All right.
I'm seeing things more clearly now.
But what exactly happened to me back then?
Wait, there was something on the night Dad died...
Here, have some cocoa.
Okay.
No, don't drink it!
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
#20 Black sun
I can finally get inside of you, Masaru.
I'm so happy.
I hope Éléonore likes the new me.
Shoji, you're alive!
I won't let you take Masaru!
Too bad. You didn't reach my neck.
I never meant to.
You can't download anything now.
Don't be too sure. It's been a while since I connected him.
It may already be complete.
Shoji, we're ready!
Okay.
Shoji!
-Do it, he's in danger! -Okay!
Sulfuric acid?
You bastard!
No, I can't...
I was so close...
"FACE OF GIANT CORPORATION DIES..."
You're back.
You must've seen everything now.
Shoji wants to know something before I kill you.
Did you figure out where the soft stone is through my memory?
Yes, it's in Shirogane's body.
Now that you know that, tell me.
How do you feel?
I'm asking you how you feel!
Why do you cry?
Are you angry that you'll be killed here?
Why... Why can't everyone...
Why can't they all be happy?
Grandpa, Dad, Angelina, Guy...
Doll Francine, Shirogane...
You all used to be normal people.
But just one small gear fell out of place.
And created so much misery.
All everyone wanted was a tiny bit of happiness.
But that first bit of unhappiness keeps growing.
If this goes on...
nobody...
nobody can be happy!
So why don't you die?
Then at least my revenge will be achieved.
Dad died in the sulfuric acid pool, right?
The tanker crashed, and the two drivers died.
Shoji was miraculously saved.
But Sadayoshi's body had disappeared.
I'm Masaru Saiga!
Time for you to finally die, Sadayoshi!
Can't have that.
That boy is mine, you know.
Daiki?
What's going on?
I know now.
Thanks to Shoji's memory that the boy spoke about.
But where's the memory of the key person?
What?
The Creator.
You mean, Bai Jin?
That's right.
My darling child
My beloved child
Just like the leaves
That dance in the wind
Jin had fallen in love with Francine.
But his big brother...
Jin saw how truly happy Francine was.
So he abducted her.
Every time she tried to get away, he hit her.
Over and over.
Why can't it be me? I love you.
I love you!
I've abandoned puppeteering, alchemy, even my own brother.
All I have left now is you.
Please, love me.
Sing the lullaby for me!
Heavenly... Father...
Give one to this child
And one to each of us
Someday, please
Bestow your blessing
After that, Francine obediently followed him.
With eyes like a quiet lake.
Clogue Village was a nice place.
But Jin started to avoid Francine.
Those quiet eyes had begun to irritate him.
So he didn't stop the villagers when they came to lock the sick Francine away.
Before he knew it, she'd died all alone.
Jin decided to die in his hometown.
But when he finally reached it after many years, he realized something.
He should take Francine's hair off the doll,
melt it into the Aqua Vitae, and make another woman drink it.
That way, he could reincarnate Francine.
I've got to go back.
He suddenly noticed how old he'd gotten.
His body wouldn't be able to do it.
To walk back to France and embrace a young girl.
So he decided to be reborn himself.
He melted his hair into the Aqua Vitae.
And made a dog drink it to become a shirogane.
I have an important task for you.
I will melt myself into the Aqua Vitae.
You must make this boy drink it.
It was a Bai boy he'd kidnapped from his hometown.
So it worked perfectly.
The road to Quiberon was full of hope. Nothing was in his way.
But when he got there, the Francine doll was gone.
No...
Who are you?
F-Francine?
You're calling me that too?
I know I might look like her.
But I'm Angelina.
-Ange... -Follow me.
I'll introduce you to Mother.
I'm so glad that a shirogane my age has come.
Shirogane?
It turned out the shiroganes despised the former him as an enemy.
But nobody suspected the silver-haired and silver-eyed boy.
This is perfect.
If I join them, I can learn about Doll Francine.
But for now, I'll just enjoy this time.
Oh yes, what's your name?
I'm Dean. Dean Maistre.
As you know, this love will be broken thanks to Shoji.
Who are you?
Bai Jin. Dean Maistre.
Sadayoshi Saiga.
Commander Faceless.
We are all the same person.
The man behind ZONAPHA syndrome and all your troubles.
That's me!
Sadayoshi!
Dismantle.
How useless you are.
Why are you here?
I came to retrieve the body I will be reborn into.
What?
You guys all had it wrong.
I'm not inside that boy.
You mean he's...
He's not you?
That's right.
He's still Masaru Saiga.
-Olympia! -Dissolve.
-Guy! -Masaru, forgive me...
Run!
-But... -Give it up.
I own you.
I can do whatever I want with you.
For you, I am a god.
You're wrong.
Those who are born in this world belong to nobody.
It's a god's job to make us.
But to stand, live, and die on our own without being held up by strings.
That's our job.
A vehicle is disobeying its driver?
Even if you become me, Shirogane won't love you.
You can grasp nothing in your solitude.
No, it'll work.
How can you be so sure?
Because I believe in myself.
Believe in yourself and follow your dream,
and it will definitely come true someday.
He doesn't think for a second that he's doing something wrong.
Everything that's good for him is justified in his eyes.
Like a black burning sun.
Burning everything in its path, but still burning bright.
If we let him go, we won't be the only ones he burns.
Now then.
It's time we end this.
Don't!
Farewell.
Grandpa!
My body sure doesn't give up.
Masaru, leave me and fight.
Raijin is in the bottom drawer.
Now, you're coming with me.
What happened?
I punched him as I dodged his sword.
Masaru can't run from his fate to become me.
There's no such fate.
What, huh?
The download failed.
But I have some parts of your memory.
Your body is mechanical.
We share a memory, but I'm much weaker. So I'm alert to any chance I get.
How fun! Then I'll hurt you just enough that you won't die.
Mr. Masaru!
-Shirogane! -Éléonore!
Luck is with me!
My beloved Éléonore has come to me.
Let go! Don't touch her!
Masaru, let's play a game.
No way, I'm going to kill you right now!
It seems like you and Éléonore's bond is stronger than anything, thanks to me.
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!
What the...
Who could've...
I fed them to my pets.
-I'm the wild beast tamer, Dr. Lao. -Wild beasts?
But those animals...
You noticed?
These legendary creatures are the results of my experiments on a tiger named Beast.
Beast, did you say...?
Good day now.
Grandpa, hang in there!
You'll still call me that?
Of course.
Thank you.
Then will you do one last thing for me?
What?
Protect Éléonore for me.
Don't worry, I'll protect Shirogane!
I've become a lot stronger.
So please...
Don't die...
A man...
must bear everything in his heart and walk on alone sometimes.
Clench your fist and look at it.
It's the only thing in the world...
The only fist in the world that can save you and your loved ones.
In my life...
I had three truly happy events happen to me.
One is when I became Dr. Yin's apprentice.
One is when I held Angelina in my arms.
And one is when Éléonore was born.
Grandpa...
Now at the very end of my life, a fourth has happened.
That you called me "Grandpa"...
Lucky them.
Flying through the sky like that.
Well, you can too if you wish to.
Angelina.
You've been waiting for me?
Of course.
Well, well.
But I've committed too many sins.
I can't go up to where you're going.
That's why I'm going with you to where you're going.
Remember what you said?
How you'd walk through eternity with me?
No, that's not what I said.
I said I'd be with you forever even when eternity is over.
That's what I said.
Yes, you're right.
Let's go, then.
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