They're coming, Masaru!
No way, we'd never be able to beat them all!
No, I'm going to defeat Faceless.
And save Shirogane!
Am I destined to lose my way?
All I want is to have fun in my life
All I want is to be with those I love
Ready or not Here I come
I don't care anymore
I just don't know anymore
I wish everything would just disappear
There are days when I think like that
But everything is precious to me
And so I fight on
Today was a tough day
I almost gave up hope
But the truth is I don't want to lose anything anymore
I wish everything would just disappear
There are days when I think like that
But everything is precious to me
And so I must fight
#25 At Mont Saint-Michel
I couldn't get Masaru because of the fog.
Be sure to capture him.
I want him alive, Naya.
Yes, leave it to us.
Les Derniers Quatre don't need to get involved.
I hope not.
You two, help her out just in case.
Yes, sir.
Behold! The numerous trophies of my ancestors.
The Gundeau family and the Villon family.
All the brave and honorable families are old friends of mine.
During the Crusades...
This is all a lie. Automata have no ancestors or lineage.
Captain Graziano aspires to those human characteristics.
And believes he's a gentleman.
I heard that elephants are very strong.
So I had one brought for me to fight.
It wasn't worth it.
Brighella is only interested in martial arts.
Do you know a man named Narumi?
I heard he defeats automata with martial arts.
Is he strong?
Yes, much stronger than you.
Here is the next room, Lady Francine.
How many times must I tell you? I'm Shirogane.
Arlequino, was it?
Must we still go visit these absurd puppets?
Yes, Lord Faceless requested that I keep you entertained.
I like pretty things.
Clothes, jewelry.
And my body, rubbed clean with human blood.
I'm Lord Faceless's personal jester.
So I won't sing you any happy songs or tell you any funny stories.
I just stay here like this until Lord Faceless calls for me.
Are all automata like them?
Not interacting with one other, just absorbed in what they like.
Yes, all they feel is a desire to be praised by Lord Faceless.
You too?
To serve you is my only joy.
Joy...
Joy is to empathize.
Empathize, you say?
Yes.
Strangers, brought together under one roof.
Learning to laugh and cry together at the same things.
That process is what true joy is.
And you took it away.
You should've experienced it for yourself.
The joy you feel when kids smile at you.
Is that an order?
Yes, it's an order.
Lise, wake up!
Masaru...
Yeah, are you okay?
Where's Guri-pon?
I don't know. It was all so sudden.
You're right.
-Oh! -What?
What's that?
Mont Saint-Michel, an old monastery in France.
Why, Mademoiselle.
It's you...!
Dr. Lao, the wild beast tamer.
An honor to meet you again.
Wild beasts...
What are those creatures? Are they automata?
Yes, they drink human blood and move with animal brains.
I created them based on experiments on Beast's brain.
They're my brilliant little babies.
Is Beast...?
Yes, the tiger that killed my sister.
Masaru, I was given orders to capture you alive.
I will need you to surrender.
Never!
Go, Masaru.
Huh? But...
This is my battle. I must settle it.
Okay, good luck!
No use running.
Well enough, my comrades will capture him.
And you, I will feed to my babies.
I can open this door using Faceless's dismantling knowledge in me.
This little piggy had a snack
This little piggy had none
And this little piggy cried "wee wee wee"
All the way home
I've heard all about you.
You're so small and cute, like a plump little baby.
I'm Colombine, the automaton.
A cute name, isn't it?
Colombine, one of the four oldest automata?
Correct.
I lost to the shiroganes in the Sahara.
But Lord Faceless fixed me up like this.
I can gather the ZONAPHA bugs in the air and make them materialize.
If you'll do as I say, I won't hurt you.
Anyway, tell me.
What's in it for you to save her?
For me? I've never even given that a thought.
Mademoiselle.
Kiss my foot.
And I will let you die easily without pain.
I'll never lose to you!
After her.
Okay, next question.
Why do humans flock together?
Because we're weak.
We'd die if we didn't help each other out.
That's why.
Automata are strong, so we can keep moving alone.
There's no need for us to flock together.
But aren't you lonely?
Lonely? Only humans feel lonely.
There is somebody I want to protect.
That's why I can get stronger, why I can change and become better.
Can you change?
Can lonely automata like you ever get better?
Shut up. Even if you get better, weak humans will keep losing.
That's a fact.
Humans aren't made to keep losing.
Humans are still alive today,
because we pass down what we make to the next generation.
And each generation tries to make it even better.
Humans have gone through some awful history, but we're still here.
That's because we all try to work it out somehow.
For the next generation.
For those joining the circle that humans made together.
We want to make it better for them.
So as long as that circle exists, no matter how small it is...
humans will never lose to you!
Yeah, but that circle is just for humans.
Can my cute little automaton hand ever join hands with yours?
There was once a puppet that joined the circle.
She became a human in the end before she was gone.
I've never heard of such a thing.
You're a liar.
It's true.
Last question.
Are you in love with her?
You do, that's why you came this far for her, huh?
You said there was somebody you wanted to protect.
Come on, admit it, Masaru dear.
I don't know, but I'm going to save her!
Then why don't you try?
-Is this a trap? -Not at all.
I'm just curious to see if you can save the one you love.
Because wouldn't that be so romantic?
You don't have to, you know. I'm just doing this on a whim.
I'll go.
Then go ahead...
I came to see what this junk puppet was up to.
What a disappointment.
Who are you?
I am Naya Steele.
I'm the commander of the android-Os that guard Mont Saint-Michel.
-Android-Os? -Right.
The chosen ones from among the shirogane-Os.
Lord Faceless has given us the latest bodies.
Our original personalities have been downloaded into them.
We are mechanical life forms that surpass humans.
And you're letting a punk go from our stronghold?
Go to hell, you antique piece of junk!
That's enough.
For me, you're all the same. Some stupid squabble between puppets.
What did you say?
Oh my, I'm being held by Masaru.
I didn't mean to. I just held my arm out.
I'll never forgive you for spreading ZONAPHA.
I'll beat all the automata and Os.
I don't like what I'm hearing.
Saying we're the same as that piece of junk.
We mustn't break Lord Faceless's next body.
But we can let it experience a bit of physical pain.
It's going to hurt heaps.
We'll let you off the hook if you cry and beg us.
Pain doesn't last.
But once a man cries, his tears never dry up.
Interesting. Then you can drown in an ocean of your own tears.
Physical pain, you say?
But you've thrown away your bodies and forgotten about pain.
So why don't I remind you how pain feels?
You're defying us?
-You're Lord Faceless's loyal puppet. -You traitor!
I can't help it. Masaru held me.
My biggest dream was to be held by a human boy.
So I'm going to help you, Masaru.
You are human?
An automaton...
Human.
What would happen if I did nothing?
Why...?
Lady Francine ordered us not to hurt any humans.
So I saved you.
That is all.
Oh dear, look where we've arrived.
-There they are! -This way!
Masaru, hold my hand if you want to be saved.
No!
Lord Faceless's next body!
That too, but this hole is where...
A parachute for the two of us.
Masaru is safe. Good, we won't be killed.
Fool! Don't you realize where this hole leads to?
After them!
Go.
Die where I can't see you.
Get out of my sight.
Um...
May I ask your name?
Arlequino.
Mr. Arlequino.
Thank you for saving me.
Did you just smile?
Huh? Yes.
-At me? -Yes.
Did I do something wrong?
How strange it feels.
I've never been thanked nor smiled at by a human before.
Gives me strange feelings.
Now go.
Wow, that was so fun.
Are you okay, Masaru?
Yeah.
This way. Careful now.
Why did you save me anyway?
I already told you.
Because I held you? Stop kidding around.
This little piggy went to market
This little piggy stayed home
Hey, Colombine!
This little piggy had a snack
This little piggy had none
I like that line. "Had none."
Lord Faceless made me.
And Lady Francine gave me a will.
All so I could make Lady Francine smile.
Yeah, I know.
That's it.
There's nothing else I want to do.
I "have none."
But one day...
I went to a people library on a whim.
And I picked up a random book.
The writing was about love between a human man and woman.
I couldn't understand it.
But the way it depicted how the man and woman embraced.
I was drawn to it.
After that, I began to read humans' love stories.
I loved imagining what it was like to be held.
It became my only source of pleasure.
And you made it come true.
That's why I saved you.
Besides, Lady Francine told me not to hurt any more humans.
Francine? You mean Shirogane?
You want to talk about her again? Yes, that's right.
Where is she?
See? I knew you loved her.
She's the one you want to hold close.
Shut up! I'm not even a teenager yet.
I don't have such feelings for Shirogane.
We're here.
What's in here?
The short cut to where you want to go.
This is where the bodies of the Os are kept.
Their original human bodies.
This is beginning to get interesting.
That'll keep them out for now.
Narumi.
What we were about to witness next was the darkness behind the puppets.
A past that can't become a memory plays on repeat
In my mind is a forgotten thing that I still remember
Questions remain unanswered but I must go now
I walk in the dark, making a promise to my footprints
So many similar beings leading similar lives
Was there a reason for me to be born at all?
The world lost all sound but for the ticking of a clock
A missing heart keeps shouting
A meaningless life was shaking
All because of your unique existence
If the reason for the pain is revealed someday
If you find a home for those tears someday
You shall sleep with the whole universe in your arms
I know it still plays in your heart
The melody that brought you here