The world was burning.
Like it was being cremated.
On the brink of death...
I saw God.
When finishing them, always aim for the neck.
Because that is the only part that remains human till the end.
Exterminators must wield a heartless sword.
If you swing your sword for anger or passion,
your blade will shatter,
and it will soon slice your own throat.
I know.
That's why I took his head.
Okay. I understand.
Yes. Bye, now.
How's Lizzy?
She's asleep.
Don't worry. She has her friends with her.
You should go to bed, too.
No matter how long you wait for him, that boy's not coming down.
He may just disappear soon.
What?
It's been a while since he wandered his way here.
How old was he then?
He was already a formidable Exterminator.
Curious?
It's a story from long ago
about a town on the edge of the Far East.
-All right! Here we go! -Darn!
Great work, bait.
Glad you didn't get eaten.
Get up, shorty.
Kidow, let's go.
I guess he only listens to Lazarus.
Out of the way!
Here it comes!
Fire!
A bug's desert.
Lazarus, how long are we letting this kid tag along?
If he can't keep up, he'll be left behind. That's what I've told him.
Then why pick him up in the first place?
Keep searching!
There should still be more!
No! No!
-Let go of me! -Please! That's all we--
We risked our lives exterminating those bugs! Be more grateful!
What a shame...
It's Looting Rights.
That's how we Exterminators make a living.
I heard you took in a kid.
You should really teach him some manners.
Put your gun down, he's okay.
Nice to meet you, Kidow. I'm Captain Edoardo Petrov
of the Allied Forces, Far East Headquarters.
Why are you here?
Come on, can't a man just want to chat with an old friend?
The Fort of Karakum?
He teaches the lost youth how to exterminate
and brings them into his own organization. The head of the Exterminators...
I'm surprised just how much someone who served God can change.
Leave if you have no business.
You think anyone wants a military officer wandering around their hideout?
I have a job.
The times we live in...
We humans have to stick together.
We humans, huh?
What are you doing?
Just playing make-believe.
Those who pray will find salvation.
That's what we all believed.
But this is the outcome.
It seems Lazarus taught Kidow everything he needed to survive.
How to use weapons, read and write, calculate...
Your math's wrong, buddy!
Is that an accusation?
Let it go.
The soldiers are looking at us.
You overcharged us, old man.
Good job, Kidow!
As a reward, we'll take you somewhere nice.
Welcome.
So, what do you think of the red light district, Kidow?
This also counts as social studies.
So, you're the Kidow everyone talks about.
Kara!
How can someone so small be an Exterminator?
Oh, how cute.
But you're ten years too early to come here, little guy.
You're too early, she says, little Kidow.
-My, you came? -Oh, Kara!
What's the matter?
What's so great about women?
They're weak, but bossy.
And they smell too sweet.
Just let it go. Men aren't made to win against women for some reason.
Lazarus! Why didn't you tell me you were here?
-What the hell was that for? -You still have this kid around?
I'm not afraid of you!
If you hurt me, the owner will kill you.
You rang?
"Extermination terms"?
You know that it's been established, right?
The border between murder and extermination.
Where to draw the line within the 20 minutes
before the Cagaster outbreak is completed.
The moment wings are identified, human rights are discarded,
and murder turns into legal extermination.
And the military will oversee its enforcement.
This isn't bad for you, either.
Instead of that barbaric Looting Right,
life will be more stable with rewards from the military.
Become the dogs of the military?
Just come to us when you want a treat.
But if there are too many wild dogs,
we'll have to reconsider our options.
That's a warning from an old friend.
The reason we live as wild dogs
is because we chose not to be sheep scared of the bugs,
but beasts who will claw and cling to life at any cost.
If Cagasters aren't human,
then neither are the ones who hunt them to live.
If you don't like that, bring your sword instead of a warrant.
I'll take you on as the head of the beasts.
-It's a Cagaster! -Run!
Don't kill him!
-Mom! -Take a good look!
Anyone who defends bugs will be labeled a felon!
Dad!
Kid, you're the child of a felon.
You should live in shame.
Mom didn't do anything wrong.
What did you say? Are you guilty, too?
The one who took the bug's head wasn't you.
You can act big once you do your job.
Move out!
Murderer.
Come on! Hurry!
-Go, go! -Let's go!
-We'll drive the bugs there. -Okay.
If we take too long, the military will fry us along with the bugs!
Roger!
But can we really trust the military?
It's a huge job.
We know the risks.
We've got a good group of them, boss!
-Okay, everyone fall back! -Yes, sir!
Do it.
Kidow!
You awake?
Where's Lazarus?
He's fine. Even though everything turned out bad...
Lazarus,
why did you accept Petrov's job?
You knew the military wanted to eliminate the Exterminators.
Without the military's jobs,
there's no way to maintain this large organization, old man.
So, it wasn't on purpose?
I know about your past.
Can you say that there was no vengeance in your heart?
Lazarus!
Why did you save me?
I only told him to be grateful, because you broke your arm saving him.
What do you take me for?
If you ordered me to,
I would head fearlessly into any trap or insect cage.
I'm not afraid to die!
It's better than a meaningless...
Do that again and I'll choose death!
It's always the weak who suffer.
Do you remember this child?
Karakum is too harsh for a child to survive alone.
I once served God
and lived on prayers. However...
for those who became rebels in the world of bugs...
the voice of God was meaningless.
Standing before my family's horrifying corpses,
I despised and cursed all.
The bugs, the pillagers, my own impotence, and even God.
I continued to kill bugs aimlessly.
That's all I could do.
Eventually, I was surrounded by people who had nowhere else to go.
Before I knew it, I was the leader of the rebels who I once despised.
Do you hate me, too?
I taught you that Exterminators must stay a heartless sword.
To prey on the weak without hesitation.
But I couldn't live like that.
I pushed upon you the nonsense of one
who could neither become a sheep nor a beast.
No! You're the Fort of Karakum! You don't need to hesitate!
Just crush the military and become king of Karakum!
I plan to offer my head
to end this war between the military and the Exterminators.
What?
You should find and explore your own life.
My own life? What the hell is that?
I don't want that now.
I wanted to die believing in and following you!
If you could just lead us,
I could continue to be a strong sword that wouldn't even question death.
I don't have the power to do that.
I don't want to hear this! Don't betray me!
Kidow...
Lazarus.
Now this can...
come to an end.
Lazarus...
Kidow.
Remember what I taught you?
Always aim for the neck when finishing a bug.
Lazarus.
I'm sorry. Could you tell them I have a cold?
How long are you going to mope?
You can use my bath. Get in there and clean yourself up.
Kidow!
I killed him.
Lazarus taught me everything.
Gave me a home.
-Kidow. -Lazarus is gone. Now there's...
no reason for me to be alive.
Why am I the one still alive?
Neither you nor Lazarus did anything wrong.
This is just the world we live in now.
You don't have to blame anyone.
I'm not old enough to be your mother,
but I can be your older sister.
No matter what happens or who you make enemies with,
I'll be on your side.
Okay.
That kid stabbed Lazarus in the gut!
So, he did it before he turned into a bug?
-He won't get away with it! -Don't.
The kid is the only one who can surpass and claim Lazarus' throne.
He's the one who killed him, after all.
What!
We have our replacement for Lazarus.
We can't give the military an opening to get at us.
You want to make that kid our boss?
Without a boss, we're as good as dust in the wind.
Don't worry, it's just temporary.
Eventually, we can make whoever avenges Lazarus our next boss.
I was told Kidow is staying here.
Sorry, we don't serve young boys.
You would aid and abet a criminal?
Lazarus did show signs of a Cagaster outbreak,
but we could not confirm wings.
In other words, in the eyes of the law, Kidow committed a murder,
not an extermination.
Though, I suppose we could cover that up for him.
So, you plan to exploit him for the rest of his life?
Many of our soldiers are fans of yours.
I don't want to have to use force, but...
Kidow!
Your reward for the extermination.
Would you consider working for me?
Even though I'm a murderer?
Lazarus and I grew up in a poor village.
Lazarus, who became the village pastor, always invited me to his house
every time I would visit home.
He was happily surrounded by family and friends.
However...
the village was consumed by the bugs and rebels.
We each believed in different things,
but we shared an inability to do anything.
Lazarus' child's name was Kidow.
You were his replacement for his dead son.
I don't want my friend to lose another son.
Just sleep on it tonight.
He got away?
Apologies, sir. We're tracking him now.
That's not necessary.
He's a smart child.
He knows what he needs to do.
I wanted to make Lazarus into a crucified god.
I wanted a god to turn to.
If I gave everything to God,
there would be nothing to fear.
If Lazarus didn't hesitate, I wouldn't, either.
I killed my father...
and gained a god.
I won't hesitate anymore.
The god who bathed my heart in blood
and was crucified for me will forevermore...
will forevermore be at my side.
Kara, I wanted to ask my sister a favor.
Please hold on to the god...
Lazarus couldn't abandon, along with my real name.
There's no other place for my soul to return to if I die.
Kara.
This is the world we live in,
but please find happiness.
What happiness?
I don't want it. Not one like this.
Do you feel sorry for him?
I don't know.
Yes, I suppose a scar becomes a part of who you are.
It's not something you try to heal.
There are some people
who can't breathe without the pain.
You need something?
I was wondering if you were hungry.
I'm glad to see you're more energetic than I thought.
I'll bring tea.
You came to pity me, right?
I just killed someone I knew.
I'm so worked up that I can't sleep.
I won't take long if you stay still.
No, don't.
No!
No! Stop!
Help! Dad!
Seriously? Okay, I'm out.
Guess I'll need to pay someone who's actually sexy.
I don't pity you!
What's that for?
Why would I pity you? I wouldn't do that.
You knew I wasn't sexy.
So, don't do that from the start. From the start...
You should've just ignored it all from the start.
Both me and Mr. Qasim.
If you're going to get this upset and perverse,
maybe you should quit exterminating!
If you had,
I wouldn't have fallen in love with someone like you.
I wouldn't have had to cry so much.
So, why?
Why can't I hate you?
I can't quit being an Exterminator.
I'm prepared to cut off the head of anyone
who becomes a bug in front of me.
But...
I'm also not ready to live my life with someone.
Sorry.
For everything.
Fine, do whatever you want.
What a waste.
I'll eat it, just leave them.
-What? But... -Please.
Don't complain if you get sick.
Apparently, men are no match for women.
That's what Qasim and my old man said.
What? That's a weird thing to say.
Yeah.
You're right.
Subtitle translation by Zensho Yamamoto