It has gone as planned.
You and Éléonore are tied by a tight bond now.
So this is a game of bonds.
Either I download myself into you and obtain that bond.
Or you come and take Éléonore back.
I'll be waiting. You'd better come!
Let it bloom or let it wither
The setting sun ignites the horizon
And the gears turn
When the horn blows, the flames dance
The story waits for no-one
Off they go, the gears are churning
A red past chases after you
The jester's smile
What's behind the mask?
You can't erase the scars
No matter how they burn
Let it bloom or let it wither
The setting sun ignites the horizon
Alone in the depths of the night
Let out a cry that can cut through fate
That's the cue to begin
The curtain is rising, it's time to dance
Everybody sheds tears at the end
So hold them in now and keep going
Until the day the curtain falls
The gears will keep turning
#21 Silver goddess
Master Shoji protected our village for many years.
We will pray for his soul here for eternity.
Grandpa...
Protect Éléonore for me.
Don't worry.
I'll protect Shirogane. I will.
I'm sorry.
I mistook you for Sadayoshi...
I was about to make a grave mistake.
That's okay. How badly are you hurt?
I'll be fine. Although it was a hard blow.
Masaru!
There you are! You had us worrying.
What the heck? What happened here?
Did Shirogane find you?
I'm sorry. Shirogane tried to protect me and...
And what? What happened?
But don't worry.
I will save her.
Hey, what do you mean, save?
Shouldn't we go with you?
You can't.
It's too dangerous.
It's come.
ZONAPHA syndrome.
Huh? But why?
To the dying humankind.
How do you feel?
I am Deus.
The god who brings an end to all life, known to you as Faceless.
Who the heck is that?
I love ancient Greek tragedies.
Especially those by Euripides.
The ones that end with a goddess appearing in the sky.
So I've decided to give you a goddess for your finale.
Can you see her?
What the heck?
Impossible...
She's Artemis, and her arrival heralds the conclusion to your tragedy.
As you may have guessed, I gave you that sickness.
There is no way for you to cure it.
But listen here.
You don't have to worry.
Because every human on earth is going to die.
My silver goddesses are now flying all over the world,
blowing the biblical trumpets of the apocalypse.
How do you like it?
How could this be happening?
Masaru...?
Don't.
Please don't look at me.
Faceless...
Masaru...!
Guri-pon.
The puppet we were riding on is in that truck, right?
Yes, I think so.
Masaru.
But why are we not infected with that ZONAPHA thing?
Because you spent a lot of time with Éléonore.
She was born with immunity against ZONAPHA.
It probably rubbed off on you.
Masaru.
He's flying!
Now, I mustn't let Masaru go alone.
Mr. Guy.
I have a favor to ask you.
Faceless... I'll never forgive you for this.
People aren't yours to take. And neither is the world!
Damn you!
You spread ZONAPHA syndrome!
I forgot to tell you, but the goddesses are not solid entities.
They're just clouds of the ZONAPHA pathogen.
A dust-sized automaton called Apollyon.
These are what's causing you all this suffering.
Damn it.
Let's chase after Faceless, Masaru.
Guy.
And Lise?
She implored me to take her with me.
Please, Masaru.
I won't get in your way.
I'll be of help to you!
The legendary Guy, the destroyer of 200 automata.
Amazing how you dodged my Cupid's Arrow.
But you are going to die here.
Only that boy there is allowed to chase Lord Faceless.
You go on. He only wants me.
Save Éléonore and the world for me.
Be careful.
Now then.
I've had my eyes on you as you're an outstandingly beautiful shirogane.
What an honor.
I'd rather hear that from a human woman, though.
My body... I can't move like my usual self yet.
I am ashamed of myself.
Let me tell you what I hate.
Those wrinkles you humans have.
Don't you think they're just so ugly?
But look at me.
I have a beautiful face, not one single wrinkle.
Guy, you're the second most beautiful being after me.
It's too bad.
I wanted to turn you into an automaton and make you my partner.
Thanks, but that would never happen.
Goodbye, Guy.
Narumi.
How strange.
I had a feeling you'd appear soon.
There's no time to talk now. You know why.
The world is in danger. Let's go.
-Go where? -To where I first met you.
The ZONAPHA Syndrome Research Institute.
Cupidia, your face...
It's covered in the wrinkles you abhor so much.
What? A machine that can treat ZONAPHA?
Yeah, they call it Harry. Fou developed it.
Fou, the jester.
According to him...
You are all strong. You lived through the war against the Midnight Circus.
Now, I must ask you to do something.
After years of research,
a machine to drive out the Apollyon bugs that cause ZONAPHA has been completed.
What?
Can it cure ZONAPHA?
Yes.
But I can't contact the people who developed it.
I don't know what happened to the only test machine, either.
An automata attack?
I'm afraid so.
I need you all to go and protect Harry, the completed machine.
It's at the ZONAPHA Syndrome Research Institute.
Fou decided we'd need your help, too.
You've been there before many times.
But I was against it. After that plane crash...
You didn't even let me know that you were alive.
So that's why you punched me.
You were worried about me.
Yeah right!
Good, good.
Once I get rid of every single human,
Éléonore won't fall in love with another.
Nor will anybody get in our way.
Sir.
Lord Faceless.
Yeah?
May I ask you a question?
Say it, Colombine.
Why are we three of the Quatre Pionniers here?
We were defeated by the shiroganes in the Sahara.
But you gathered us up.
And fixed us.
Would you rather I hadn't?
No, all we feel is gratitude.
But we do not understand your intention, dear Creator.
You've created more new puppets.
Yet, why do you still let us stay by your side?
Because it's funny.
Funny, sir?
Yeah, you all make me laugh.
You didn't realize that Doll Francine had disappeared long ago.
And you served that fake puppet like your queen.
You're funny, you all are a joke.
We've carried all the sick people inside.
Good, we're done too.
But that Masaru, using that weird puppet to fly through the sky.
I'm amazed he could do that.
Well, yeah but...
Amazing as that is, he can't do this all by himself.
I don't know.
He might have it in him.
One thing's for sure. He isn't a boy anymore.
He's a man.
Um, Lise?
Could you tell me why you followed me here?
Yes...
I think I've told you before.
That my sister and I were wild beast tamers,
until she was killed by a tiger called Beast.
Yeah, I remember.
After she was killed, I couldn't tame those ferocious animals anymore.
But I met somebody connected with Beast at Kuroga Village.
My past about my sister and how I can't tame wild beasts anymore...
I want to part with it.
Parting with your past, huh.
Thanks for telling me.
Now, let's toast the end of humankind!
Cheers!
Hello there, you old broken-down trio.
This party is to celebrate the ruin of man and the coming of Lord Faceless's love.
Having fun?
Yes...
Mr. Harlequin.
You two are such good little puppets.
You've learned some respect.
Here you go.
What's this, Miss Diamantina?
You don't get it?
It's food for that woman we caught.
Lord Faceless is so kind, isn't he?
Giving a puppet like you a job to do.
We're here to support Lord Faceless.
So you don't have to worry about him.
Narumi!
Tom!
It's been a while. I'm glad you're okay.
You've gotta help us, the puppets invaded the institute.
Yeah, I know.
What took you so long, Minghai?
George and Ashihana have already headed over.
Let's hurry.
What a joke.
A duet, against our big band?
We'll show you what real music is.
This job is worth 20 billion.
Just comes rolling in.
-They're here. -Miss Mingxia.
What?
Who would've thought a beauty like you knew a brute like Narumi.
-I'd love to have some wine with... -Shut up, the fight's begun!
Miss Mingxia, care for that boy for us.
Let's go.
So, how do you like this bass?
Doesn't this perfect pitch feel great?
You foolish musician-wannabe puppet.
We can't make music.
Why? Because both you and I are nothing but metronomes.
So tell me.
What is it you wanted to do?
Nothing.
You bastards! I'll stop ZONAPHA syndrome!
Hey, what's going to happen now?
For now, we have to find something.
Don't look!
They're the soldiers who'd been protecting this place.
But why are they dressed so strangely?
Tom, we shouldn't be here.
Let's go.
I don't know about that.
I bet that you'll end up the same way they did.
-You did this! -That's right.
They all lost a bet to me, Gambler Jones.
Little girl.
"Little girl", my ass.
The name's Liang Mingxia!
No need to rush, girl.
I'm a gambler. There are rules to fighting me.
Run, Tom! Get away from here!
Can't have that.
That's not fair!
You need stakes to gamble.
You just have to win this bet to save this boy.
Leave me, you have to go!
He won't let me go anyway!
Now, don't be so rude.
I'm a gambler. I don't lie or play dirty tricks.
But...
I play with high stakes.
Great, huh? These are body parts I won from other automata.
I've won lots of human parts too since coming here.
You've gotta get away!
Fine.
This game.
I'm in.
Funny, huh.
Lord Faceless is right.
Lady Francine had been switched with a fake puppet.
Yet we never suspected a thing.
Not that again. Automata should accept the truth as it comes.
No use crying over it.
But...
Don't say it. We have a mission now.
And it's to serve Lord Faceless.
But the one who gave us the power to think...
wasn't Lord Faceless.
It was Lady Francine.
Do come with me.
Help me find a way to laugh.
And if she exists no longer...
what is the use of our existence?
There is none.
Éléonore, here is your food...
Who are you?
Lady Francine!
Avoiding the crowds, I walk in the dark
And wait with bated breath in the wings
My expression is calm while I scream inside
On the verge of being torn apart
I dance and beckon you to join me
As a shadow swings across the stage
I tell myself this is the last time
But I can't seem to cut myself free
Too scared to stop for a moment
My impatience hides the cries of somebody left behind
Nobody notices the shadow standing in the sudden rain
Somewhere far away, a memory of you is saying goodbye
I stand here watching, no longer able to reach you