it out already.
You said that you designed the intelligent building
that forms the foundation of the Limitless Fortress, didn't you?
Then why are you running a pharmacy in a place like this?
No matter how I look at it,
you seem suspiciously like you're faking indifference about all this.
Is that true?! If you know something, tell us!
You're the person who raised Makubex, aren't you?!
To save Makubex...
For his sake, I have no choice but to stay silent.
What?
That boy ended up bearing the burden of the crime I committed.
As I am now, I can't even save him.
Mr. Gen...
Right now, I can't do anything but pray for his safety.
That's for Makubex's sake.
Are you so sure about that?
Ban...
Computer boy wouldn't just keep quiet like a good boy after getting kidnapped.
Just look at what he's doing.
He's sending us data behind the enemy's back.
It's no good.
Security is really getting tight.
No, I'm not going to give up!
I made a mistake once.
For the sake of Mr. Ginji and everyone else who forgave me that,
I can't lose now.
He was trying to bring off something big.
As the New VOLTS, he was trying to release the people who live here
from the control of the God of the Limitless Fortress.
There must be people who don't look kindly on that.
This time our enemy is those guys.
It's the so-called God of the Limitless Fortress, isn't it?
That's...
The God of the Limitless Fortress...
You ought to know his true identity.
And it's probably got something to do with this Kurusu guy too.
The Brain Trust...
That's their name, the name of the organization I once belonged to.
I've never heard that name before.
Its very existence is hidden in darkness and it never makes its presence known.
But its power is so amazing that it can make the world move.
Just what kind of people are they?
I don't know exactly how many members there are or what kind of people they are.
But it's a gathering of people with special abilities, that much is certain.
Abilities?
Scientists and engineers, artists,
rich people who provide funding, politicians,
and people like all of you, who have superior physical abilities.
They gathered and a certain plan was formed.
A plan to make a huge experimental site that would make any experiment possible.
In other words, a plan to create the Limitless Fortress.
I see.
Here, there's minimal interference from the outside.
You make up for anything that's lacking with virtual reality,
and you can test all possibilities.
That's about the size of it, huh?
Something like that couldn't possibly be true!
There are a lot of people here doing their best at living their lives!
Using those people for some experiment is...
So it was for something like that, that so many lives have been lost
and so many tragedies repeated?
That's the truth of the Limitless Fortress?
Midway through the Limitless Fortress project,
I found out the truth and left the Brain Trust.
But the project went forward, and the experimental site ended up being completed.
So the people in the Limitless Fortress have been made into guinea pigs without knowing it.
So, do you still intend to sit back and do nothing?
To forsake that boy who's trying to do what you couldn't?
I think Makubex is waiting for your help.
I'm sure he believes, and he's waiting!
And of course, we'll do everything we can too.
So, let's save Makubex together!
You're right.
If I don't do this now, I'll be letting what that boy worked for be in vain.
Okay, then we'll leave that end of things to you.
They're getting in our way with VRs.
Someone's got to be manipulating those.
Ren, then...
What is this about? Where is Ren?
I couldn't save her either.
She started questioning her own existence.
You mean...
I couldn't say what she needed to hear.
Whether they're real or virtual, the people in this Limitless Fortress are alive.
What more can I say than that?
Well, shall we get going on computer boy's recovery?
Please take care of Shido and the others.
Let's go with them, Juubei.
Yes...
Why are you coming too?!
Mr. Akabane?! You're not coming with us, are you?!
Would that be bad?
But, but, the transport service job is already over, right?
Therefore, I'm free to go wherever I please, aren't I?
Yes, but, well... the Beltline is dangerous, you know!
Yes, that makes me even more interested in it.
I... I see...
We're going, Ginji!
Let's hurry, Mr. Ginji.
Hey, wait, wait!
Don't leave me alone with Mr. Akabane!
My, how cold.
What's the meaning of this?! Wasn't that VR perfect?!
Hey, say something!
Taking out your anger on her won't help anything.
The reason Kazuki and Juubei were able to escape the VR
was because they'd been in the same situation before.
But Mr. Kurusu ordered us to deal with those guys!
Naturally, I have no intention of leaving things as they stand.
I will settle this.
Don't forget you said that!
The next time you do anything funny, I'll dispose of you.
I'll keep that in mind.
You're going to defeat Mr. Kazuki?
That's what I came back to do.
Why? Do you hate Mr. Kazuki?
No...
Maybe I want to fight him so I can find out the answers to those questions.
What about you?
Are you okay with having become Kazuki's enemy?
What do you suppose it means to be alive?
Laughing and crying...
What if no matter how much you felt it, that wasn't your own will?
What if it was someone's program?
Could you still say you were alive, do you suppose?
It's too late.
I can't stop just because I did a friend in with my own hands.
This is the entrance to the Beltline.
This is the first time I've come this far.
That's normal. There's almost no one who dares to try to come in here.
So you were one of the few who chose curiosity above common sense.
Are you ready?
Well now, quite the peaceful Hell they've got here.
What is this place?
Is this really the Beltline?
There was no place like this when I came.
I see. So this is virtual too?
I hear birds chirping and I feel the wind blowing, but I don't sense any living things.
I wonder if Ren created this?
If this empty artificial world is her heart?
Even if the style's different, it's the same thing.
If we know this is virtual, we won't be so easily...
Ginji! Ginji!
Ban!
It looks like they know about all of our movements.
Was the Lightning Emperor swallowed by the virtual reality?
I don't know. At any rate, let's start searching for him right away!
My, my, trouble right out of the starting gate, is it?
But Ginji is an important person whom I want to defeat.
It would be nice if he were unharmed.
This is...
It's been a long time, Lightning Emperor.
It was true.
You did kidnap Makubex and hurt Shido.
That's right.
Why did you do that?!
In the VOLTS days, you were kind to everyone.
You supported me.
I really believed in you!
I defeated Teshimine.
Why would Mr. Teshimine...
He probably found out I'd come back here and followed me.
To protect you, of course.
Why?
Why?!
Masaki, answer me! Masaki!
The Limitless Fortress doesn't need you anymore, Lightning Emperor.
Masaki...
This time sing a song!
Come on!
Dance the night away tonight, get down
Shake that girl's body too, breakdown
Your tears will fly away too, get down with me
She said high, she said low
A capricious prima donna
Oh, for the courage to lure her out get down with me
Yeah, come on!
This is the first time
This is the first time my heart's pounded so hard
Say bye-bye to the season of being tired
Dancin' on the boogie woogie night Say bye-bye to the season of being tired
Dancin' on the boogie woogie night
"You can wish for your dreams, you can embrace"
"But if you don't tear it down, the wall won't break for you"
My soul sensation
Skydive toward the shining dance floor
Baby Gotayou!
Changin' Change, settle it tonight!
Settle it! Tonight, changin' Changin' Change, settle it tonight!
Settle it! Tonight, changin'
Changin' Change, settle it tonight!
Rock on! Tonight, changin' Changin' Change, settle it tonight!
Rock on! Tonight, changin'
Changin' Change, settle it tonight!
Settle it! Tonight, changin' Changin' Change, settle it tonight!
Settle it! Tonight, changin'
Changin' Change, dance and open the door to your heart!
Tonight, changin'
Fresh! Fresh! Fresh!
Forgetting the precious sweetness, easy love
Gotama, let the singing fly
You's rap is chic
Nona Reeves's rockin' expert beat
This talk is gettin' with it and gettin' fired up
Why, Masaki? I can't believe you'd become our enemy!
Ginji, are you okay?!
I have to go. Ginji, are you okay?!
I have to go.
I want to know the truth, no matter what.
You idiot, there's no way you can even move with that injury! Wait here, I'll hurry and...
I'm sorry, Ban. I can't run away now.
Next time: "Storm the Beltline! Ginji vs. Masaki"
Next Get Backers: Storm the Beltline! Ginji vs. Masaki Next time: "Storm the Beltline! Ginji vs. Masaki"
Next Get Backers: Storm the Beltline! Ginji vs. Masaki No matter what's waiting up ahead...
Next Get Backers: Storm the Beltline! Ginji vs. Masaki