You're heading to the lab now, right? Hop in.
No, but...
Just get in.
The inside of this car is my kingdom.
Even the power of Melchizedek, which rules over every corner of this management district...
...doesn't reach here. That's the contract.
Contract...
A special contract comes with a heavy price.
This is a tiny kingdom, but someday...
...I'll expand out to the entire city.
You really are amazing, Lord Kyohma.
Just call me Kyohma.
The circumstances were a bit unusual, but you became a warrior as well.
But...
I won't let you watch my back until I know how you think.
So let's hear what you're really after.
Sortie: Noble and Fleeting
Yes. What you're really after.
Why did you decide to join the battle?
Don't say it's to "save this world."
It can't possibly be something that shallow.
It's not to protect Kyoka, either.
According to the reports I received, you opened the case slightly earlier than she did.
Then Kyoka also...
Yeah. You didn't hear?
So what about you?
You have a different reason, right?
Something you haven't mentioned at the lab yet.
For instance...
The fact that you warped to Japan of 2015 by yourself.
Does it have something to do with that?
Bullseye?
You might not believe this, but...
A kid asked you for help, huh?
You mean her, right?
You were watching?
Kyoka doesn't know, but I assigned bodyguards to her.
The Katagiri family has many enemies.
I myself have several, as does my little sister.
If something unusual happens around her, I immediately get a report.
Hey.
Don't ever tell her this.
She'd hate me.
Don't laugh. I'm serious!
I'm sorry.
But still, I never realized there were bodyguards.
They're hiding. Just like this!
It was a huge success, right Lord Kyohma?
Wh-Where have you been until now...
Humans have more blind spots than they realize.
Don't underestimate Sidune.
She may not look it, but she's the most veteran of them all.
The Rindo family has served the Katagiri family for generations,
as bodyguards, spies, and assassins.
You know how to get to the training facility, right?
You're heading straight there today.
Yeah, I'm fine.
I'll join up later. So go get your butt kicked.
Got it.
It doesn't look like he's fully committed to doing this.
He can't help it.
People like you are very special, Lord Kyohma.
We should get going, too.
Yes, my master!
My uniform?
It's a bit different...
That combat suit comes with a G-Splitter already embedded in it.
You read the manual, right?
It's a miniature inertial control system, right?
Correct.
It allows high-speed movement by controlling gravity.
It also functions as a defensive field that lessens physical impacts.
Where does it get its power?
CP energy is fed to it from a weapon affected by the Cube.
Now, please put it on.
Um, how long are you going to be watching?
I'm checking your physical condition. Is that a problem?
Don't tease me!
I'll have someone come pick you up.
So when you're ready, please exit the room.
This is a ghost.
A ghost?
A fuzzy image of a human sometimes seen on the battlefield.
I've encountered one before, and they've shown up in other people's reports too.
I think it was Brian that decided to call them ghosts.
But this is the first time I've seen one that's so clear.
When it happened, I'd been chasing after her...
...and I fell from some place that looked like a factory.
It showed up inside the management district too, huh?
That's a big deal, yeah.
And so you decided to join the battle to check this thing out.
Another factor, distinct from the Timekeepers...
Ghost-hunting doesn't sound that appealing to me.
What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost.
Or maybe a dead man?
Um, who are you?
Grab it. Real flesh and bone.
I'm Aaron Burroughs.
I've joined the operation as a mercenary.
What you saw was the me in the other universe... the enemy's Aaron Burroughs.
I took him down.
You're going to join the training program here.
We can't just dump you on the battlefield without training.
That is, until we hear something from the Timekeepers?
That's right. Their messages always appear without warning.
I don't know how many days we have, but I'd like you to learn the basics of team battle.
But in any case, you're Tohru Kazasumi.
To be honest, I have high expectations of you.
Is he that strong?
Yes. A formidable opponent.
Um, there's something I'd like to ask...
What is it?
How did feel... to fight yourself... and kill yourself?
I may be a mercenary, but I'm still a soldier.
It's my job to fight on the battlefield and win.
If needed, I can kill anyone...
...and I'm prepared to die on the battlefield at any time.
Is that how it works?
It's not a great feeling.
Let's go! I'm not gonna hold back!
You missed!
Come on, let's go!
W-Wait, time out!
Nope, not letting you get away!
Wrong place!
I'm going to play a little trick.
Go!
Look, look, Tohru! My own personal combat suit!
Y-Yeah...
We match!
Kyoka Katagiri has left the field.
The winner is Remy Odhner.
Oh, drat.
Don't turn your back on the enemy during a fight.
If you did that on the battlefield, you'd be blown apart.
Yes sir, instructor!
That worked up a good sweat!
I'm sorry, Remy. Let's spar again sometime, okay?
F-Fine.
You made up your mind.
Yeah.
I decided to fight as well.
Yes. Right now, we're practicing a situation where multiple battles are going on in the same area.
Yes. It's only day three, but they've made remarkable progress, haven't they?
You fell for it!
Dammit, how many of those can you throw?
You underestimated me, didn't you?
I didn't think I was!
I told you, didn't I?
You have to watch your blind spots.
I give up...
You can totally tell you're an amateur.
If you went to a battle like that...
I'm training for the sake of Lord Kyohma. I can't lose that easily!
Again!?
What the hell was that?
That's your ability.
Nth dimensional space-orientation function.
The ability to understand spatial relations and control your location within the flow of time.
Nth dimensional?
Well, we just use an acronym and call it NDSF.
In the brains of eligible people, this function is very active.
It was an accident. Sorry about that.
I'll just leave it at that.
There won't be a second time, though.
Is something the matter?
Lord Remy.
It's nothing much.
A psychic created by human experimentation...
I guess I'm not that different, though.
How is the training going?
They're very quick to catch on. They were able to use the gravity control in no time.
It seems like they've done their share of the combat curriculum at the academy as well.
Arcturus Academy, huh?
We used that place, as it was part of the Melchizedek group, in an effort to gather the eligible close to the lab.
Your idea paid off in an unexpected way, though.
That academy is where the future leaders of Melchizedek are born.
They need to at least be able to defend themselves.
And so you're sure this is all right?
I'll keep a close eye on Lady Kyoka.
Yeah, please do.
So Lord Kyohma, please do the job you need to do.
She chose for herself.
I have no right to stop that.
Emergency. Emergency.
All operations personnel immediately report to the briefing room.
Repeat. Immediately report to the briefing room.
What's this?
Looks like they're here.
Yeah.
It's the Timekeepers.
Operation system, commence phase two.
Nothing unusual on the bio-scans.
Target Group NDSF detected. Commencing brain-wave tracking.
Anti-tachyon circuits booted. Commencing weak boson propagation
Circuit has reached criticality.
Chrono potential at 95% of theoretical values.
Creation of CP field confirmed.
This is the final checkup. We have no time, so I'll keep this brief.
We'll be warped into the Shibuya area, but we don't know where we'll end up.
We'll be squad A, and old man Aaron will lead in squad B after us,
but the chance of us landing in the same location is low.
How effective are the defensive fields?
They can withstand a certain amount of attacks,
but I don't know what happens when the enemy weapon's firepower overwhelms us...
Avoid direct hits as much as possible.
As much as possible?
If you're heavily injured, the operator can initiate a forced return.
But if you're dead, there's nothing we can do. That's when it's "game over."
Final confirmation complete. Time vault 03, release!
Kyoka, this is your first battle. Don't pull ahead of the group.
Why are you acting so high and mighty, stupid big brother?
Who are you calling stupid?
Leave me alone!
Don't do that so suddenly!
Your G-Splitter, idiot!
Be careful!
Sorry!
Look. Over there!
So they really do exist...
Okay, I'll...
...knock them even further out of position.
You never give me a break, do you?
So this is the match up, huh?
It doesn't matter who I'm fighting, I do the same thing.
Let's go, guys!
Everyone, stay close! They're trying to pick you off one by one!
I know that! I know that, but...
Tohru!
Don't come here! They'll snipe you!
He's got cold feet.
It's understandable...
Maybe bringing two people with no experience on the same mission wasn't a good idea...
Sidune, about my little sister...
Leave her to me!
I'll play with you right now!
Eat this!
At that rate he's eventually going to run out of bullets.
I'm here, too!
So she finally came over, huh?
Wow, they really do look like us...
Lady Kyoka, you shouldn't overextend your position!
You can't get away!
I told you not to do that!
Listen to what others tell you, you tomboy!
Who did you call a tomboy?
I failed to eliminate them.
Kyohma!
What? I'm kinda busy!
That girl may be nearby!
The ghost?
I don't know, but...
Are you all right?
I'm fine.
Change of plans!
Sidune, Kyoka, rendezvous with me!
Roger that. Come on, Lady Kyoka!
Wait a minute!
Kyohma, I...
I'll give you two and a half minutes. Capture that ghost.
Ghost?
I'll explain later!
Two and a half minutes. Remember that!
Got it!
Yes, I'll be visiting your company right now...
What's the meaning of this, Big Brother?
I asked him to search the area.
Hey, explain. What's this about a ghost?
It's the girl you saw before.
At any rate, right now...
...he won't be much help in battle.
We're going to change our formation!
Perfect. There's someone worth taking out our aggression on.
You think you can fight without Tohru Kazasumi... It looks like you underestimate me.
They look just like each other, too.
Be careful.
Time... will end...
Wait!
The future hasn't been determined yet.
So that's a ghost?
Remy...
Those crows were a terminal for the Timekeepers.
You'll see them often in the management district, too.
Do you know something?
I heard that the Timekeepers are all from the future.
Since they have more advanced technology than we do, it's probably true.
From the future, huh?
The ghosts are probably also from the future, and they're their enemies.
Anyway, that's what Kyohma says.
"The future hasn't been determined yet."
Maybe that's why they're so fuzzy.
You heard?
I usually can't hear. It must be because you're next to me.
But having you leave the battle and decreasing our firepower?
What the hell is Kyohma thinking?
But you...
I'm scouting. Don't compare me to you.
I'm sorry! I need to get back!
Wait! I need information from you, too!
Squad A has entered combat. Some have been injured!
Lord Kyohma's field...
They separated us?
Where the hell is their Tohru?
Big Brother!
Don't get in my way!
Kyohma! Behind you!
Sidune?
We got a fan letter!
"Who's stronger, Dogma or Magma?" It says.
We're a team, but we're also rivals! A battle is inevitable!
Going down together, the two corpses side by side...
The battle continues to the ends of hell!
Confrontation Those Who Defend time
Next episode: "Confrontation"
"Those Who Defend Time"