The SDF was deployed to the Special Region.
There, Itami, Captain of Recon Squad 3, met the elf Tuka,
Rory the Grim Reaper, and the mage Lelei.
After the Empire suffered a massive defeat, its third princess, Pina Co Lada,
decided to go to Japan and negotiate.
In her diary, she wrote that when she crossed
the gate that marked the border between worlds,
she saw buildings which touched the sky.
Are those... walls?
Look! There are people inside!
They're making effective use of limited space.
Does that mean Itami's country is very tiny?
Or perhaps that it's very populated.
Either way,
the Empire has started a war against a civilization
capable of building these structures...
It really is cold.
Episode 8 Japan, Beyond the Gate
I told you!
You okay? I can go get you a coat.
No. I'm fine.
If you really think you need one, tell us.
Okay.
Lieutenant Itami.
I am Komakado, from Intel HQ.
I've been instructed to escort you.
You with Public Safety?
You can tell?
That's a hero's sixth sense for you.
It was just a random guess.
A random guess, huh?
I looked into you.
You had the second-lowest grades in your class during officer training,
and only avoided last place because another trainee got injured.
After graduation and assignment, you rated "just barely passing."
Your CO got pissed off and threw you into Ranger Officer School,
which you finished, somehow.
SDF Narashino Garrison
For some reason, you were transferred to Narashino after that.
Poor personal evaluations kept you at Second Lieutenant,
but after the incident in Ginza, you were promoted to First Lieutenant,
I'm told.
You sure did your homework.
Slacker. Otaku.
Your reputation on post is horrible.
So how the hell did you end up an S?
A special forces group modeled after the US Army's Green Berets and Delta Force
You really did your homework.
Did you know?
If a colony of ants gets rid of the laziest one,
another one will just start being lazy instead?
So lazy people are necessary?
I don't know.
But when my CO was yelling at me, I told him about that, and...
You were transferred to the Special Forces Group.
I was just trying to argue for the hell of it, though.
Well, if people like you are taking it easy,
that might mean everything works better.
It can't be! Tell me it's not true!
Somebody like him's a Ranger and Special Forces?
Well, excuse me.
You really are something special.
I've got a lot of respect for someone who can play the slacker
among a bunch of worker ants.
It's a lie! A lie! This is a dream!
I'm dreaming! This is impossible!
Get going.
Look at all the people.
Is this a market?
A festival?
Look. What's that?
They've decorated a tree?
Maybe a charm of some sort?
Where are we going?
We can't take them to the Diet Building wearing jeans, can we?
I guess when you've got a nice body, you look good in anything, including suits.
What will you two wear?
I'm fine.
Me, too.
This is formal wear for a priest.
Yeah, bill it to the SDF...
Ushinoya
Here you go.
Why gyuudon?
I have to expense our spending on the Diet trip,
and we only get 500 yen per meal.
Times are tough.
What is this? Do we eat it raw?
Your Highness!
You eat, too.
If you're hungry, you won't have strength when you need it.
Right.
This is the Japanese Senate?
Aren't we getting off?
We'll be going to a different area.
Officially, you aren't in Japan.
I am Shirayuri Reiko, advisor to the Prime Minister.
This is Sugawara Kouji-kun, with the foreign ministry.
This is not a peace conference.
To ensure that we are on the same page in the event of such a conference,
we wish to discuss and decide on a number of matters here beforehand.
Is that all right?
I have no objections.
It's been four months since the Ginza incident.
The first question and answer session
regarding this matter will be held in the diet today.
In addition to SDF personnel who've been on the ground,
refugees from the Special Region have been invited, as well.
They've just entered the building!
We will now ask questions of the witnesses.
Special Region Refugees Taken in By the SDF
Civilian Victims
Coda Village Evacuation 600 Refugee Camp Size 25
Diet Member Kouhara Mizuki
I'll get straight to the point.
Why were 150 special region refugees,
who were supposed to be under SDF protection,
killed by a Class-A Dangerous Animal you refer to as a "dragon"?
Witness Itami.
Uh, well...
Probably because the dragon was so strong.
How can you be so calm?
Don't you feel any responsibility for the loss of those lives?
I'm sad that so many were killed.
I also felt that our own capabilities were lacking.
So you're admitting the SDF is at fault!
No. We lacked sufficient firepower.
Our 7.62mm rounds bounced off it like they were BBs.
I really wished we'd had a stronger weapon.
A charged particle beam, a railgun, a graviton bomb, or something.
If I may, chairman.
Our analysis of a sample from the Special Region shows that
this "dragon" had scales as strong as tungsten,
and could exhale high-temperature flames.
It was, essentially, a flying tank.
Demanding zero casualties when fighting such a monster
is rather unreasonable, wouldn't you say?
Very well...
Then my next question is for Lelei la Lalena.
Do you understand Japanese?
Yes. A small amount.
She's so young.
A mage?
Very well.
I'm told you're living in a refugee camp right now.
Are there inconveniences there?
I do not understand what you mean by "inconveniences."
If you mean that not everything is convenient,
then that's true for everyone.
I'll change the question, then.
Do you lack anything that you require?
All of my clothing, food, shelter, work, and spiritual needs are being met.
If I started asking for more, there'd be no end to it.
Then you do feel the SDF's response in any way
contributed to the result of 150 casualties?
No.
I am an Elf of the Lodo Forest clan.
I am the daughter of Hodolew Ray,
Tuka Luna Marceau.
An elf?
Really?
I know this is a rude question,
but are those ears real?
Yes, they are.
Would you like to touch them?
Order! Order!
Th-Then, Tuka-san, was there any problem
with the way the SDF handled the dragon attack?
I don't know...
I was unconscious at the time.
Thank you.
Okay, next...
Witness Rory Mercury.
Black clothes and a veil.
Those must be mourning clothes. That's perfect.
What is your name?
Rory Mercury.
Describe your life in the refugee camp.
It's very simple.
When I wake up, I live. I pray.
I receive life. I pray.
Then at night, I sleep.
"Receive life"?
Yes. I eat. I kill.
I make offerings to Emloy...
A lot of different things.
I'll reword the question.
From the look of things, you've lost someone who matters a lot to you.
Do you feel the SDF is responsible?
She says she doesn't understand the question.
Rory's family—
According to reports,
despite the fact that one-fourth of the refugees were killed in the dragon attack,
the SDF suffered no fatalities and not even a single injury!
The people who should've defended you with their lives put their own safety first,
and in the end, put civilians in danger, right?
Now, tell us!
What did you really see?
Expose the SDF's true colors!
Are you stupid?
Wh-What did you just say—
I asked if you were stupid,
little girl.
And so, the Defense Force fought
You speak Japanese?
That doesn't matter.
You want to know how they fought the dragon, right?
They did their absolute best.
They most certainly did not use the refugees as shields
and fight from a safe distance.
But to begin with,
what's wrong with soldiers making sure they stay alive?
If they die needlessly,
who's going to protect people like you,
who do nothing but sit in comfort and complain, little girl?
Little... girl?
They fought a Fire Dragon and came back alive.
The first thing you should do is praise them.
Also,
you said that one-fourth of the refugees died.
That's incorrect.
Itami's squad saved three-fourths of them.
If you can't even understand that,
the soldiers of this country must have a very hard time.
They succeeded in doing something no one else could do.
That is my answer to your stupid question.
Do you understand, little girl?
You don't seem to know how to speak to your elders,
"little girl"?
Are you referring to me?
Who else could there be?
I don't know how it works in the Special Region,
but in this country we respect our elders!
I'm shocked...
How dare a mere...
Mr. Chairman!
Diet Member Kouhara is badly mistaken.
Why are you getting in my way?
Just stay put!
Um...
You may not believe this,
but Rory Mercury-san is the oldest person here.
Just how old is she?
Nine-hundred and sixty-one years old.
N-Nine hundre—
A-And how old is Tuka-san?
I'm one-hundred and sixty-five.
Don't tell me...
No, I'm 15.
I am human.
Our race lives between 60 and 70 years.
Almost all of the residents of our world are human.
Tuka is an elf. They do not age and live long.
She is a rare fairy type, who live almost eternally.
Rory was originally human, but when she became a demigod,
her body stopped aging.
After a thousand years or so, her kind abandons physical existence,
becoming first spirits, then gods.
Thus, the concept of a "lifespan" does not apply to her.
A God has descended!! #Diet Broadcast
Hell yes---!! #Diet Broadcast
Diet Member Kouhara, does this conclude your questions?
Yes.
Lastly, regarding the treatment of prisoners...
We currently hold as prisoners around 6,000 of your soldiers.
Six thousand...?
We would like to release them in response to your request.
How much ransom—
Don't worry.
Our country does not engage in the custom of demanding ransom for prisoners.
We do expect to receive something in return, though.
Ginza Incident Prisoner List
Here's a list of the prisoners.
We can turn over a small number of them immediately.
Many of the missing are children of Senators and nobles.
If they're imprisoned...
I know.
He wants them released to grant favors for them back home.
That's what he's saying.
We'd like to examine the prisoner list before we answer.
Understood.
That concludes our list of topics for the day.
Princess,
it's an honor to meet you.
That's a greeting in our world.
Clasp her hand.
I see.
Thank you for serving as our mediator for the negotiations.
I promise I'll do it.
The Special Region's residents have completed their
session at the Diet and are leaving now!
They're leaving on a bus...
Command car to all cars.
Our guests have arrived.
It opened.
So it did.
Now's not the time for that. Get on quick!
Hurry, Hurry!
Hurry!
I look like I work at some kinda shady talent agency.
Captain.
Hey, good work today.
I was panicking.
Nobody told me we were using the bus as a decoy.
Well, we met up, so it's okay, right?
They've been shaking ever since the train went underground.
They think we're taking them to the bottom of the Earth.
They've never been on a subway. Can't blame 'em.
My apologies.
It's fine...
What's wrong?
You too, Rory?
Hardy controls what's under the ground!
Hardy?
She's bad news!
Two hundred years ago she told me to marry her,
and she just wouldn't shut up about it!
She might drag me off to be her bride!
So why are you clinging to me?
To keep her away!
Hardy doesn't like men,
so if I stay like this, maybe she won't come!
No, even it's a lie, this is what I want you to say.
"D-Don't get the wrong idea."
"It's just to keep him away! It's just camouflage!"
Like that.
So creepy...
Kasumigaseki. Kasumigaseki.
Hey there.
We're moving up the schedule and going to Hakone.
We'll head to Tokyo and change trains there.
How'd the bus work?
They all fell for it.
The fact that they didn't know about the change in plans
narrows the leak down to two suspects.
Right now I'm letting it go to find out where they're headed.
Itami!
I want out!
I can't take it anymore!
We're almost there.
Two more stops.
Come on, hurry up!
Come on!
Next is Ginza. Ginza.
Hurry!
Transfer information:
Please transfer here for Hibiya and Ginza lines.
We'll be getting off here.
What?
You can't act on your own!
There's a plan for this—
The Marunouchi line is currently not functioning due to a
wiring accident between the Ginza and Tokyo stations.
There is presently no set time for it to be back online.
The Marunouchi line is currently not functioning—
The air is filthy, but it's a million times better than underground.
They're shutting down the subway?
What do you think our enemy's goal is?
A demonstration.
They want to warn us that they can hit us whenever they want.
But they failed with both the bus and the subway.
Subway Status Maru-no-uchi Line Operation Postponed • Location Ginza-Tokyo Line • Cause Wiring Issue • Recovery ETA Not Specified
Next, they'll do something more direct and obvious.
For example...
Like that.
What are you doing, moron?
Jeez.
Oh, that's...
What?
What a wimp.
It's not that heavy.
No normal person could lift that.
For tonight, head to the Ichigaya Assembly Hall...
Shall we go there, then?
No, wait a second.
We are not going to Akihabara.
That's not it...
My cellphone's shut off.
Fire at Ichigaya Assembly Hall. Could it be Arson?
My gas has been shut off.
Immediate Response Required
Not too much longer for the water...
I'm hungry.
I need to turn in one more page by tomorrow...
At least turn on the heater.
This place is cold.
F-Food!
Right, right. I bought it for you.
So warm...
Guys, come in for now.
Um... Lieutenant?
Who is that?
Oh, this is...
My ex-wife.
Ex...
...wife?
Episode 9 The Hakone Mountain Night Battle
Next time on GATE:
"The Hakone Mountain Night Battle."