According to rumors on the Net,
it's said that
you can sometimes find data such as sounds or images inside metabugs.
But nobody really knows where they come from.
Found it!
Only 700 meta?
Hey, Denpa, are you listening?
Yeah, I am.
It sounds just like waves.
You still got that thing?
Give it to me!
I don't hear anything...
Only 50 meta?
But it sounded so nice.
Gachagiri!
You're accessing a forbidden site, aren't you?
I already told you that a kid got in trouble for doing that!
You know it's forbidden at school!
I don't care! And besides, it's none of your business!
What are you looking at?
Haraken.
Oh, Fumie.
You're from another class, so don't come here!
Next time, you have to find more valuable ones.
If my glasses crash one more time,
I won't be able to pay for repairs.
I'll introduce you.
He's the Biology Club president, Haraken.
I'm the vice president of the club by the way.
Nice to meet you.
Same here.
He's known for his unpleasant personality.
Haraken, I would like to have her join us on that trip.
Sure.
Sounds good.
I want to learn more about the Illegals.
And I know you've done some research on them, President,
so you must know a lot about them.
But that's not the only reason I introduced the two of you.
Haraken, show her.
The position of president of the Biology Club is just a cover.
He's actually one of our members. Number Five: Haraken.
He's not really reliable as a club president.
The summer metabug-hunt tour?
As a matter of fact,
I happened to get hold of some infor—
Hey!
You're coming with us, so get over here!
O-Okay...
I heard that somewhere in this town
there's still a lode of metabugs.
I'm not saying that the stuff Isako dug up last time
wasn't a part of it either...
So it's located somewhere around the station building?
I doubt there's anything left near the station.
Where then?
Fourth year, any news?
Yes.
Apparently, they don't know the location yet.
What? They don't?
We have to collect more metabugs.
So how many do we have?
Including the ones we found today,
the equivalent in otoshidama is...
about half a year's.
How much is it to repair the damage?
For all of us, twelve years'.
It's not enough!
Damn transfer student...!
You seem to have a problem.
Strapped for cash?
Yesterday was tough, wasn't it?
Damn Isako!
Stop calling me Isako.
I might as well help you out.
Wh-What did you say?
Instead of looking for those rubbish-bugs,
there's a much faster and more effective way to collect metabugs.
What do you mean?
There's a big lode of metabugs, and I know where it is.
And since we don't have school tomorrow...
Meet me here at ten o'clock.
She's up to something again.
What are you going to do?
Seems like our metabug-hunt tour will become a hacker-tracking tour instead!
And who is this "fourth year" anyway?
I wonder where they're headed.
I heard somewhere that the lode is to the north—
Why is he with the hackers?
So he's the fourth year?
Oh geez!
Fumie.
You're here early.
Wh-What's wrong?
Get down, get down!
And Haraken?
He's late.
You can't really rely on him.
That's why Daichi's group didn't keep him with them.
What are you talking about?
Oh, I forgot to tell you about that.
Those guys used to be in the Biology Club too.
Sorry I'm late.
Boss,
we look like total losers!
Why should we keep following this girl?
There's no way she's telling the truth.
There aren't supposed to be any metabug lodes left around here any more.
But if there is a big lode, don't you wanna know where it is?
Stop.
She always sounds like she's giving orders!
You guys have heard about what happened at the station building, right?
The station?
Oh, you mean when that Space under construction crashed?
That happens a lot at construction sites, y'know.
Yeah, but...
I don't think it was an accident like the others.
Isn't that right, Akira?
Akira, is that true?
Apparently, the cause of it was that girl.
What?
But what for?
For metabugs!
She actually dug out tons of metabugs from an empty Space.
R-Really?
But the Space tore itself to pieces because of that.
Do you remember a few years back,
when after a Space failed, loads of metabugs spilled out?
Anyway,
there's a technique for exchanging parts of the Space for metabugs.
And that girl knows how to do it!
I see!
Things are getting interesting!
We have to pretend to obey her,
and discover her secret!
Got it?
Roger!
Hey!
Take out the maps!
Stop giving us orders already...
He's totally whipped.
What a loser!
Hey, tell me more about that story.
Oh? The one about the Biology Club?
We had some upper classmen with us last year,
so Daichi and his group were better behaved.
But when we started sixth grade,
Daichi pretty much took over.
He became the club president for a while.
That's when the club turned into a pranksters club.
He single-handedly took down the school's server,
and got a good scolding.
I see.
I can easily imagine.
So in the end,
they had to quit the club.
What about Haraken?
He's not very likeable, you know,
and he's also pretty shy.
So I ran for the position.
But the advisor, Maiko-sensei, chose him instead!
I don't understand why!
Even though I could lead the club with my sheer strength!
In order to show her I was serious,
I also promised that if I became president, I'd make Daichi and his friends regret it!
But Haraken said something noncommittal like,
"I'd just like to carry on with my research."
He's got zero leadership skills!
I still can't figure out why Maiko-sensei chose Haraken.
Oh, they're on the move!
I think I understand Maiko-sensei's reasons...
Hey,
how far is it?
What's wrong? Tired?
I never said that!
The fun part will begin once we're there.
We're only halfway.
Wh-What?!
You never said it was that far!
Let's take a bus. A bus—
We'll get on a bus.
Once we get there.
It's so hot.
You're lucky you can't feel the heat.
But he looks like he's hot, too.
That's because of a demo the pet company is running.
I guess they want to start selling fans for cyberpets or something.
Isn't that right, Haraken?
I don't know.
You know, Haraken's father
works for the manufacturer's company.
That's why he knows so much about cyberpets.
So what kind of pet do you have?
You have one, right?
I do.
Did you bring it with you today?
He belongs to my aunt.
Oh, they're moving.
What's wrong, Denpa?
Oh, a metabug.
Yeah, it sounds like a wind chime.
It has such a beautiful sound.
I don't hear anything.
You can have it.
Just don't tell Daichi.
Th-Thank you.
Hey Fumie, why don't you get along with Daichi?
It's not like I don't get along with him...
Both of us have been in the same school since kindergarten.
Ah,
but you can't tell anyone!
Okay.
When we were in the third grade,
he bugged me constantly.
And he was only doing it to me!
It got to the point where I thought he was being a total jerk.
So in order to teach him a lesson, I pulled his shorts down.
And then,
when I started to play with glasses,
he immediately copied me and got his own.
And then?
He started hacking.
He used to draw on my face all the time with a cyberpen!
So, he only bothered you at the time, right?
Yeah, you're dead on.
That's right.
He was always doing those things just to me!
And what did you do then?
Needless to say, I got back at him by hacking.
That was how I brushed up on my hacking skills.
Hey, what's with that smirk on your face?
Fumie, you're very dense, you know.
Dense about what?
Look.
Th-This place...
...is a bus graveyard!
This is cyberfog, isn't it?
This fog comes out in the station buildings or in the loophole nexus.
The loophole? The one the urban legends talk about?
So is Miss Michiko coming out?
No way.
She's just like any other business woman.
Denpa,
what's wrong?
My head hurts.
Hey, guys!
Take a look at the ground.
M-Metabugs!
Don't waste your time
on the small fry.
Follow me.
So how long will this tag last?
Two or three hours.
During that time,
he won't break down, even in the middle of this fog.
Even though they're just rubbish-bugs,
there sure are lots of them.
So what's this fog?
It's a loss of image that occurs when the Space becomes unstable.
In the worst situations, dark gaps open up.
But it's stable here for some reason.
It's like a loophole.
Hey,
stop saying creepy things like that.
Is something wrong?
No,
it's nothing.
It's amazing that there are so many metabugs.
If we search carefully, we'll probably find the big ones.
But it'll be hard to find them in the middle of all these rubbish-bugs.
Maybe this place has been abandoned.
Not even kids
looking for metabugs would come to a place like this.
Well, maybe kids don't,
but what about Satchii?
You guys coming?
What's wrong?
Scared?
Sh-Shut up!
You're just a girl, so—
D-Daichi!
Look at the floor without your glasses!
The data gathered here is obsolete.
I see.
Since nobody comes here,
the data was never updated...
Turn off your data update settings.
As the floor's data went off, so did the metabugs.
What?
Metabugs always get piled up in a Space's loss or its gaps.
Like below this floor.
Anyway,
I wonder why Isako brought Daichi's group with her.
Who knows?
I guess she wants them to do the hard work.
What's this?
Dig under the floor.
There are tons of metabugs down there.
Really?!
Perhaps.
What on earth are those guys doing?
It looks like they're digging inside the bus.
Well? Nothing's coming out!
Oh, sorry.
My bad.
It's in that bus.
What?
It's not here either.
Let's check the next one.
Not here after all.
Next!
I've had it!
Hey, hey.
Did you really think they would be easy to find in the first place?
I don't mind if you want to go home now.
Hey,
you didn't plan all this just to play us for fools, did you?
Over there.
These...
...aren't the size of rubbish-bugs!
Hold it!
Now what?
That stuff is explosive.
It's the raw material for the firecrackers you bought online.
There are plenty of them buried right under your feet,
so watch out.
Hey, hold on a sec!
In the shop's license agreement,
it says that they won't exchange explosive metabugs for money.
What?!
So you really did trick us!
Look carefully.
This is...
They're mixed
with the nonexplosive ones.
She's right!
There aren't many, but there are a few of them for sure.
Don't go too far. It's dangerous.
Let's head back.
It's so hot!
Crap!
We're almost out of the network signal's range.
It must be the effect of the fog.
Let's all gather where there's a strong signal!
E-Everyone...
What sort of magic are you...?
Denpa is a good wave conductor,
Denpa's nickname also sounds like "radio wave".
so his signal receptivity is very high.
As you can see,
Denpa's body is the only one that's intact.
It's so hot here!
So that's why his nickname's Denpa.
If you come with us, your net signal will be restored.
C'mere already!
N-No, I'm fine.
Okay,
we're restored.
Where did Isako get off to?
Did she run away?
We don't need her now that we know where the metabugs are!
Let's search the next one!
This headache is such a pain.
I had them dig in fifteen buses including this one.
I didn't find a single one.
Is it possible that this substance doesn't exist in a normal Space?
Wait a minute.
If I could release all this energy in a single blast...
As I thought, they're collecting a lot of them after all.
So there was no valuable info...
Eh?
By the way, where's Densuke?
Me Satchii!
Aren't those two...
IT'S HERE!
What the—?
Oh no!
My glasses, my glasses...
Here they are!
No!
Hurry up!
If I do this here,
and then here...
I can create a chain reaction.
Th-Thank you...
Did you
tell Daichi
about what happened
at the station?
Please forgive me, Sis!
Sis?!
Yeah, he's my little brother, Akira.
How could you get involved with such bad company at your age?
This is the place.
Me Satchii!
You'll report any details regarding Daichi's movements to me.
Got it?
Please,
I don't wanna be a spy!
What was that?!
Hurry!
M-Me... Me S-Sat—
Sat-chi-chi...
...chi-chi...
Even with all this energy, it's still not working?
B... Boss!
Help me!
Not good!
I don't have enough credit left!
Looks like you're all in trouble.
D-Damn you!
Do you want me to give these to you?
Do you?
Are you serious?
In exchange,
you'll become my lackeys.
What?!
You can refuse, of course.
Boss!
What should we do?
Damn you...
So you had this planned from the beginning?
If you join me, I'll fix your bodies immediately.
So what's your choice?
Isako, boss!
N-Namecchi!
If you make it worth my while,
I don't mind joining you, too.
Gachagiri...
That's cruel, Gachagiri!
Daichi!
I'll always stick by your side!
Tell me.
Those techniques you're using...
Are they...
Encoder techniques?
That's right!
M-
Miss Isako!
I've always wanted to become an Encoder!
Please accept me as your pupil!
From now on,
I am the leader of the Daikoku Hackers!
Roger!
I don't have any walls or mega-be left!
Stop!
Haraken!
Sit.
Shake hands.
C'mon, we'll escape while it's like this!
It'll only obey me for a minute.
Who on earth...
are you?
Next time on Dennou Coil:
The Red Automaton.
See you next time!