According to rumors circulating among some people,
if you think constantly about a person you want to meet,
you'll suddenly end up seeing them.
I'll help you with the research.
Me too!
We're in the same club after all!
But even though we said that,
we really have no idea how to help him out.
For starters, we need to find an Illegal.
Then we have to verify whether or not the Illegals
have anything to do with the cybernavis malfunctioning.
Yeah...
But how do we search for an Illegal?
First of all, we have to search the obsolete Space.
But we need to consider the expenses for transport,
food,
sweets—
Teacher!
The girls are talking in class.
Don't talk during class.
That group is totally Isako's.
How disgusting.
Hey, what were those figures you were doing earlier?
I was calculating the budget for our research.
Including all the various expenses, we'll need one year's otoshidama.
Really? That much?
And I didn't include banana sweets...
It's a summons from Mega-baa!
A summons?
So what's this about?
It's a missing pet case.
Our neighbor, Tome, lost her cyberhamster, Manta.
She lost track of it yesterday.
We already have our hands full with everything that's happened the past few days!
If you don't help me out, I'll charge 'ya double for metatags.
But if you accept this case,
you might even get a bonus.
A bonus?
Yeah. You should know what this case is about:
A treasure!
What?! A treasure?
Yeah.
It was something shiny.
I'm sure I had something like that.
Don't... Don't tell me you mean...
a kirabug?
I'm not really sure;
it was something that was shining.
But I felt I wouldn't remember such a secret,
so I recorded it into my pet, Manta.
There's no doubt it's a kirabug.
By the way, what's your name again?
Wh-What?! A kirabug?!
What's a kirabug?
It's an amazing and highly-valued metabug!
Tome has agreed to pay us a third of the treasure's worth.
A third?!
Don't you have some expenses yourselves?
Say no more! I'll take the case!
Patrol?
That's right.
Should anyone come here,
you have to prevent them from deciphering the encryption key.
The... encryption key?
Don't step on it!
It's delicate stuff.
It's an encode I just made,
so I don't know whether it'll malfunction or not.
That's why you have to make sure no one approaches.
That's your mission for today.
An encryption...
How do you make one?
I'll give you a manual.
You can use it for a while,
just don't damage it.
What the hell?!
You want us to stay here in this heat?!
You gotta be kidding me!
Guys, let's go home and buy some ice cream on the way.
You dare disobey me?
If...
If you really want that done,
then do it yourself!
What did you say?
I know your game!
You can use that "Imago" thing, can't you?
One shot of that stuff, and you can make a mess!
I hate stupid people.
What?
Look at your arms.
Do you want to challenge me again?
How many years' otoshidama will it be this time?
W-Wait!
I got it!
I'll do whatever you want!
Never disobey me again.
Now shut up and do as I say!
Yes, boss.
I heard that Manta was spotted in this area.
Yeah, I heard the same thing.
This place is the abandoned site of a company that went bust,
so, like the bus graveyard from the other day,
it's not easily accessible to Satchii.
Okay, let's split up and search.
O-Okay...
I'll look over there.
It's here.
An Illegal.
There's no doubt about it.
I hope this new combination will work all right.
How strange...
There's a distortion in the Space.
Did a function break down somewhere?
What's that raspy noise?
Nobody's coming, right?
Kyoko!
What are you doing here?!
I wanna play, too!
I'm not playing at all!
Oh geez, you're a real pest...
Look, I'm searching for this hamster.
Oh, you mean that one?
K-Kyoko!
Wait up!
Here it is!
Good!
This way, I don't have to use a pet as bait,
and I can summon it whenever I want!
Manta!
Where are you?
All clear.
Roger.
What a boring job.
But hey,
if we stick with her, we might end up finding a treasure.
What kind of treasure?
Kirabugs.
Damn it!
It escaped with my key!
Got it!
Sis, I got it!
Kirabugs...
Do you mean, the ones valued at more than thirty times the regular price?
Yeah.
Someone happened to see fragments of it at the station.
I'm sure Isako plans to get rich in one go.
There's no reason why she wouldn't want this prize!
I see!
In that case, this job is a piece of cake!
Those worthless fools!
I should've just used a pet,
as I've been doing up till now!
That's right!
If by any chance it's over there...
Kyoko!
Wait!
What's... this?
You idiot! Get out of here, quickly!
Damn it!
It won't open.
Why? Isn't this factory abandoned?
I'm such an idiot...
I never imagined I'd fall into my own trap!
A trap?
I would have confined it here
in case of an emergency.
Confined what?
The Illegal.
I can't believe that I ended up here instead.
I thought the only way to confine an Illegal was with cyberweaponry.
So why did you need to close the door?
I didn't notice it had some battery power left.
Apparently, it moved somehow, thanks to the encode.
I know!
Let's call for help!
Out of reach...
It's no use.
I blocked the signal from this place on purpose.
But it's possible to receive—
Why did you do such a thing?!
Hey, there's a way to get out of here, right?
There isn't.
It's possible to open it from the outside,
but impossible to do so from the inside.
Why?!
I didn't predict this situation.
If only you hadn't popped up like that.
So it's my fault?!
But how could I have known
that you were doing all this in the first place?
Oh yeah, Kyoko is here, too!
What?
She's around here somewhere.
If we call for her out loud, and tell her how to open...
Why didn't you say so in the first place?!
Over there!
Where?
Oh, Kyoko...
This is bad!
Oh no! An Illegal!
It wants to enter the pet.
Enter the pet?
Illegals can only survive
in an obsolete Space or inside cybermateria.
It's useless...
This circuit is no good, either.
What are you doing, Isako?
Don't call me Isako!
S-Sorry.
I'm looking for a way to open the door.
So stop bothering me.
Listen, Isa—
Amasawa, I—
I don't want to be your friend.
I already told you that.
Oh, is that so?
Oh!
Then how about becoming my master?
That last time, when you spilled metabugs out of a secret Space,
it looked like a magical power...
I'd like to use it, too!
I beg you, please let me be your disciple!
Absolutely not!
See?
This stuff really works!
If that girl is after the metabugs,
we just have to be patient.
But the kirabug is just an urban legend, right?
What urban legend?
Supposedly, a legendary hacker obtained the kirabug
from "the other side".
But when he tried to bring it here,
it shattered into pieces and died.
Died?
So it's a living creature?
Yeah.
At least according to the legend.
And so, the remains of the kirabug are what we call metabugs.
So the kirabug is a living metabug?
I wonder if he has legs and runs...
Yasako!
Where are you?
Hey! Hold it right there!
Daichi!
What are you doing here?
That's my line!
Now get the hell outta here!
Shut up!
C-Cut it out!
That's dangerous!
You're in no position
to give me orders!
You're the one who has to leave.
That damn shrimpy Busue!
Not this one, either.
It's getting hotter in here...
Don't talk to me!
Amasawa, you must not be very happy, huh?
People should live a happy life.
I bet you think so too, right?
No, I don't.
Is...
Is that so...?
Do you need some help?
What am I going to do with you?
Okay, it's free.
I'll teach you a secret for living happily.
You shouldn't reject people.
It's impossible to do everything by yourself in life.
Everybody needs other people's help.
The reason why you don't reject others,
isn't because you're thinking of them.
You do it for yourself.
You adapt yourself in order to live in harmony with other people...
You adapt your point of view...
You can't even say what you want...
If that's happiness, no thanks.
Kyoko!
Hey, kid!
Turn the lock on the subdomain key files off!
She wouldn't understand that even if she heard you!
Then you do it!
Kyoko!
The lock...
u-n-l-o-c-k it!
If you don't tell her how to actually do it,
she'll never guess how.
Th-Then explain it clearly to her!
What am I supposed to do with that girl?
Why is that virus wandering around here?
That's not a virus.
What do you mean?
You want to know?
Yes.
That is
a doomed creature.
A doomed... creature?
An incomplete being created from a distortion in the Space.
They've completely lost their memories about the time before they came here.
For example,
what they were in the past.
In other words, they're like the inhabitants of the netherworld.
They carry on forever, wandering without a goal.
Why do they attack pets?
The real issue isn't the body of the pet.
It's just a place to take shelter.
In fact, if they don't do so in a new Space,
their body disintegrates.
But there's something special they aim for.
Although they've forgotten their nature,
they do remember one thing: their instinct.
And that is...
the instinct to get close to kids.
To kids?
The place they really want to get inside is
the cyberbodies of children!
No way...
But why?
Do you want to know?
Do you really want to know?
Wh-What is it?
I'll tell you then.
You must know
that they eat...
kids' souls!
Souls?
Exactly.
It sneaks inside your body,
and gnaws away at you!
That's...
That's completely impossible!
The Illegals are from the virtual world, aren't they?
There is a way.
A cursed way...
It's only been reported in urban legends,
but in reality, some kids have actually been eaten.
That's... completely absurd...
You'd better be careful, too.
Their favorite target is
the helpless, happy soul of a kid
exactly like you!
Cut it out!
Watch out.
They sneak inside you when you least expect it,
and they eat it.
Your soul, got it?
Knock it off!
Did you believe it?
You're such a fool.
It was all a lie.
I made everything up.
Made it up...?
It's exactly like your friend says.
It's just a computer virus.
Even if it has been acting strangely recently.
So you tricked me!
I heard that a hacker originally spread it,
in order to take down numerous machines.
You meanie!
What is it?
It connected for an instant!
What?
Hey!
Take that pose again!
Spread your legs.
Stop touching me, you pervert!
Do as I say!
The signal must be leaking in.
So I'm replacing an antenna?
The Kyuu-chans!
What?!
We're in big trouble!
Kyoko!
That position!
Don't move!
Wait!
My shoes...!
Poop!
Hey, kid!
Come over here, quick!
It's gonna fall!
Come here... slowly.
You can do it.
Walk normally.
Got it?
Nothing to be afraid of.
Step by step.
Just like that.
Good girl.
Come...
Here!
Jump!
Kyoko!
C'mon, dry those tears.
You don't have any other scratches, do you?
Sorry for leaving you alone.
So it was looking for an obsolete Space, and when it came out...
That Illegal
had a big kirabug inside it.
I won't let him get away.
Amasawa, wait.
Thank you for helping Kyoko.
It was nothing.
I wonder...
if we really can't be friends.
I...
already told you so, didn't I?
You don't have the thing I need.
Is that so...
But...
Nobody in this world really knows
what will happen next.
What did you say?!
I never said the word kirabug.
After all, I don't even remember what I recorded in Manta.
Mega-baa!
Be patient.
I'm uncompressing it now.
I'm sure it's a very valuable item!
There it is!
The head?
Oh, I remember now!
The shining thing was my husband's head!
What the hell am I supposed to do with a third of this?!
There's a weak signal coming from an obsolete Space.
And right next to here is...
the school.
b0nk [AE]
Next time on Dennou Coil:
The summer festival and the duel.
See you next time!