Tell me one thing. Why are you going to help Mr. Masaru?
It's true that Ashihana can't be trusted.
But we don't have a choice.
That's not what I'm asking. I'm asking about you.
Why go through so much for Mr. Masaru?
In every country I've been to,
people avoid conflicts and stick to their own lives.
You wouldn't believe me if I told you.
Let's go.
Before dawn, when the stars paint the sky
I am searching for the thing I lost
With a restless heart Under the sun yet in the dark
I patch together little prayers to light my path
I don't need anything, as my hands are full
My hands are full of emptiness
Please, just once, nod for me
Just once, reach out to me like the mirror
I will live for that single moment, that single second
All the rest can just burn away
What's right for me is for me alone
Whatever the path, I'll follow it to you
This feeling grows and grows, deep inside my heart
For one single reason
I continue to climb up on the stage
#3 Abyss
Please.
Um, I don't really understand.
Of course not.
I know it was a bit rough, but we had to get you away from the bad guys.
Bad guys.
Right. The bad guys were probably after your money.
But don't worry.
Um...
I'm Zenji Saiga. Your father's younger brother.
Your father asked me to look after you.
Now, get dressed and eat up.
Narumi... Shirogane...
I don't know why, but...
this man is scary!
The Kidnap Team has a pretty huge mob out there.
I heard the place is rigged with traps everywhere you go.
I've set up a bit of a plan for that.
A certain pair of people will go first.
Boss, a motorcycle!
They're going head first?
This is too reckless even for you!
Reckless or not, I'll draw their attention.
You look for Masaru.
Who the hell are you!
-The heck. -Who is he?
You're going down.
Kill him!
Shut up!
You lapdogs of the filthy rich. You're all bark and no bite!
Piece! Of! Shit!
Are you crazy? Aren't you afraid of dying?
Be prepared to die, and you shall survive. Or so they say.
It means you might get lucky if you're determined.
-Shut the hell up. -Get him!
So that's...
Narumi Kato.
You look for Masaru.
He really is pretty tough.
I might be luckier than I thought.
Let's go, Slaughter Team!
Shit. To the Karakuri Gates!
I won't let you past here, little miss.
Ashihana! Leave it to me and my Rolling Arms!
Good, let's just follow him.
I don't think so.
Dummy.
Damn it.
Come back, Rolling Arms!
Help me, I can't take my gloves off!
-I can't watch this. -Why?
Their goal is to kill Mr. Masaru.
No better than the kidnappers.
Just one less foe for us.
What cold unfeeling eyes!
Not even you can get through, Ashihana.
Too bad I can't show you my moves.
Hey.
What do you want, little miss?
A confident mademoiselle. But I shall pass this gate.
Hey, wait!
I exist only to protect Mr. Masaru.
As does Arlequin.
Blade of Saint George. Les Arts Martiaux!
-All right, charge! -Come on!
You fools, have you forgotten about my Theo Gautier?
Now then, little stranger girl. Time for some fun.
I'm finished.
You don't like it?
I'm just not hungry.
I'm sorry.
Masaru, you must've already noticed
that there are many people after your fortune.
But you'll be safe here.
I'll personally protect you.
So why don't you let me adopt you?
He's a liar.
He said Narumi and Shirogane are the bad guys.
I've got to get away.
Away from him!
Um, sir?
Can I go to the bathroom?
Sure, it's down the hall.
I'll go with you.
I've got to get away!
Takami, that little miss might surprise you.
She's nothing like us of the puppeteer clan.
What are you talking about?
We've been trained in puppetry since we were little. And you...
-Mr. Masaru needs me. Let's begin. -What?
Don't get her mad! She has bombs.
Blow them up, Theo Gautier!
Arlequin!
What happened?
Why?
The bombs!
You may have trained with puppets since you were little.
But I was born a puppeteer.
Masaru. Where are you?
I won't beat you too badly if you come out now.
What do I do now?
Shirogane... Narumi...
"PUPPET 14 SADAYOSHI SAIGA"
Sadayoshi Saiga?
That's my dad's name.
"17 MASARU"
Why is my name on here?
What's wrong, big guy?
I need you to tell me something.
Who are you all, handling these huge puppets?
Killing people right and left?
Drop it. We must find Mr. Masaru first.
We're teaming up with them for now. I can't trust them unless I know.
Little hottie over there is right if you ask me.
Woah.
We puppeteers are known as the Kuroga clan now.
Centuries ago, our clan used to perform sacred puppet dances for the gods.
Let's leave it at that.
This page is about me.
"MASARU IS BAIT"
What the...
Masaru is bait.
Puppets and puppeteers have become unnecessary.
Masaru is the "switch" for the Kuroga clan to blow themselves up.
I'm bait?
What are you talking about, Dad?
So, why are sacred puppet dancers now doing such shady things?
The Saiga family had made our puppets since the very beginning.
Back then, Kuroga paid Saiga to make the puppets.
But now, it is Saiga that pays us huge amounts of money
to test the performance of their weapon-like puppets.
Enough. Hurry.
We shall meet again if we survive. Go!
Careful, this is a Karakuri mansion. Traps are everywhere.
Damn, an attack...!
Kato.
If I leave my fortune to Masaru,
the family will hire the Kuroga clan and fight over Masaru.
The divided Kuroga clan will use their puppets to kill one another.
Masaru is the bait to make that happen.
What does this mean...?
Found ya.
Damn, not now...
Kato, forget about me.
Let go of me, and go find Mr. Masaru!
Dumbass! Are you a puppet too or what?
All of you, dying left and right without putting up a fight.
You can't protect Masaru, Shirogane.
How could you understand how precious life is if you don't care for your own?
Damn it!
I don't want to give my life up!
I don't want to die!
How'd you like that?
Just obey me and be my adopted son.
No...
I won't become your son.
Never!
You little...!
Yeah, what?
Oh, wonderful.
Too bad, but the people you were waiting for have died.
Liar!
Then let me show you their corpses.
And you will become my son!
I'm in pain, and my attack...
And tears are against the rules, damn it.
I look like a plain pervert, panting over a teary-eyed girl.
Hands off!
Oh yeah, we fell and...
Kato, you're hurt. Is that...?
I just slipped.
Anyhow, it seems like it's my turn to tell you to leave now.
It's the ZONAPHA attack.
I can't move anymore.
C-Come on.
Hurry, go...
Is there anything I can do to help?
Yeah, if you can laugh.
When do I laugh?
Hah, no good.
I'm sorry.
Just go. I never expected you to laugh anyways.
Give me one more chance.
You got hurt trying to save me.
I must repay you.
Dang, you're square.
Am I wrong?
There's no way she'd laugh at anything I do.
Damn it, we've got to save Masaru.
Why am I wasting time like this...
Just go, Shirogane! I'll show you that I can't make you laugh.
Okay, I'll say something funny. Ready?
Okay.
Listen, Shirogane.
You're going to be my girl.
Ain't funny, eh? So just go.
No, it isn't funny.
My attack. It's gone.
But now my heart... No, it's just pounding hard.
I'm sorry I can't laugh.
I'm a puppet.
They're both alive!
But Narumi's hurt. All because he tried to save me.
They're both alive?
Huh, what? Damn it!
I won't give up either!
What do you mean, you're a puppet?
Is it because of what I said? Sorry, jeez.
No, don't be.
I really am a puppet.
I grew up in Quiberon in France. I never knew my parents.
In my earliest memory, I was already being taught puppetry.
Too rigid. How many times must I tell you?
The old women would repeatedly say.
Does that hurt?
You must cast away pain, along with your name Éléonore.
Sorrow, joy. You must cast away every human feeling you harbor.
You are a puppet.
You must become a puppet-handling puppet.
Éléonore? Is that your real name?
It is no longer my name.
I was born a puppeteer.
A puppet with a mission.
That is Shirogane. That is who I am.
A mission? What the heck?
Dirt to dirt. Puppet to puppet.
Somebody made the automata. Now they must be destroyed by puppets.
Huh?
I have continued to destroy puppets as I was told, without asking questions.
As a puppet who handles puppets and doesn't know how to smile.
I can't agree with you there.
Talking of smiles, Masaru's is the best.
But Shirogane, your smile is pretty fine too, you know.
Enough of this chit chat.
A puppet can't smile the way you just did, okay?
Listen here, Shirogane. You're not a puppet.
I'm not...?
Masaru!
Get down, damn it.
I've already made up my mind. I won't let you boss me around.
What are you talking about?
I'm scared. I can't!
Come back, Masaru. I won't beat you anymore.
I was lonely all this time.
But those two cheered me up.
They came to save me today, too.
He even got hurt.
Don't give up!
You'll become strong.
Stronger than me.
I'll be strong. I'll be strong!
I can!
Come down now. You're going to be my son.
I can't be the way I was.
I'd only cause them more trouble.
I have to change.
Get down this instant!
No, don't be stupid. You'll die!
I'm letting go of the crybaby I used to be.
And if I survive...
If I survive, I'm going to laugh all the time.
That's who I'll be!
I won't let you go that easily, Mr. Ashihana.
Time to tie you up.
Masaru Saiga?
Or is it?
You're the guy who tried to kill me, right?
Uh, yeah. That's me.
I have a proposition.
I want to hire you.
Switch to my side.
He's like a whole different person.
Those eyes.
They're a beast's eyes, thirsty for life.
Fly up high, Marionette
Turn to ash, gracefully
My only purpose in life was to fight
Why am I so angry even I dump my humanity
Without you, I can't smile anymore
I assume that I am to be blamed
Like a puppet that can't smile naturally
I feel like someone is pulling my strings
What am I even living for?
I was hurt, and thought that nobody would understand
But you came along, and took me in your arms
I felt my tangled arms and legs
become free
Fly up high, Marionette
I think now I can reach you
Before I met you, I was empty
Now I have something I'd give my all to protect
You taught me how to feel, the feeling of sorrow too