You're sure it's this carriage, right?
Yeah.
I handled the arrangements for that carriage.
The guy said he was going to do something big and make tons of money.
What kind of guy was he?
Give me fifty and I'll talk.
Take advantage of us, will you?
Good morning.
Ah, you.
We don't have scoops for you.
So, Lieutenant Malvin still hasn't...
No comments.
No interviews for you either.
Come on now, go home, go home.
Okay, I'll go.
But, just one thing.
You do know that the father of tanks, Dr. Colt, has died, right?
And why are you asking about that?
I've heard you have visited the professor before.
You know the professor?
I just met him yesterday, a year since we last met.
He died later,
and I had a bad feeling...
Bad feeling?
Corporal Oland isn't here yet?
He went to search for Alice.
He was very worried about her.
I see.
The reason I went to see the professor was the door knocker.
All right, get in.
Thanks.
Mr. Dalton,
in the beginning, even I wanted to know who he was...
...and suspected his background;
I tried to find out everything about him.
And then?
Did you?
Nope.
We're squad mates.
Knowing his background wouldn't change anything.
To be suspicious of a squad mate,
you need to become one first.
Now, that's your problem.
The people in this country have a right to know their country's actions.
Something as ridiculous as a foot soldier taking out a tank...
...actually took place in reality, right?
When you're in a big name newspaper,
you push yourself more than you have to, don't you?
It's my job to let the people know.
That bad feeling you felt after meeting with Dr. Colt...
...might come to you, you know?
That's like an indirect way of saying the professor's death was not an accident, you know?
I'm worrying about your safety.
What becomes public may not be the truth.
That's how both our workplaces operate, right?
Of course, no one's going to believe that a foot soldier dispatched a tank to begin with, anyway.
So Invisible 9 was your work?
My, and what makes you say that?
I just felt like saying that.
Who the hell would believe that?
If it gets out to the public, how many heads up top are going to fall?
It's my policy to not get near trouble.
An intelligent decision.
Please maintain your stance in the future, as well.
There are people that stay protected because they are ignorant.
Don't you think so?
Not at all.
Knowledge can be a weapon.
Your thinking just sounds like escaping.
Am I wrong?
Alice!
LT!
Sorry for worrying you guys.
You're safe.
What happened?
Looks like I'd better excuse myself.
Pardon me.
The objective of the people that kidnapped me...
...was to make public a certain manuscript using Section III's powers.
Manuscript?
One about the Invisible 9, information classified by the army.
Damn it, what's happening... one person after another...
Sergeant Major Oreld.
Oh, Mr. Reporter.
We found one!
Found one?
By the way, Corporal Oland,
could I have a moment with you sometime in the future?
For what?
I'll let you know.
So, what did you find, Sergeant Major?
A clue to the lieutenant's kidnapping.
Wonderful!
You searched all night?
Yeah... I'm so damn sleepy right now...
And... where's that manuscript?
They still have it.
Now that's dangerous.
We better protect them soon.
We might have more corpses to handle depending on the situation.
I'm amazed that you were just let go.
Boss, we found a clue!
Ah...
Lieutenant!
LT?
You... came back?
But that reporter just...
Yeah, I just met him here.
That bastard.
He acted as if he didn't know.
Hello, I'm-
I was following the scoop on the disappearance of Section III's Lieutenant Malvin,
but boy was I surprised...
...that it was tied to the other scoop I was tracking down.
Scoop?
Invisible 9.
Hey, I talked it over with Rick, too,
but we don't have to rely on a noble like her.
I mean, this guy's a reporter for the newspaper.
Give him that manuscript and it'll be tomorrow's front page.
Isn't that what you wanted?
And he's saying he'll buy it from us at a good price.
We can buy whatever we want from now on.
Your brother will be happy that way.
What's the matter, Cecile?
What guarantee do I have that he'll put it in?
Of course, he will!
They're a big newspaper!
Sorry, but I don't trust the paper.
The paper's linked with the army.
That's why they used Section III.
Aren't you contradicting yourself?
You hate them, no?
I just want to put your brother's manuscript to good use.
Go back.
I'll never sell this.
You didn't have to do that...
You're going to give us a good price, right?
We'll disappear right afterwards.
You do what you want with it.
Where did you get this manuscript?
I can't tell you my source.
It'll be able to make the printing, right?
It's a big scoop,
so I think we should be careful with it.
Why?!
I even confirmed living proof of the Invisible 9.
Then we'll put him in the article, as well.
I'll wait for you until the deadline,
so get me the material that will give this article more meat.
I'm your man!
It will be tomorrow's front page!
Wait for me!
You called?
I need to get in contact with somewhere urgently...
Top priority.
Master, did Bruno and Rick come by?
No, what are they up to?
A reporter came by during the day,
and now, soldiers.
Soldiers?
Did you get that guy?
What's the matter?
She's injured.
We have to treat it immediately.
Leave me alone!
Wait.
Who do you mean by "that guy"?
That reporter!
That's so dirty of you!
For all those whitewash you said, in the end, you use money to take care of things!
Isn't that cheap?!
So he went after all...
How shameless of you...
Did you let him know of the manuscript?
I don't have it anymore!
That bastard used his mouth and tricked Bruno and Rick into the deal.
See? Just like I said, soldier.
They said they wanted to make a fortune.
It's not about the money.
I just wanted to expose this country's corruption!
Your treatment comes first right now.
Rick!
You okay?
Hey!
It's an urgent message.
Get this to the captain ASAP.
Okay, this should do it.
Those two were my brother's best friends...
Do people's hearts change that quickly?
You said it yourself.
"Fill our stomachs with food right now!"
That's all there is to it.
Mercury left for the HQ, right?
Yes, sir.
We need to get our hands on Dalton no matter what.
Why are you... smiling?
I have taken in all of your feelings.
What are you talking about...
You are feeling the pain of the times.
I do, too.
You might have planned on using Section III,
but for me,
those were words that came from a person with strong feelings for war relief,
and they touched me.
I'm not going to let you sway me with those words.
You tried to stand up for those people in the slums...
...because you couldn't stand seeing their pain and suffering, right?
Your brother's manuscript was no more than a reason for you.
You obtained us, Section III, as your means.
You understand our pain?
I don't try to understand,
but I imagine it.
Such irony.
I hated you,
yet I'm counting on you.
I will get back your manuscript.
Count on us.
I'm sorry we threatened you with your sisters.
Everyone has their way of doing things.
Don't worry about it.
Hey, Cecile.
That reporter came again.
Hey.
I thought I could see you again if I came here.
We were just looking for you.
You want it back? Now that's unexpected.
Once we publicize this, I'll even let the public know of your brother's name...
...as the person that got his hands on this scoop.
You're so driven by your ambitions...
...aren't you forgetting something important?
What kind of impact will that bring to the people once they learn of the news?
Have you thought about that?
I won't deny the ambition part,
but that manuscript has the power to move the nation.
And the enemy will move, as well.
In order to push for that war,
the army manipulated their way with public opinion.
There's no way you wouldn't know that.
I understand, but...
Publicizing the manuscript will only bring those involved in this together even more strongly,
and the ones that are most affected by that result...
...are without doubt, the people.
The more they protect and hide themselves,
the more impoverished the lives of the people will become.
Isn't the wartime situation the best proof of that?
The time to use that manuscript will come.
I beg of you to wait until then.
We aren't prepared for anything yet.
But you are prepared.
What?
The person that can prove the Invisible 9-
Corporal, take Cecile and run!
Yes, sir!
Come on! Hurry!
Cecile!
Corporal!
Lieutenant...
Get her away... quickly...
Please!
Run!
Hurry!
That's...
Corporal!
Wait!
Who are you?
What organization do you work for?
Why did he...
There was poison in his back teeth.
Spies used it a lot on secret missions during the war.
Corporal!
I'll get you to the hospital right away.
I'm all right...
Please get the manuscript...
If it gets published,
the future you pictured will fade away, right?
Thank you, Corporal.
To the newspaper office!
Let's go!
Captain!
We came right away after reading your memo,
but we're too late.
Too late?
It disappeared?
What do you mean, it disappeared?
We're really sorry.
Plus, we just received news that Dalton got killed.
So we're really confused right now.
You liar!
I knew the paper was with the army!
You all worked together to erase my brother's manuscript!
You're working with the assassins, too, right?!
Stop it, Cecile.
Investigate this more thoroughly!
It must be somewhere!
We looked for it many times,
but I don't know...
...how much can you believe that manuscript...
My brother put his life on the line to find the truth,
that the army was doing human experiments and was turning humans into weapons of war!
Really, look for the manuscript!
You say something, too, Alice!
We were at the scene where reporter Dalton was killed.
We know there are people behind the scenes who want to protect that secret.
That is the best evidence to show that the article speaks the truth.
First, cheers for the safety of my princess.
But how daring of them to kidnap a soldier.
Looking back on this incident,
wouldn't you say that the people are getting ripe?
Or perhaps,
to say this country is ready to leave its slumping post-war times...
...and is getting close to rebirth...
...or would that be too stimulating a way of putting it?
Here.
We lost...
The two people we're looking for...
We found their corpses.
Bruno and Rick?!
I apologize... for not being able to help you.
Everything... is lost...
But I'm not going to be defeated.
Sometimes I'll back down.
Sometimes I'll accept giving up...
...for the eventual victory.
What about my feelings...
I remember explaining the meaning of Pumpkin Scissors in the article.
Yes.
When I came up with that name,
I was not afraid of anything.
I thought I could change the world through Section III.
Yet, as I fought with reality,
I was made to realize how distant that future I pictured was.
No, because of that,
I want to wage a fight that wouldn't disgrace this name.
This feeling of frustration I went through today...
I will never forget it...
You're admirable,
but you won't be able to accomplish your war relief, Alice.
Farewell.
Captain.
I was unable to protect any one thing in this incident.
Am I right?
How many times must we endure this?
Mer-kun, I heard a princess from a country called Loderia has snuck into the country secretly.
By the way, Machs,
what's a "French kiss"?
Next time, "Rough Yet Delicious".
Come get us if you're not scared!