Anchor: And in other news, there’s been a drastic increase
in sightings of u.M.A.S, or unidentified mysterious animals.
What sets this story apart from all previous reported phenomena
is the swelling number of victims,
as well as the shocking footage
that has provided indisputable proof of their existence.
In fact, many of the witnesses
are active members of the police force.
Many saw coworkers die, as more than half
of the officers who rushed to the scenes
as first responders were killed.
The images you are seeing
are the unidentified creatures who have been attacking police.
You can even see the victims
on the ground here near the creature’s feet.
All we know right now is that these creatures
are extremely violent and capable of speech,
and they show no fear of humans whatsoever.
Take this interview
with the lion-man of nebaska, for example.
He spoke at length
about an underdeveloped theory of imperial rule.
The reporter interviewing him
listened patiently to what he had to say,
but eventually she asked him
the one question that lingers on every viewer’s mind.
Reporter: And can you provide us with any evidence
that you are truly what you claim you are?
anchor: Those words would prove to be her last.
( Static buzzes )
( Overlapping chatter )
so far, the unidentified creatures
have only appeared on the yorbian continent,
but it seems very likely that they will continue to spread,
and no effective method for dealing with them
has yet to be found.
Shizuku: Sorry for the wait.
Phinks: Okay. Let’s go.
♪
( Singing in Japanese )
♪
Feitan: They’re called chimera ants.
Shalnark: They probably got that way from mixing with humans.
Shizuku: Extrapolating backwards from the times and places
of the various reports, we can infer
that they most likely came from the balsa islands.
Phinks: There sure are a lot of weird nations in that area.
Feitan: Not like we have room to talk.
Phinks: But they were ants once, right?
You would think that they
would want to stay close to their nest.
so why come all the way out here?
Shalnark: Don’t know. Maybe they were wandering
or they were drawn in by the smell of garbage.
Shizuku: Can’t be a coincidence.
both the ngl and the Republic of east gorteau
are nations that choose to be completely isolationist.
They’re a whole lot like this place, in fact.
Bonolenov: I suppose that would make it easier
for the ants to invade.
( Birds squawking )
shalnark: Wow. It’s been a while, huh?
Phinks: Hasn’t changed a bit.
- ( Footsteps ) - huh?
Shalnark: So what’s the status?
Man: Between the victims and the suicide bombers,
we’re seeing over 300 dead.
Bombs have no effect, so we can’t fight back against them.
( Overlapping chatter )
unfortunately the assembly is divided
over the definition of "dead."
Phinks: What do you mean by that?
( Chorus vocalizing )
( Both gasp )
Man: A few days ago, he was an ordinary human.
Shalnark: So the ants did this?
Phinks: He’s dead as a doornail, if you ask me.
I don’t see the problem.
man: Some survive and go over to their side,
and all of them look like monsters.
The assembly’s debate right now
is if they should be declared dead
based on whether or not there’s a way
to restore them to their original forms.
phinks: Okay, let me get this straight.
They can’t avenge them, because they’re arguing
over whether they’re dead or altered?
Some things never change.
They always lose sight of what’s important,
so we’re gonna do things our way.
If anyone interferes, we’ll take them down,
as simple as that.
( Wind gusting )
Before the day’s over,
we’ll exterminate this so-called queen.
♪
Zazan: I am the queen.
I repeat, surrender.
Anyone who dares to defy me will be put to death,
but the chosen ones will live in paradise for all of eternity!
My mother’s greatest flaw
was that she could only produce soldiers by laying eggs,
an archaic and highly inefficient practice.
Her only success...
Was giving birth to me.
Man: Stop!
Kill me! Just kill me!
Zazan: A lively one, isn’t he?
He shows promise.
( Man groaning )
Zazan: Bingo.
Servant: Welcome to paradise.
You are one of the chosen.
Servant #2: Now swear
your eternal allegiance to the queen.
Zazan: I am the queen.
With my queen shot, I shall rule the world.
Shalnark: Let’s try the front door.
Phinks: Sounds good to me.
♪
Nobody’s here.
So are they inviting us all inside or what?
Shizuku: I’ll go this way, I suppose.
Feitan: And i’ll go this way.
Kalluto: So we’re splitting up?
Feitan: Of course.
We’re racing to see who kills the queen first.
Phinks: You probably have abilities
you don’t want to reveal to us either, right?
Kill anything and everything that attacks you.
Oh, and if you kill the queen, we’ll make you the interim boss.
Kalluto: Understood.
All: Start!
Pike: They’ve all scattered.
Judging by their footsteps,
i can sense that these particular intruders
are special, quite special indeed.
each of them has grown accustomed
to living in the wild.
Zazan: Are they strong?
Pike: They are.
Zazan: Then go and get them.
Pike: I can’t! If I did,
then no one would be here to protect you, your majesty.
Zazan: If you’re truly worried about me,
you should capture the enemy
and then hurry right back to my side.
Be careful, pike. I’m counting on you.
( Pike gasps ) I shall!
Oh, you are much too kind, your majesty.
If you so desire,
I will gladly lay down my life in your service!
Be right back!
Zazan: Well, now then...
servant #2: Off to join the fray?
Zazan: My mother’s greatest misfortune
was that she never experienced the joy of combat.
♪
Bonolenov: Huh?
Chimera ant: You’re no fun.
Just let me hold you,
and i’ll send you straight to heaven.
( Laughs )
Are they moles?
No. They’re holes!
( Air whistling )
narrator: Bonolenov is descended
from the gyudondond people, a small tribe
chased into obliteration by industrialization of their land.
When gyudondond males reach the age of three,
needles are used to puncture holes in their bodies.
By performing different movements,
an assortment of sounds can be made
using the holes of various sizes.
Before fighting rival tribes or wild animals,
they would play a battle song
using their own bodies as instruments.
they are known as the bap dancing warriors.
The more beautiful the sound,
the more powerful spirits are believed to be summoned.
The most skilled bap are exalted as gods
and hold more influence than the village elders.
Bonolenov: Melody transformed into battle strength!
Battle cantabile...
Prologue!
♪
The blood of my tribe,
the most beautiful in battle, flows through my veins.
I swear on the names of the spirits and my tribe
that you will never defeat me.
Chimera ant: Hold on.
Was that attack supposed to show me
the pride your tribe possesses?
Because if it was...
( Laughs )
You must not feel very much pride at all!
Bonolenov: Don’t bother recanting those words.
they are nothing more than the ramblings of a beast.
They cannot affect me.
Shalnark: In a one-on-one fight,
my opponent’s strength doesn’t matter.
If I can stab them with this, i’ll win.
But can I Pierce that?
( Gasps )
Those are pretty sharp.
I’ll need to wait until he moves his arm,
then slip in between them
and stab the antenna into the exposed joint.
the probability of succeeding unscathed is 20%.
( Chimera ant wheezes )
Shalnark: Well, it worked.
( Groans )
I guess getting injured was all but inevitable.
( Gasps )
What the...
Why didn’t it work?
I could have sworn I put the antenna in.
chimera ant #2: You must be a manipulator.
I can tell, because as soon as you placed that antenna in pell,
your body completely relaxed.
That must be the main condition for activating your power.
you let your guard down when you thought it had worked.
shalnark: Wow. This thing’s name is pell?
You’re a manipulator, too?
Chimera ant: Huh?
Shalnark: My ability didn’t activate
even though the conditions were met.
That means another nen user is already manipulating my target.
And you have a remote control.
chimera ant: I’m very impressed that you could tell.
It’s first come, first served for manipulators here.
And now all that remains for me
is to take you directly to the queen,
and my job will be complete.
( Shalnark grunting )
No good. I can’t break free.
Guess I have no choice,
though I really don’t feel like it.
( Gorilla ant chuckles )
Your punch stings about as much as a mosquito bite does.
What next, kick me?
Pull a weapon?
I’m gonna give you just one more attack
before I finish you off.
Phinks: You know some pretty big words for a stupid ant.
fine. I’ll take you up on that offer. I choose a punch.
( Gorilla ant laughs ) a punch?
Are you sure?
Phinks: 15 should do it.
Gorilla ant: 15?
Phinks: 4, 5, 6...
( Gorilla ant gasps )
Phinks: That one makes 11.
Almost there.
13, 14, 15!
( Gorilla ant gasps )
Phinks: You said just a single punch, didn’t you?
Gorilla ant: Wait! Please, no!
Phinks: Every time I wind my arm,
my punch gets stronger.
Ripper cyclotron!
Oh, wow. Guess half of that
would have been enough by the looks of it.
I never know exactly how much power to use.
Now, then, which way to go?
Right or left?
I’ll just flip a coin.
Shalnark: Okay, so what’s going to happen to me now?
chimera ant: You’ll become a slave.
You’ll work for the queen until the day you die.
not much different from your current life, really.
( Shalnark laughs ) There’s some truth to that.
it seems the only real difference
would be in whom i’m working for.
but if my choices are die or listen to you,
then i’m gonna go with death.
( Chimera ant laughs )
Bold words for someone who can’t move anything but his mouth.
shalnark: No, I can move both hands
and my left leg, too.
Chimera ant: That’s nice.
Anyway, are you ready for me to take control?
I can’t let you die just yet, though.
Once I put this--
shalnark: You know what? when I fight,
I always carry two antennae with me
just for times like this one.
First come, first served.
chimera ant: Uh, he just stabbed himself!
Cellphone: Autopilot on.
( Chimera ant gasps )
That’s so much aura!
cellphone: Enemy has been sighted.
Terminate target.
Chimera ant: Hurry up, pell!
Take his leg!
Remove the antenna!
Cellphone: Mission complete.
Autopilot disengaging.
Shutting down.
Shalnark: Ouch! I feel it already.
I bet i’ll be too sore to move a muscle
for at least a couple of days.
That’s why I hate using this mode.
It makes me stronger,
but there’s a hefty price to pay.
Plus I don’t remember what happened,
so it doesn’t feel like an accomplishment.
( Blinky gags )
Pike: Ooh!
pretty powerful for a little girl, aren’t you?
I wonder where she was hiding that vacuum.
Shizuku: The thread’s strong.
if I get caught, I won’t be able to escape.
♪
Feitan: Where is the queen?
( Zazan laughs ) Congratulations.
You’ve found her.
Feitan: Not a funny joke.
Zazan: What? A joke?
( Transmitted ) Brats like you deserve to be punished severely.
Bonolenov: They are nothing more than the ramblings of a beast.
phinks: Fine. I’ll take you up on that offer.
Shalnark: You know what? when I fight,
I always carry two antennae with me.
kalluto: It sounds like feitan is with the queen.
I wonder how I intercept.
chimera ant: What’s this? A child?
All right, little girl. come over here.
Kalluto: I won’t.
( Chimera ant laughs ) rejected!
in that case, i’ll just have to come to you.
( Kalluto sighs )
Sorry, but i’m in a hurry.
♪
( Chimera ant laughs )
Okay. What’s that?
Kalluto: Confetti...
Wind!
Chimera ant: Huh?
( Somber chorus vocalizing )
( Chimera ant laughs )
Ah, come on now! That didn’t even itch!
Surrounding me with more paper?
I just told you this is useless.
Kalluto: That.
chimera ant: What? You think that means something?
You really are a stupid brat!
No way.
This rope is made of steel!
Kalluto: And my fan is made of paper.
( Chorus continues )
( Chimera ant gasps )
Kalluto: Snake dance.
( Chimera ant grunts )
( Shrieks )
Kalluto: That.
( Chimera ant gasps )
Kalluto: Your right arm is next to go.
♪
( Zazan scoffs ) An umbrella?
( Gasps )
Feitan: Decent reaction.
Zazan: A hidden blade, huh?
You like hiding things on you, little boy?
Feitan: As do you.
When an opponent wears loose clothing,
it’s safe to assume they’re hiding something.
( Zazan laughs )
( Chimera ant groaning )
( Air whistling melodically )
Bonolenov: What’s the matter?
Weren’t you attacking me?
I just assumed that you wanted to stop my performance.
( Chimera ant screams )
( Laughs ) You’ll pay for this!
I’ll get pike to tangle this guy up in his thread
so he can’t make a sound.
Next time, i’ll rip you apart!
( Whistling continues )
bonolenov: Well, you certainly do escape quickly,
but not nearly as fast as the speed of sound.
( Chimera ant panting )
Bonolenov: Battle cantabile...
Jupiter!
( Chimera ant screams )
Bonolenov: Squashed to death. What a tragedy.
Yet it’s rather appropriate for a bug, don’t you think?
Narrator: The phantom troupe fight valiantly
to protect meteor city, their home,
from the chimera ants.
♪
( Singing in Japanese )