I'm sorry.
I was careless.
I deployed some personnel in the area around this house.
But they struck when she happened to be over here.
That's the only thing left at the scene.
They took her while she was using the bathroom.
Because I...
Because I brought Sana-chan here!
Oh, no, no... That's not true.
It isn't your fault.
Ichijo-kun and a lady named "Yamada" are after them now.
I'm sure they'll find her soon.
But... But...
Calm down.
Don't worry.
Grandpa...
She'll be fine.
Yeah, he's right!
Sana-chan is valuable to those guys, too.
They won't be quick to harm her.
Harm her?
Sanae...
Do you understand?
Did you just imagine it now?
If you struggle or disobey me,
you will die.
I would do absolutely anything
to see him again.
Something Not Human
What does everyone like about such a noisy place?
I'm back.
I want to go home and play video games.
We're done here, right?
Yes.
We can leave the rest to Minnie C.
I'm sure she'll bring the Red Queen home.
You all did great.
If you get hungry before we get there, you can have that—
I don't want it.
I'm sick of sweet stuff.
When this is over, everything will be back to normal, right?
We'll be with Sa-chan again.
Yes.
That's right.
Honestly, you disappoint me.
You once commanded the principles of space itself.
If this is all you can do outside,
you really are no more than a child.
You acquired a body,
learned language,
and gained emotions...
Only to flee to the outside world and pretend to be human.
See?
It was so easy to render you motionless.
Pretend to be human?
What is she talking about?
Or could it be...
Do you actually think you're human,
Red Queen?
Why are they after that girl?
I called you because I thought you
could do something about the abuse she's apparently endured.
But it looks like you guys are working on something bigger.
That's a state secret.
Huh?
Kidding, kidding!
A joke.
This is just something of a territorial dispute...
In the government, two people have two differing opinions.
I'm basically one of those people's dog.
Say it so I can understand.
Just what kind of little girl is she?
To be honest, I'm not sure you'll believe me.
But Sana-chan, most likely,
isn't a human like you and me.
Huh?
You are not human.
In fact...
Thirteen years ago,
when you first appeared beneath the research facility,
you couldn't even be called a living thing.
You were a mere phenomenon that could randomly read thoughts and reactions
of living things around you, and make them real.
Your appearance,
ego, emotions, and words you learned
were all cards that an ownerless Mirror Gate
created by copying those things from humans.
Have you forgotten that?
That's a lie.
I'm Sana, and I'm right here!
That is why you must not leave the research facility.
Living in the outside world is impossible for you.
If there is a place for you in the world,
it's at Wonderland and nowhere else.
Now, let us return to where you belong.
That girl's power is called a "Dream of Alice."
And it's said that soon, many more people will have such powers.
This may all sound preposterous.
But it flips our senses of vitality and ethics totally upside-down.
Can our society accept beings like her?
We'll soon be facing that issue head-on.
Frankly, we think it's possible.
But the other side doesn't agree...
Do you understand now?
More or less.
We'd been employing various tactics beneath the surface already.
And then we learned the girl we'd been watching had wound up with you.
So I thought I'd make use of that little godsend.
Make use of it?
Yep, to determine whether humans can coexist with Sana-chan.
Well, I guess that's an exaggeration.
You've always been the type who doesn't consider the trouble you cause others.
Sorry.
I'll air my complaints later.
After that girl comes back home.
Sanae, can you continue to get along with her?
Huh?
Y-Yeah.
All right.
Then the girl can—
U-Um, that's fine, but...
Grandpa, I wish you wouldn't just make decisions about everything
on your own like that.
When I heard that Sana-chan was at our house,
I was so surprised.
I mean, it's fine, but...
But you tend to be that way sometimes.
Do I?
Please value your family more!
Please talk to me more!
If we're going to be a family of three, it's all the more reason.
I'm done.
Okay...
Got it.
Okay.
I'm glad, then.
Now, then. Our little chat is over.
I'll need you to be quiet for a bit longer.
I'm not human?
That's why I wasn't to go to the outside world?
Am I...
Am I not allowed to go anywhere?
Because I'm a monster?
I don't...
I don't
want that!
This will just slow your body down,
to make your brain stop working.
When you're completely unconscious, you're more dangerous.
Filthy...
Oh, you've come here?
It's sort of against the rules for you to talk to me.
I feel like I know you.
Who are you?
Me?
Well... let's see.
I'm a really cool lady you don't know.
Huh?
When I was at the research facility, did you talk to me?
Well, in time, you'll find out.
Flat.
Huh?
You're an adult, but Sanae has bigger breasts than you.
You'd better not forget you said that.
I'll knock you for a loop later.
Hey...
I may not be human.
I may be a monster.
Most people don't know what they really are.
I'm still searching for that myself.
I shouldn't tell you this.
But I was very lucky.
I had people around me who knew things I didn't.
I'm sure you do, too.
You should try calling that person's name.
Hey, did you just hear something?
Wait! Look above you. Above.
Huh?
The hell is that?
That's Sana-chan's.
Grandpa!
Please save Sana-chan!
Huh?
Zo... roku.
Huh?
Hey!
Sana...
Sana, you okay?
Can you hear me?
That's...
That's the first time he's called me "Sana."
Hey, are you the one
who's been cruel to this little girl?
Honestly, Red Queen,
all you do is cause—
You demon...
I'm not joking here!
I hate crooked stuff!
Just who are you?
I'm a florist.
I'm not too strong, but I won't be outdone.
Sana!
Where's your energy from earlier?
Can't you do anything, just by thinking about it?
So don't just stay here like this!
Sana...
Get back home right now!
That creepy guy, Naito, is gonna save you.
Don't worry about me.
Just...
Get going, now!
Would you please be quiet?
You—
Sana!
Damn you!
Red Queen, if you try to act on your own again,
something even worse will happen.
Next time, to him.
Sana!
Understand?
I am serious.
Sana. Sana...
Sana!
No.
No more...
Why did it come to this?
Because I'm not human?
Because I pretended to be human when I'm not, and I called Zoroku here?
Or because Zoroku and I...
I see...
I get it.
That's enough.
I get it now.
So don't do anything bad to Zoroku.
Sana!
Hey!
Her energy finally ran out.
Sana...
Is your wound okay?
She truly is amazing.
While making her wound disappear,
she actually rewrote parts of her situation.
I've located Sana-chan!
She's headed toward Oi Futo on the Shuto Expressway Bayshore Route!
Got it.
I'll ask an acquaintance in Port Authority if he's seen anyone strange leaving Oi.
Ichijo-kun, did you hear that?
Yes!
I'll head there, too!
Thanks.
So there you go.
Nothing to worry about anymore.
O-Okay...
I'm heading out for a bit.
You should go home, Sanae-chan.
I'll get someone to take you.
Wait here.
Um...
Could you take me with you?
I'm sorry, Zoroku.
I... really am... a monster.
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry, Zoroku.
Don't worry about it.
I'm used to it.
I'm sorry!
Kashimura Zoroku-san, age 72.
Owner of the flower shop Kashimura Floral.
Your family consists of a granddaughter, a high school second-year.
You know everything about me, huh?
I'd appreciate it if you would quietly accompany us for a while.
Who are you, anyway?
I am Miriam C. Tachibana.
I'm working with a certain state project
that involves the Japanese and American governments.
What they call "Dreams of Alice," right?
Oh, you know of them?
Our goal is to research the Dreams of Alice
and artificially reproduce their powers.
And in the end, we'll build a new energy system based upon it.
You could say this is a project to benefit humanity.
You don't mind keeping this child locked up for life,
dissecting her or anything else,
as long as it's "to benefit humanity"?
You like sci-fi movies?
We will not dissect her.
However...
She is not a human, let alone a child.
The Red Queen is an
unknown phenomenon, born when an unidentified being mimicked humans.
Hmph!
Makes no sense to me.
She looks like an ordinary little girl.
What if a weapon of mass destruction adopted an artificial personality,
taking the form of a young girl?
What would you think about that?
Huh?
Such a monster is attempting
to mingle in our society, in disguise.
Hey...
Kashimura-san, since meeting her,
have you or your granddaughter been in mortal danger?
Don't listen to a word she says!
Hey, everything you're saying is—
That's enough.
That's enough, Zoroku...
I think it's true that I'm a monster!
There are lots of things I thought were strange.
Hey.
I'm a monster.
If you find out what I really am, I'm sure you'll hate me, too.
M-Maybe you already hate me now.
I don't want you or Sanae
to go through any more trouble because of me.
Hey, Sana...
If it was all because I wanted to be human,
then you don't... need me around.
I'm sorry, Zoroku.
I'll go back to the research facility.
Thank you...
The food was delicious!
Yes!
I'm taking a helicopter there!
You?
I'll go on my own.
That'll be faster.
Senpai, you're so awesome!
I found out which boat they're on.
Ichijo-kun will save them in no time.
O-Okay.
It'll be fine, really.
Right now, I bet your grandpa's lecturing the kidnapper.
He's saying, "I hate crooked stuff!"
Back then...
What're you making?
They're graves.
I don't clearly remember
what Grandpa said to me then.
But...
Earlier, when he said that Sana-chan might become part of our family,
I had a really strange feeling, like something
tightening in my chest.
And...
I think that it made me remember a little bit.
What Grandpa told me back then,
at the time of my parents' funeral.
And how much his words saved me.
Listen... Sana.
Even if you aren't human, so what?
Don't say such dumb things.
Just come home with me now, Sana.
You said your name's Miriam-san?
You said this girl isn't human.
Then, let me ask...
What is a human?
You shot a child, without a thought. Are you human?
That is not the issue here.
You're right that this girl's dangerous.
The moment I take my eyes off her, she's causing a commotion.
At best, she's a nuisance.
But everyone does those things.
As long as you see the problem and improve, it's fine.
That's all there is to it.
Not to mention,
she's happy when she has good food.
In her own clumsy way, she worries about others.
And she even gauges others' moods.
Even when she's caused trouble,
she's never done anything with malicious intent.
That's who Sana is.
She's got a heart.
As I was saying, the issue here is not such a personal matter.
You aren't in any position to do anything with her—
Listen when your elders speak!
All of us, no matter who, are imperfect somehow.
There are things we can't know or do on our own,
so we lean on each other to get by.
Isn't that true for you, too?
Look, even if this girl is some kind of alien, like you say,
is that really a problem?
You honestly don't think coexistence is possible?
H-Hey, Zoroku...
What are you saying?
I'm not human, you know.
I'll cause a lot of trouble for you.
For Sanae, too.
So what?
No matter what you are,
in tough times, you should be with others.
Don't force yourself, Sana.
In any case, I have no reason to send you away with these violent fools!
You left because you wanted to see what was outside, right?
Then do that.
Don't go back on your word.
I hate crooked stuff, you know.
Y-You must be an idiot!
I see.
Sorry I'm late.
I'm here to save you.
I'm Cabinet Information Research Office Secret Service agent Ichijo Shizuku.
We'll be taking you two with us!
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