In the past, man had made the five powers that make up the world his own,
and even reached for the divine.
However, all that was in vain.
That day, Earth was destroyed and the universe was rewritten.
This universe was the sandbox of a crazed god,
and it was rubbed in our faces that we're nothing more but ignorant, dense infants.
But if this world, which was full of ambiguities, uncertainties,
absurdities, and inconsistencies, was merely a joke to this god,
then is this world in which we live—
Is this world actually real?
Episode 8 Yatsukahagi
AnchoR, you're so cute.
The cutest in the world.
Master Naoto.
I see you prefer your women young.
N-No, that's not it! RyuZU, you are my wife!
AnchoR is my daughter, I swear!
What are you doing?
A cyborg's head?
Sorry for the wait. We got everybody safely out of Akihabara...
What are you doing?
Oh, hey. Thanks for that.
You know, I think it's a cyborg from back then.
So what are you going to do?
Repair it. I mean, if it's dead, I can't kill it.
Hi, are you awake now?
Where am I?
Vainney Halter?
Yeah, so what, boy?
If you're here, that means that's Marie Bell Breguet.
I don't know if it was good or bad luck that allowed you to survive in such shape.
Life's que sera, sera. Just being alive is good enough.
Good one.
Anyway, how does this girl determine if she attacks someone or not?
AnchoR is an angel.
What are you on?
You're ready to do anything to protect Marie, right, old man?
You were ready to kill your soul and be a machine.
Ready to throw away your life.
So you already knew back then? That AnchoR can't attack humans?
So basically, I was schooled by an automaton on my humanity.
Jeez, she really is quite the angel.
What is this sound? It's emanating from the ground.
Is this?
What is happening?
This can't be true.
That giant weapon is tearing through the underground and coming up!
Didn't the army destroy that thing?
You set the army on that huge thing?
Why do you think I went out of my way to send that radio transmission?
Don't tell me.
Yes, it's electromagnetic!
That's the pinnacle of electromagnetic weaponry research!
Why didn't I think of that?
Halter?!
No... way.
All of the gears in Akihabara have... stopped moving.
February 8, 06:05 Akihabara Grid
Squadron 7, eliminate the threat by swiftly destroying code name
"Yatsukahagi," which has appeared in the Akihabara Grid.
Eat shit and die.
Captain Sakamuro, watch your language.
It just appeared, and they have a code name already?
How much does the brass know?
Hey, control.
What's up with the capital defense unit?
Are they jerking off and sleeping?
They were wiped out.
What?!
Saying the destruction of the Akihabara Grid is synonymous
with the destruction of Tokyo is not too far-fetched.
All units, commence attack once you have eyes on target.
This is Storm 1 to all units.
Give 'em everything you got from max range and bail out!
Captain, those are not your orders! That will not be tolerate—
Control! Control! Come in!
What is this weapon? All units, retreat at full speed!
We're already within its firing range!
What the hell?!
We're flying at Mach 5!
Shit!
Those assholes!
What did the brass mess with now?!
What is that thing?!
07:20 Kasumigaseki Grid Prime Minister's Official Residence
After it wiped out the Capital Defense Force, it wiped out Squadron 7, as well?!
Those were our country's strongest forces! What is happening?!
As the Ministry of Defense, we are tasked with preventing invasions from other countries.
The sudden appearance of a giant weapon of mass destruction was unexpected.
Where is the prime minister at a time like this?!
As the minister of defense, in the prime minister's stead,
I request permission to fire the Capital Defense Canon at the target.
Any objections?
Since there are no objections, I take that as acknowledgment.
Wait a minute!
I did not agree—
Prepare the Capital Defense Canon for firing, target Akihabara Yatsukahagi!
Who will take responsibility for this?!
Capital Defense Canon, impact in...
Six...
Five...
Four...
Three...
Target is confirmed destroyed.
The Capital Defense Canon has been rendered completely nonoperational.
A wonderful result, Your Excellency.
This was to be expected.
Now it has been proven that Tokyo's...
No, the entire country's weapons are ineffective against our Yatsukahagi.
If other countries see this result,
they will have no choice but to acknowledge the usefulness of our research.
The remaining enemy forces are retreating from the battle zone.
All right. Stay alert. Replenish the ammunition.
Roger. Beginning generator charge.
Everyone!
Once charging is complete and we start moving again, victory will be ours!
I don't care about any of that.
A thousand years ago, Y reconstructed this planet using nothing but gears.
Many scientists sacrificed their lives
trying to understand the workings of this planet and failed.
Including myself.
This Y, who cast us into this random, absurd world...
What kind of arrogant and proud genius must he be?
Let me ask you this, young man.
Have you never felt like giving up on this world,
when all it does is breed doubt and keep obstructing the path of humanity?
We will never lose hope!
Hot!
Damn it.
That's a terrible noise.
What's going on?!
Hey, Marie!
What's going on?
Everything... literally...
Everything has been destroyed.
Terrorists in the night, giant weapons... What is happening?
Prime Minister, the situation is dire.
Were civilians harmed?
Our approval rating just took a hit after the ruckus about the purge of the Kyoto Grid.
Please listen to his explanation first.
My name is Karasawa.
I'm a civilian meister, but I'm here as a consultant to the Ministry of Technology.
What do you mean, everything has been destroyed?
That powerful electromagnetic pulse magnetized everything.
Do you get it now?
It's impossible for a magnetized gear to function properly.
RyuZU!
I told you, everything has been destroyed.
Bringing down the Yatsukahagi with the forces we currently have is impossible.
You can't be serious! Isn't there a way?!
As you can see, conventional weapons have absolutely no effect.
Well, do something about it!
The only thing we can do is purge!
What?
Luckily, the evacuation of the Akihabara Grid is already complete.
We ought to quickly purge the Akihabara Grid, along with that giant weapon!
Wait a minute! Tokyo is a multiple grid.
All the grids are connected in complicated ways.
Purging could cause serious damage to Japan, or even all of eastern Asia!
If we quickly bring the situation under control, we can explain away anything!
For maintaining the peace in Asia—
That sort of cowardice is why we're being taken advantage of by the other countries!
I came here to gather information for Meister Marie,
but I didn't think it'd be this bad.
Hey, you!
Yes?
What is that giant weapon, anyway?
If a theory will suffice, I'd be happy to answer.
A theory?! What kind of consultant are you?!
Unfortunately, I am a clocksmith,
so I'm not very well-versed in electromagnetic technology.
Electromagnetic technology?
That weapon?
Yes.
Since it was able to disable the entire grid itself,
and since it's able to vastly outperform our weapons,
that is the only feasible explanation.
Electromagnetic technology is a violation of the Treaty
of the International Territory Administration, isn't it?
Why is something like that even in this country?
Something of that scale would be
nearly impossible to build unless the entire nation is behind it.
Do you have any proof?!
I won't tolerate any statements based on unfounded speculation!
My apologies.
Well, I guess that means that every country
is doing research on electromagnetic technology.
Oh, so that's it.
Meister Marie, please be safe.
Everything has been destroyed?
That's ridiculous.
We have to get to the repairs.
You can do it, can't you?
Yes, demagnetization. If we demagnetize the gears...
Then wake up and get to it!
How? That pulse magnetized every gear in Akihabara.
The entire city broke!
And we can't even get out of this room!
All right.
What floor is this?
Well, we can make it if we use some random cables.
What are you...
Isn't it obvious? Getting out of here.
What?
RyuZU,
hang in there just a bit longer.
Hey!
You...
What are you thinking?
I don't know, but I can't leave RyuZU like this!
We have to get out of here first.
Then we find a way to do that demagnetization.
Then we repair everyone.
After that, I'm going to stuff the ones who dared to do this to my wife and daughter
into a pot and boil them!
Do you understand?
Then keep your mouth shut and stay put!
How?
How can you refuse even the tiniest sliver of despair in this situation?
Halter...
You got a little lighter.
I'll fix you right away.
Wait. I'm coming, too.
Oh, thank you for your valuable opinion, Big Brother.
Can we not do that, please?
Would you prefer this cover, then?
Daddy?
Sorry. I promise I'll fix you.
I'm ready now.
Sure. H-Hey!
Halter's body is the pinnacle of the Breguets' cutting edge technology.
I took part in the design phase, as well.
I won't let anyone touch it!
What?
It's nothing.
Let's go, then.
Confirmed disappearance of magnetic field.
Ending emergency sequence.
Huh?
Initiating regular sequence.
That was scary.
AnchoR!
Father, what's the matter?
I'm so glad!
My heart almost stopped, thinking you might not wake up.
Father, you can't die!
I won't die now, so no worries!
Even if RyuZU is fine, if you weren't moving...
Sorry.
Did you just say that she was moving?
Yeah, the entire time.
That's why there must be a reason that RyuZU got so hot.
Anti-zappy provision?
Zappy?
Um, I went into a emergency heating sequence.
Heating?
Did you eliminate the magnetic field with the Curie Temperature?!
Curie what?
Magnetic materials lose their magnetic properties
when they are heated to a certain temperature.
Essentially, you can demagnetize things by heating them.
Ah, I see.
But my sister can't cool herself down.
Don't worry. I had a feeling, so I already moved RyuZU to the cold floor.
Father, you're amazing!
But don't your wounds hurt?
If it's for my wife and daughter, I don't even consider this a wound!
That idiot knew from the beginning that RyuZU and AnchoR were fine.
Even then, he didn't care that he would get burned
and moved RyuZU so she could cool down.
Everything he did was out of instinct, without hesitation, and the optimal action.
If it's necessary, he will even sacrifice his own extremities for it.
Naoto, you're totally crazy.
And yet, I...
Marie.
Now that AnchoR is up, let's get going.
Mother, let's go.
Go? But where?
To a place where we can repair RyuZU.
To a place where we can repair my sister!
You're too random!
Anyway, let's get out of here and go to Ueno.
Meister Konrad should be waiting for us there.
That's it!
Okay!
Naoto, right now, I'll allow you to pull me around.
After escaping Akihabara, the party meets up with Konrad in Ueno.
That city was defenseless against the impending threat of the Yatsukahagi.
Marie's exasperated with impatience.
But Naoto leaves to go on a shopping date with AnchoR to "do what can still be done."
Next time, "Criminal Act."
Then I'll destroy it, so don't cry, Mother.
Episode 9 Criminal Act