It all apparently started in the first half of the 21st century
when an organization called the United Nations broke down
and shattered into a million little pieces.
That's why, in this era, the world map looks like a stained glass window.
Or so it was described by some cynical journalist.
There's always some neighboring country that's hostile to you.
This situation has ended up creating a world
that easily gives rise to small-scale conflicts.
That's why, even now...
We've got no choice but to do this!
Mistake 'em for grenades or mortar rounds or something!
Damn it!
Please retreat before you guys realize there are only two of us.
All right!
Fall back!
Where are they shooting from?!
Retreat!
Where did that come from?!
Reinforcements?!
It came from behind!
Why aren't they pulling out?
It's not like we caught them while they were taking a leak.
It's that asshole sniper!
His shooting is cutting off their escape route,
so the enemy's got no choice but to fight back with all they've got, too.
Damn! Is this the end of our fun and games testing our courage?
Miss Unsophisticated Legitimate Kingdom First Gen.
"Standard" means that it's outdated.
What do we do?
A detachment's going to come circling for us before long.
Can we rig explosives in advance to block their path?
If we do that...
We're Intelligence Union military. Mechanized Infantry Squad 4.
You're Legitimate Kingdom soldiers?
We've got a powered suit unit right behind us.
Once they rush in, it won't take five minutes.
Saved.
But...
I get it now.
This is the asshole side of war.
Even civilian women and children get killed for no reason.
There's one sniper up ahead.
He jumped the gun and engaged them.
Roger that. Leave the rest to us.
Hold on.
We'll take care of the sniper.
While I'm at it, I'll take a couple cracks at him or I won't be happy.
Hey brother ready for this fight?
It's go for broke, live or die
ichi kabachu gonna live or die.
To those days of being scared and just coping, bye bye bye
obi e tearu sukosu take no kimini bye, bye, bye.
Don't stop! Plowing through bullets falling thick and fast
Don't Stop! kimi shiki e ru tangan kake wake
Get up! Brilliantly nail that 2-step
Get Up! asaya kare kimero 2-step
Shut Up! Stow that whining and try, try, try
Shut Up! maki moto nan kumimeru shimai konna try, try, try.
Right now, even if everyone and anyone and everything and anything...
i mata remo karemo waremo koremo
Look away and make a break for it
mewo somu kemi kena shite ne
You alone, I'll never abandon
yusu temo shinai kimi temi wai
Let's go, One more chance! Let's change this darn scene
Let's go, One more Chance! kae tearo kono scene
Right now, tens of thousands of times if need be
mana retse na makai demo
It's just about showing that I can overcome
nori koete miseru dake
Overcoming even those tears and that pain
shono nami namo sono mitsa mimo koeteru
Going on to that next, as yet unseen stage
daro mino tsuki no sutejie
That's right, as many times as it takes, one more try!!
sousa naben date one more try!
Let's go, One more chance! Show them that spirit
Let's go, One more Chance! mushi tereo sono spirit
Right now, tens of thousands of times if need be
mana retse na makai demo
I can just crawl my way there
haitsu kubate i kari
We believe, right?!
shin ji ten da ro?!
That pain will someday become strength that's there for someone
moi tami wai tsuka tawa e kai yasu yosari
That's right, we can make it happen, one more try!
sou saka te genzo one more try!
We're not gonna walk away!
The War of the Ant and the Grasshopper
The Invasion of the Oceanian Military State II
Mr. Seewax. Occupation, photojournalist, is it?
Are you aware that this is a military interrogation room
and that you did something to merit an invitation here?
I have no obligation to say anything without an attorney present,
but I'll do you a favor and say this.
This is clearly a violation of my human rights.
Let me out of these restraints at once.
Are you angry about the sniping?
Don't tell me you want me for murder because I'm not in the military.
Miss Frolaytia told you, remember?
The owner of the picture book wasn't that girl.
And I'm supposed to feel relieved at that?
Pumping those depraved bastards of the Oceanian forces full of lead
is your job to begin with, isn't it?
I only did your job for you.
You tax money thief.
This is terrible.
The Oceanian forces did this to such a young girl...
It was you.
What?
This girl died at the hands of your bullet.
And that's not all.
Due to your thoughtless actions, a great massacre is about to take place.
What did you say?
The Oceanian forces have been waiting all this time
for cameras, as in, the mass media, to arrive.
And when they came, the plan was to massacre the villagers.
That's ridiculous.
In what world would a country plan to massacre its own people?
The poor villagers were massacred
because the multinational force came invading.
Antiwar sentiments. The humanitarian standpoint.
Painting themselves as the victims.
Steering the public opinion of the international community
in that direction is their aim.
You're wrong! That's not the kind of story I want to report!
I want to practice conscientious journalism--
Your problems are irrelevant!
Your bullet was the trigger
that led to the defeat of the Oceanian extermination unit.
In front of the mass media with their rifles at the ready.
What gambit do you think those bastards will play next?
It'll be a massacre so big that it can't be covered up,
that there won't be a need for photographers!
Something big enough to blot out the failure of their operation!
This time, they're bound to carry out their massacre using their Object.
It may be a 0.5th gen,
but when an Object turns its power against flesh-and-blood humans,
the casualties that will result...
This isn't my fault.
My goal was to pursue the truth as a journalist--
That's why...
...I'm telling you...
...this...
...is the truth!
To the dictator of that country,
the lives of villagers are worth less than that of vermin!
Those folks think of a massacre
as no more than fireworks that add some flair.
That's why we were trying to keep the mass media away
and bring this to a conclusion
before they pulled the trigger on their massacre.
But thanks to you butting in, we're back to square one.
Do you get it?
No... Th-That's not...
The estimated casualties worked out by the Digital Simulation Department
is thirteen thousand people.
Are you satisfied now that the truth has been brought to light,
Mr. Conscientious Journalist?
Um, thank you very much. For letting us watch the interrogation.
That was a special case.
I understand.
How long do you think it'll be before the Oceanian massacre begins?
Who knows?
If Oceania wants images that pack a bigger punch,
their Object will likely attack a village.
Which is why we have to find the Object before it does.
No. We have orders from the higher-ups.
Huh?
If the enemy's 0.5th gen is going to give us a strip show,
shimmying out of its concrete building, that's our chance.
They want to observe via satellite
which water storage plant it comes out of.
If we tipped them off with some clumsy reconnaissance before then,
we would end up blowing our golden opportunity.
Then, they're telling us to let the Oceanian massacre slide?
If an Object bares its fangs against flesh-and-blood humans,
you must know what'll happen.
We're only going to ascertain which plant it comes out of.
We'll settle things before they get to the massacre.
I won't allow any more to fall victim, not even a single soul.
The Oceanians have to know that, too!
--It won't be so easy to-- --You know...
...I want to send people too, even if it's just you two.
But it's too late to overturn the orders from the higher-ups.
The Gatling 033 is in Stage 2 maintenance.
The pilot is 72% rested.
Anything from the Legitimate Kingdom?
Nothing yet.
I see.
This might get more drawn out than I'd expected.
This shooting gallery game...
Princess...
Princess.
Milinda Brantini!
Wh-What?
Move the turret for me. The control box is under there.
Okay.
Hey, there haven't been any casualties in this battle so far?
It seems there was a skirmish on the front line.
But I haven't heard of there being any casualties on our side.
You can check the roster yourself, can't you?
Yeah...
Well, I guess only those killed in action would go on the roster.
I understand. I'll check on it for you.
What? You understand?
All you want to know is that no one was wounded, right?
Y-Yeah...
Please...
Hey, now... Find the one and only correct answer out of all these?
Is this a quiz?
But the 0.5th gen is hiding in one of these places.
We have no choice but to find it.
They hid something as huge as an Object.
There must at least be a wide enough path for it to have gotten there.
So, a water storage plant connected to a wide road.
Well, that cut it down some...
Looks like the higher-ups had the same idea.
They're prioritizing the destruction of plants connected to big roads.
So, in the end, is our only option to go one-by-one?
What about the reverse?
What?
The only confirmed sighting of that 0.5th gen
was two years ago when it was built.
After that, it hid in some base somewhere, never to be seen again.
In that case, after they hid it in the plant,
couldn't they have planted trees around it?
I see.
Their forest conservation is made up of genetically modified plants.
Two years'd be enough for the trees to grow like unwanted hair.
And that way, they could erase any trace of having moved it.
Looking at it that way, the suspicious spots
are where forests actually developed in the last two years.
Three candidates.
To take it further, we'd need a bit more information.
Let's try asking the Princess.
An Elite might have more information than us.
Actually, I lost my cell phone.
When we were fighting the Oceanian forces.
Then, you've been out of touch with the Princess all this time?
I mean, I had nothing to tell her.
You idiot!
What's this all of a sudden?
I'll lend you mine. Contact her right away.
But...
The order to mobilize?!
Have they pinpointed the location of the 0.5th gen?
The enemy Object is in the Great Sandy Desert.
Make sure you bring it down this time.
How did we find out that the real target is in the Great Sandy?
The Satellite Team picked up on the energy reading
of the Object's power reactor being fired up.
So, the enemy 0.5th gen is finally making its move.
It's strange. It's been hiding so carefully up until now...
But there's no mistaking an energy reading on the order of an Object.
They have to know that once it comes out of its den,
it'll get ganged up on by our Objects, so why?
No! It's the trial prototype reactor!
What the heck is that?
Before Objects are built,
it's standard practice to build a trial prototype reactor and test it.
What if what they fired up is that trial prototype reactor?
Aren't you reading too much into this?
If I am, then that's fine.
But if my prediction is right,
that would make the reading in the Great Sandy a trap.
So, if a cute girl flashes you a little panty, there's good reason.
If we carelessly approach it,
they might cause the trial prototype reactor to go off,
making us go boom, Objects and all.
After all, it's got the energy to blow 200 kilotons.
This is bad! The Princess and the others have already mobilized!
Put a rush on it.
If we don't hurry, the Princess will be a goner.
I know.
We know for sure that Jumbo Jugs was in here just earlier for a strategy meeting.
Look to see if there are any documents that got left behind.
If there's info that can narrow down our three candidates...
I know.
Who's that?
This voice...
It's that photographer.
I'm Seewax. I heard the strategy meeting from here.
There!
The duct is connected to the interrogation room.
Huh?! What idiocy is this?!
Why are the conference room and interrogation room connected?!
This base is mainly for the maintenance of Objects,
so they must not have considered the possibility of capturing prisoners.
So, they hurriedly turned whatever was handy into the interrogation room.
Even so, this is beyond idiotic! Damn tax money thieves!
You guys are looking for the 0.5th gen's location, right?
The higher-ups narrowed it down to two candidates,
but it sounded like opinions diverged at that point.
It was between the Great Sandy Desert and the Tanami Desert.
Tanami Desert! That's one of the candidates we came up with!
Why was Tanami eliminated?
Because the reading from the Great Sandy Desert
was more realistic for an Object.
The reading from Tanami was too weak.
It's just like we figured.
This is bad.
Yeah. If it starts up here, never mind the nearby villages,
even this base itself is in danger.
And it also means that the Great Sandy is a trap.
The Princess is in danger. Let's call her back.
No.
The Princess is in the middle of an operation.
We can't make her violate her orders on such a vague prediction.
Which means?
We'll have to do something about it on our own.
We're looking at Hell, just like always.
Take me with you!
Huh? Get real. Like hell we're aiding in your escape.
I want to make amends.
This is something... I brought about, right?
The outcomes of wars are determined solely by Objects.
Thanks to that, no one knows what tragedies occur in the field.
I came here because I found that unforgivable.
But the reality of it?
My amateurish ideas ended up ruining the professional work you people do.
I tried to save people and this is the result.
Please, let me make up for what I did!
You can use a rifle, right?
We'll bring one, so wait there.
We don't have so much leeway that we can bring along unarmed baggage.
I understand. Thank you.
Truly, thank you.
I'll be waiting...
I'll go with you and...
With you, I'll...
Hey, you sure about that guy?
If we brought a guy like him along...
He might very well try to die gloriously on the battlefield.
He pisses me off, but if he died right in front of my eyes,
there's no way I could sleep at night.
Is that right, Hiro?
Let's work hard, so that we don't die, either.
Or we won't be able to sleep at night.
Is that gentleman not here?
Gentleman?
The one knowledgeable about Objects.
No clue.
Ah-ah, ah, ah...
Conducting a microphone test here.
What's that?
Is this to the whole army?
Can you hear me?
My fellow hardworking Legitimate Kingdom soldiers!
The thing you're going after is likely a dummy, so be disappointed!
The real thing is in the Tanami Desert.
What's in the Great Sandy Desert probably isn't the Object,
but the trial prototype reactor.
Qwenthur...
Not only that, but there's a big chance
that a large-scale trap is waiting for you there.
Their scheme might be to purposefully set off a runaway chain reaction
in the trial prototype reactor
to blow it up along with the Objects that approach it.
Do not be fooled.
There is also a chance that this is an enemy ploy.
There's no response.
No use, huh?
Do you have concrete evidence to back up that story?
G Cup!
No evidence.
We didn't have time to verify it.
We heard some convincing testimony,
but the reliability of the witness himself was too questionable.
In that case...
Which is why I'm saying we should strike at both possibilities.
One of them is the real deal and one of them is the dummy.
We've got nothing to lose destroying both, right?
Princess.
What?
There's likely to be a trap set in the Great Sandy Desert.
So, don't carelessly approach it.
Take it out at long range with artillery fire.
Knowing you, you can do it, right?
I am a bit irked that you did not pin your hopes on me.
Your main guns are serial swift beam gatling guns, right?
In close-quarter combat, you'd crush it,
but I doubt you could aim at a long-range target with any precision.
Come on, this is the Princess's turn in the spotlight.
I'll do my best.
There's your feelings reciprocated, Princess.
I can practically feel your gutsy energy all the way out here.
We believe the reading from the Tanami Desert is the real target.
We're going there now to check,
so if it turns out to be real, will you come?
Hey, hold on a second.
Then, are you two headed for the Tanami Desert right now?
Whoa-oh, is this a court-martial?
Then let's make a bet.
If the Great Sandy Desert is the real target, we get tossed in detention,
but if the Tanami Desert is the real target,
I'll expect the beautiful lady's soft soles to stomp all over me.
I'll look forward to having all sorts of things done to me
with the beautiful lady's armpits.
Quit arbitrarily setting up bets
and making requests for nothing but kinky body parts!
I've got way more where that came from.
Like your nostrils or your earholes.
You can stow it.
I have no intention of granting your requests anyway.
But practically speaking, if we destroy the 0.5th gen by ourselves,
making us out to be heroes will be the least of it, won't it?
We might end up being your superiors, Miss Frolaytia.
That won't fly, Heivia.
Either way, it doesn't change the fact
that we're disobeying the military's orders.
Worst case scenario, all our past achievements will be forfeit, too.
No! You idiots!
You two have worked hard up to this point.
There's no way I'd allow you to be thrown to the wolves so easily!
It may be a 0.5th gen, but you're still up against an Object.
At least wait until one of our Objects heads over there.
But...
This is where we ought to go.
If we sit back and wait, the 0.5th gen will likely take action and...
"We got fooled by Oceania and the villagers got massacred."
If we end up with a punch line like that,
the multinational force would totally lose face.
I bet you might get demoted, too.
We're doing this on our own initiative.
You can just ignore this and hold us responsible.
Get real! I can't authorize--
All sorts of things with her armpits, huh?
I think it's more respectable than the soles of her feet.
The finish on these is quite good.
How long until they can be shipped?
If everything goes smoothly, six months.
We have three large wars planned for next year.
Put a rush on it.
From the Oceanian Military State front, sir.
It's still too early for the operation to be over, though.
Qwenser and Heivia...
I do this all the time, putting myself at last.
itsudatte sou da jibun no koto atoma washi de
Thinking that as long as everyone else is happy everything's okay.
minna ga waratte yorokobu nara sore de jinda te
This isn’t anyone’s fault—things are just happening as they should
dareno sei demo nakute korega atari mai date
That's what i would i always tell myself
sou ikika sete i tanda
I'm not wrong to think this way, I'm not. That's what i always thought.
machi ga tenai machi ga tenai to omotteta noni
doushite konna kizudarake nandarou
But then why have I ended up so bruised and battered?
kimi dake wa nogasazu ni kidzuitetanda ne
You were the only one who noticed, not letting a single detail slip by
oshikoroshitekita kono chiisa na koe o
This tiny voice I’d been keeping subdued all this time
itsu kara darou soba ni itai to omottanda
When was it that I starting feeling I wanted to be by your side?
motsureta kokoro yasashiku hodoku you ni
It feels like my tangled heart is being gently unraveled
sashidasareta sono te no nukumori ni
When I brushed the warmth of that hand you extended to me
fureta toki ni kidzuitanda
It all became clear:
mou hitori janainda te
I’m not alone anymore.
The War of the Ant and the Grasshopper
The Invasion of the Oceanian Military State III