HARVEST, MAINE, USA
Honorable shirogane-Os.
The time has come.
We are to depart for the Sahara Desert.
There, we will join up with shiroganes from around the world.
-Not just us, but the shiroganes too? -Does that mean...
That's right. We've discovered the location of our ultimate target.
The Midnight Circus, the headquarters of the automata.
Finally, it's time.
Ms. Lucille encountered a canine shirogane in China.
It sniffed out a trail that led to the Circus.
This information has been sent out to all the shiroganes.
My dearest shirogane-Os, I am your Commander-in-Chief.
An alien! Ta-da!
You people have no sense of humor.
Never mind.
You could say all your hard work will finally pay off today.
Let's head over to the desert
and crush the automata until they become one with the sand.
We are the shirogane-Os.
"O" signifying center, as in the word shirogane.
"O" signaling the origin and the outcome.
"O" heralding the obliteration of the automata!
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
#11 Fanfare
We finally tracked them down.
The Midnight Circus.
But dang, what a dog.
It ran all this way to bring us here.
To think that we shirogane couldn't trace them for all this time.
What?
Don't even think about sending me home.
I'm staying.
-Father! -No, the ground is crumbling.
But Father... My father...
He lived out his life as a martial artist.
He wished it.
We have no time to grieve.
Look at that shirogane dog.
I don't know why, but it must've guarded this spring all along.
Has it picked up Pantalone's scent?
That might just enable us to locate the Midnight Circus.
Father chose death because of ZONAPHA syndrome.
I must avenge him.
You know that already.
I won't get in your way.
It's the same anyway.
If the automata keep spreading ZONAPHA syndrome,
the world will die out before too long.
If death awaits us either way,
why not let her face it head on so she has no regrets?
You may be right.
We must win this fight.
To end the shiroganes' long battle for revenge
and secure the future of all mankind.
EARLIER THAT DAY, DEAUVILLE, FRANCE
You were up?
Yes, I was counting the number of roofs I can see from here.
Gotta give it to you. French buildings sure are pretty.
What a strange man.
Before coming here, you were in Las Vegas. Before that, Switzerland.
One vacation spot after another.
What do you do for a living?
I'm an assassin.
I used to be, anyway.
And I made tons of money.
Really?
You're so funny.
Hey, how about we go back to...
Give it up.
I'm tired of women, too.
Suit yourself.
You got in a fight at the casino, right?
Scary men were looking for you.
That's nice.
Bye then.
You cheap swindler!
Thought you could get away?
Finally, I feel somewhat alive.
What the heck is that?
I'm a shirogane-O, George Laroche.
And you are Ashihana, the Kuroga puppeteer.
You are coming with me.
You've got to be kidding me. Out of the blue?
I know all about you.
You're bored.
Come, and I'll show you a brand new world.
I see. So?
How much will you pay me?
Wow, there was nobody here just a few minutes ago.
I didn't know there were so many shiroganes.
Ms. Lucille!
-Fatima. -Teacher.
This is my jurisdiction.
The troops are almost ready.
Narumi, Mingxia.
You know us?
Of course. You especially. You're quite famous.
Really?
Stop drooling.
Move over please.
'Scuse me.
The shirogane-Os from the US.
Here we are!
You never change.
His face stretches?
What the heck are shirogane-Os?
Former shiroganes who were turned into machines by Faceless.
A creepy lot.
You have a sharp tongue as always.
But she's right.
We now have bodies that can destroy automata without using puppets.
Today our hard work will finally be rewarded.
In that tent are Les Quatre Pionniers.
Pantalone, Dottore, Colombine, Arlequino.
And the reason all automata exist, Francine.
Defeat her, and everything will come to an end.
It's game time, automata.
-A game? -That's right.
Automata are jesters created to make the Francine doll laugh.
Jesters love games.
The rules are simple.
Let's see who's stronger, automata or shirogane.
We'll fight one-on-one. The side with the most survivors wins.
I'm coming in.
Let's go over the rules.
I agree to your game, shiroganes.
Game on.
Choose who will be on your team, and come inside.
I am Dottore.
One of Les Quatre Pionniers who you detest so much.
We shall meet again.
How could he?
Lucille, who's it going to be?
Is that all you have to say?
One of your people just died.
Naya was your aide for many years, wasn't she?
Oh Naya, martyr of an honorable goal.
My heart is broken forever!
How's that?
You heartless jerks.
Ignore them. Let's pick out our members.
First, me. Next, Fatima.
Yes, ma'am.
And Rockenfield and Timbavati.
And Tor.
Finally, Narumi.
All right!
Lucille, let me go too.
Ugh, enough is enough.
I, Zed, a shirogane-O, will bring an end to this.
Welcome. I'll go first.
Not bad. Me next.
Sorry, no time to play with you.
All right. I don't like him, but he's good.
We might make it to Francine at this rate.
Oh dear. We've lost two of ours already.
Who should we call now?
Who will avenge our brothers?
Olsen!
Olsen, Olsen!
Here he is, our great hero.
Merry-Go-Round Olsen!
Uh, hi.
A merry-go-round?
Impossible.
You show-off.
You can't move with that on your head.
You're asking for it.
Stop, you've already lost!
Wonderful, Olsen. A great victory.
My turn now.
Stop, you'll kill yourself!
-Shut up! -Huh?
I'm in an ecstasy of fulfillment.
That was so boring.
These people are crazy.
Getting killed like it's nothing...
We'll go next.
Let me.
Excuse me, Narumi.
We've never met before. I'd like to see what you can do.
Sure thing.
Minghai, you must win. For Father.
I know.
Yay, a shirogane.
It's round 2.
Can I ask you something?
What kind of person is Narumi?
Why do you ask?
He's the talk of the shiroganes.
They say he's so strong he fights the automata barehanded.
Strong, huh?
Well, he trained under my father.
He's a training addict.
Say, for example, my father said to understand the wind with your body.
He'd stand outside naked until he got it.
I like you. Come closer.
My merry-go-round is starving.
This whole thing makes me sick.
But can you get close?
-Not again. -He can't reach him.
That's not all.
Father told him to sense the movement of armed men
while wearing a blindfold.
And he really did it.
Oh my.
Wow.
Is that all you've got, you little toy?
How magnificent!
Yeah, right. He lets it go to his head all the time.
You... I hate you!
Come down here!
Okay.
No, don't listen to him!
No!
Narumi!
Minghai!
Not so fast.
You can play with us if you want.
You puppets are so easy to fool.
There are a few tricks to fighting.
One is to never listen to the opponent.
Here I come.
I want that girl in the cape.
I want the black-haired one, Big Brother Orazio.
Woah, the third round seems to have started too.
Orazio and Pedrolino, the acrobat brothers are up next.
What are you...?
Swallow.
I just swallowed your blood!
This tent is full of ZONAPHA germs.
Think of it as a vaccine shot.
How dare you! I don't want to be immortal with your shirogane blood.
You won't become immortal from just that little drop.
That's not the point. I want to fight them as a human.
-As my father's daughter! -Mingxia.
You can't buy anything from a shop without paying for it, right?
What do you mean?
To give up being human.
That's what we shiroganes paid to the shop of life.
Now you want to join the quest without paying anything?
And fight the automata like that?
Fine. Sorry, Lucille.
Among the coins I once paid,
I think there was one that looked just like you.
Nothing, forget I said anything.
Enough chit-chat.
Take this!
Come, Spinettina!
How long will you last?
We know all about girls.
Got you!
-He vanished? -Above you!
Things girls hate, number 1. Disgusting things.
You bastard!
They make them lose focus.
Mingxia!
Missed me.
My merry-go-round is hungry for more.
We'll die if we're thrown in there.
Take that!
We have to separate them.
I have an idea.
You think that'll work on us? How cute.
Where's the black-haired girl?
She was hiding!
Hiding won't save you.
She's not coming for me?
So, then...
Smart move. They can't help each other now.
Don't think you've won yet.
Things girls hate, number 2.
Being stripped naked.
Fatima!
You little...!
Gotta take a chance.
This is the end.
What?
I can land on a narrow strip like this.
And this strip leads to you.
Human girls are so easy to conquer.
Just tear off their clothes, and look at them.
Palm strike!
Damn it...
Pedrolino!
You have a lot more to learn about girls.
Girls are great liars.
We're going to lose?
No!
I don't want to!
London bridge is falling down...
Falling down...
Falling...
You fooled me for a second.
You too. You even had tears in your eyes.
Hey, you guys all right?
Narumi.
Took you long enough. You're so lame.
Shut up. You two stay put and rest up. It's too soon for you to die.
Yes, sir.
Not bad at all.
Incredible.
What a great show we had there.
The shiroganes win.
On to the next stage!
Ouch... Damn it.
There are two doors before you.
One of them will take you to our symbol, our leader,
Our Lady Francine.
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