03x16 - The Governing Board

[bunniefuu]

[HAMAZURA panting]

[crash]

[HAMAZURA] Damn it!

Of all the buildings in the city,

why did they have to choose this one?

[door opens]

I hate to do this, but we gotta go.

I need to get into those buildings with the private roo--

Too bad.

Hijacking an ex-member of Academy City's

air defense won't work.

I'm surprised it isn't assumed by now

that pilots carry weapons.

[phone buzzing]

What's wrong?

Don't you need to get that?

[phone buzzing]

[TAKITSUBO] Hamazura.

Takitsubo, are you all right?

And where are you?

[TAKITSUBO] I'm at our meetup place.

The private room.

I heard...

Please tell me you're not hurt.

[TAKITSUBO] I'm fine.

[crash]

Takitsubo!

I'm okay.

I found a safe place to take shelter for now.

Luckily it doesn't seem like they've even noticed

I'm in here.

[HAMAZURA] Hold on, then why do you sound like

you're so exhausted?

Just feeling a little worse now, and I'm short of breath.

It's nothing that you need to be worried about, though.

[HAMAZURA] Got it. It's going to be all right.

I'll be over there soon.

I'm coming to save you. I promise.

So just hang in there a little while longer.

[TAKITSUBO] No! Please don't!

You have to stay away.

I've counted ten of them.

All with submachine g*ns and grenades at the ready.

If you come barging in now,

you won't be able to handle them on your own.

So please stay where you are!

I can't. I'm coming.

You hear me? I'm on my way!

[HAMAZURA] Please.

You can charge me with whatever you want.

I wouldn't care if you dropped me into the pits of Hell.

All I want to do is rescue my friend.

Then I'm all yours.

Please help.

[PILOT A] You should've said that sooner.

I've been h*jacked.

The culprit is carrying a g*n.

He's also got a small metal drum filled with liquid.

Out of regard for the lives of local residents,

I'm going to do what he has asked of me.

But why?

I can't just say I'm going off-route because

some kid insisted.

And I should warn you, they're not going to let us land.

[HAMAZURA] I know.

[HAMAZURA] What's that?

[PILOT A] An imitation tree, of course.

Having a real tree here would hamper takeoffs and landings.

[HAMAZURA] Yeah, that makes sense.

[HAMAZURA yells]

[HAMAZURA grunting]

--[HAMAZURA] Ow! --[t*rrorists] Huh?

[t*rrorists grunt]

[HAMAZURA] I'm coming, partner.

Even to the depths of Hell.

[t*rror1st B] When are we supposed to join Stephanie?

Will she be giving us a signal?

[g*nsh*t]

[t*rror1st A] Is that B Team on the roof?

[t*rrorists grunt]

[ACCELERATOR chuckles]

[t*rror1st C] Hey. This is the th floor!

What do I care?

[t*rrorists grunt]

[ACCELERATOR laughs]

--[g*nshots] --[t*rrorists grunt]

Who're you?

That doesn't matter, does it?

[g*nshots]

If you're serious about keeping this city safe,

take more care in doing so.

Are you gonna answer my question,

or do you just want to die right here?

I'm Sugitani.

I pray we never see each other again.

So please make every effort to see we do not.

Tsuchimikado?

Yeah, I just cleaned house on Spark Signal.

Now get up here and help me check for any traps

or remaining injured.

[thud]

Huh?

[ACCELERATOR] Are you an acute case or something?

Don't tell me you're pregnant too.

I don't have time to deal with that.

[HAMAZURA] Hey!

What do you think you're doing?

Answer me! What are you trying to do to Takitsubo?

Well, Level Five?

Does it feel good sneaking around in the dark

terrorizing innocent people?

If you're seriously planning to take something

precious away from me,

then this is the end for you, Mr. Tough Guy!

Back off!

[ACCELERATOR chuckles] I kinda like you.

You'd make a good villain.

[HAMAZURA grunts]

[ACCELERATOR] It's over.

Stay down and I'll leave you alone.

Move, I'll blow right through you.

[HAMAZURA yells]

[ACCELERATOR] Your life is in your hands.

What would you like to do with it?

[HAMAZURA] Isn't that obvious?

Not like I have a choice.

You don't have any reason to back away

from this, do you? [coughs]

I'm not gonna be scarred for life if I k*ll you

if that's what you're asking.

But of course,

that would be against the rules, wouldn't it?

[HAMAZURA] Takitsubo.

[ACCELERATOR] What's it going to be, then?

If you'd like to continue, I'll smash you

to a bloody pulp.

But if that kid is gonna stand in our way,

we can go back to square one.

And this is an example of a villainous aesthetic.

[HAMAZURA] What's going on?

Have I made a mistake somehow?

Hamazura?

I'm so pathetic, aren't I?

I say I'm coming to save you, then I end up like this.

What's even better,

I told off the guy who probably saved your life.

Man, I really screwed that up.

[TAKITSUBO] No, that's not true.

Hamazura, you came here without any back-up

and risked your life--

I would never call that pathetic.

[HAMAZURA] You... wouldn't?

If you really believe that, why are you crying?

[TAKITSUBO crying]

[HAMAZURA] Nothing has changed.

I'm still here.

I'm the same Hamazura I've always been.

I'm fine being called a third-string punk.

But at the very least,

I wanna be the kind of man who can preserve

her smile.

They're going ultra-wild and tearing it up in there.

I may be too late to join them.

But I can ultra-help with their escape plan.

[KINUHATA yelps]

[CROWD gasps]

Something like a shotgun should be ultra-no-problem.

--[g*nshots] --[CROWD gasps]

Was that an a*t*matic shotgun?

[STEPHANIE] Yoo-hoo!

Let me guess, you must be Saiai Kinuhata, right?

I'm so glad I decided to use irrelevant former

Spark Signal members as bait.

My name is Stephanie Gorgeouspalace.

I'm a sn*per with a mission to eliminate all

who've wronged Sunazara.

And yet you're still here.

If I were you, I'd be making my peace right about now.

[TSUCHIMIKADO] Every last person who tries to find out anything

about DRAGON gets eliminated.

Heh. And that's exactly the way Shiokishi wants it.

Fascinating.

I still wish we knew more about this "DRAGON" business.

I have an opinion from a magic perspective.

Typically when you hear the word "dragon,"

it evokes a certain imagery of religious metaphors.

Like angels, for example.

Angels?

On September th,

angel wings appeared in Academy City.

The name of the virus that bastard Kihara

was using was also "Angel."

Perhaps "Angel" and "DRAGON" are tied together somehow.

DRAGON is connected to Last Order!

So, does that mean there's something more

going on with that experiment?

Is this all part of someone's plan?

It's that Shiokishi bastard.

I suppose that means now we've all become

targets of his.

Well, the good news is that the enemy has been revealed.

Which means the priority is to find out what the lineup is.

[ACCELERATOR gasps]

[ACCELERATOR] The electricity's been cut off?

This is bad.

I can't collect my thoughts.

[footsteps]

[ACCELERATOR] You again.

Did you know that in a pinch,

the body will continue to work on its own?

Which means the man who saved my teacher's life

didn't have to die.

Who's putting you up to this?

Is it another one of Shiokishi's traps?

It's true.

You and I are both products of the same profession.

But still.

Regardless of how criminal it may seem,

the fact remains that you saved someone

who is dearer to me than life itself.

I owed you this.

So now I'm paying you back.

[ACCELERATOR] Just keep driving, okay?

[HIGH SCHOOL BOY A] Where are you planning to go?

[ACCELERATOR] I have to k*ll that bastard Shiokishi.

When he finds out he didn't finish me off,

he's gonna take advantage of the most vulnerable

weakness I have.

But there's more than just her I must fight to protect.

I have to protect everything to fight him.

Either that, or...

[ACCELERATOR chuckles]

[ACCELERATOR] There's an easier way.

Early bird catches the worm.

For someone as drenched in blood as me,

doing it like that instead might be more appropriate.

[TSUCHIMIKADO] Listen close, Accelerator,

head straight for the observatory in

School District .

Huh? Why, is that where Shiokishi's secret hiding place

is or something?

[TSUCHIMIKADO] No.

But this fight in particular is gonna require

some additional political preparation.

We need to find someone who has the same kind of pull

as the governing board.

Know anyone?

I sure don't.

[TSUCHIMIKADO] Monaka Oyafune.

She's hosting a stargazing party for all the children

who were being held by the t*rrorists.

She's got the biggest heart of anyone on the governing board.

I don't like taking advantage of kindness,

but she owes us one.

[SECRETARY A] Please leave.

Ms. Oyafune no longer wants to live a life

that leads her into both light and darkness.

You should understand that.

As someone who lives in the world of darkness,

you know how difficult it can be.

Yeah, I guess you're right.

Sorry to bother you.

I do have one question, though.

Do you have any idea what happened to Oyafune?

Has to do with her daughter.

Huh?

During the time when she was promoting regulations

that would control the export of weapons,

she received an unfired p*stol addressed to her.

A photo of her daughter was also in that package.

Ultimately, nothing came of it.

But I suspect it was Shiokishi.

He is quite the w*r hawk, after all.

It was after that that Ms. Oyafune left the front lines.

If she gets involved with you, then once again...

I get it.

[MONAKA] Excuse me.

Who is this gentleman?

I'm nobody, lady.

I was just asking for directions.

[SECRETARY A] You must have had some idea that this would

be the case, and yet you still came here.

Tell me what's happened!

[ACCELERATOR] What difference does it make?

No matter what trouble I may endure

with that son of a bitch Shiokishi,

I'm pretty certain you're better off not knowing about it.

I'm sorry.

[ACCELERATOR] Don't be. It's my problem.

I should have just gone it alone to begin with.

After the fight with that bastard is over,

I'll be treated like a t*rror1st.

But so what?

I've already made up my mind.

And what's more, even if I turn that kid

I'm trying to protect against me,

I'm still going to keep fighting for her safety.

It doesn't change my obligations.

[BOY VICTIM A] Hey! Don't I know you?

You're that hero from earlier, aren't you?

What are you doing out here?

That's none of your business, kid.

You're going somewhere to fight again, aren't you?

You're off to save more people, like you did before.

I want you to take me with you!

I'll fight by your side!

You gotta be kidding me, you little brat.

Can you even hear the words coming out of your mouth?

I just know that wherever you're going

is probably gonna be super dangerous.

If there are people who are in as much trouble as I was,

then I want to help them like you helped me!

[ACCELERATOR] That's not necessary.

An almighty Level Five doesn't need help.

Come on!

I don't want to stay here and watch Academy City

get turned over to all those stupid cowards!

--[GUARD A] All right. --[TEACHER A] Let's go.

[MONAKA] It's true, then?

You are planning to fight him, aren't you?

Be honest.

Ms. Oyafune!

[MONAKA] Who exactly were these "cowards" that young boy

was speaking of?

Does that refer to the darkness that lurks in the city,

or to those who know of this darkness

but give up the fight?

What am I supposed to do at this point?

Nobody cares.

This is your life, isn't it?

You get to decide.

[SECRETARY A gasps] Ms. Oyafune?

[MONAKA] My eyes have finally been opened.

I've decided on the best course of action.

We're going to Shiokishi's place.

[HAMAZURA] Did you get in touch with Kinuhata?

Not yet. My calls aren't going through.

I wonder if something happened.

We waited as long as we could for her to show up.

So then... How are we going to find her?

Let's not forget, she's a tough Level Four.

She's stronger than us.

It'll take something substantial to k*ll her.

[CROWD yelling]

[HAMAZURA] Now what's going on?

That looks pretty substantial to me!

Hamazura, over there.

She could be in that underground mall.

[HAMAZURA] This is such a mess.

What now?

Keep going or turn back?

Wait. Look.

[HAMAZURA] Kinuhata!

Ultra-hit the deck now!

Darn, so close.

I figured that since your ability uses nitrogen,

it might be smart to do something about the air.

You see, there's a momentary vacuum

created by the blast that I thought would be perfect

for pumping you full of lead.

Go on! Both of you, ultra-get out of here!

Get down!

[g*nshots]

[SHIOKISHI] The board authorization system has been

activated?

So she's decided to use that here, has she?

What would you like me to do?

It appears that her activation has neutralized

the political defense functionality.

Also...

[SHIOKISHI] GROUP? Why, that vixen!

What do you think the chances are that she'll actually

resort to using hardline measures?

[SHIOKISHI] It does have something to do with DRAGON,

after all.

They're certain to be coming.

So we will engage them here.

This is all-out w*r!

[SUGITANI] Yes, sir.

Oh, great. You see that thing on top? It's an AIM jammer.

Control over our abilities is about to be pretty restricted.

Ha.

He knew we would come and already covered

his bases against us.

So, then, what is our plan of action?

[ACCELERATOR] Isn't it obvious?

We continue to break straight through.

[ACCELERATOR] Let's go.

Tsuchimikado, you stay here and stand guard.

Ms. Oyafune, your job will be to speak with Shiokishi.

One on one.

Accelerator and I will stay just ahead of you

and break down the walls as we go along.

But be prepared to stand right in the line

of fire at the very end.

[ACCELERATOR] Musujime!

It isn't working.

I think something else must have happened

on the other side of this wall.

So you're useless.

[SUGITANI] Might I challenge you two to a fight?

You don't listen to instructions, do you?

I said I didn't want to see you again.

And yet, here you are walking straight toward me.

I said to make every effort to prevent it.

Clearly you haven't.

[ACCELERATOR] Why don't you tell us what you know about DRAGON?

[dart whizzes]

[SUGITANI] Poison.

Musujime has the ability to pass through walls,

so naturally that makes her a much higher priority

than you.

[ACCELERATOR] Are you gonna tell me who you are?

Who am I?

A descendent of the Koga.

I'm part of a band of dastardly spies

who have been doing this sort of work

in the name of justice since the times of old.

Oyafune is being handled.

Once she is eliminated,

the rest of Academy City's collective power

can be mobilized, and that will be the end of you.

And then, once we have Last Order secured

as our final card, it'll be over.

[MONAKA] What I'd like to request of you is

quite simple, really.

Henceforth, the following must be changed.

I want you to permanently remove the stipulations

in your plans that allow you to incorporate

and consume the lives of others at will.

That's all.

This is something everyone else has observed

as a matter of course.

I'd also like you to tell me more of what you know

about DRAGON.

[SHIOKISHI] What makes you think I know more?

It's just something that the fellows in GROUP

requested of me to ask.

[SHIOKISHI] I see.

I am doing nothing more than carrying out matters

point by point that are necessary to keep

Academy City safe.

"DRAGON" is just a word that carries the virtue

of sounding dangerous.

You might even call it barbaric.

But that's because you don't know

what's behind DRAGON.

From what you say, I understand it well.

Too well. See, I too carry out actions

that could be called barbaric.

[SHIOKISHI] Are we at an impasse?

We both wish to protect Academy City,

but that seems to mean different things to each of us.

[SHIOKISHI] I see.

That thought never crossed your mind, did it?

You didn't think about the possibility

that we might have some things in common--

such as taking steps ahead of time to defend

our own lives.

Must've caught you by surprise.

[SHIOKISHI] Wh-What?!

Mitsuki Unabara!

Is that really the name you wanna go with?

I was so sure you were gonna call me "Etzali."

Oh, well. My mistake.

That coward...

So then where's the real Oyafune?

Does this mean she's around somewhere

watching from a safe distance?

That's a very good question.

The talisman I use is actually made with live human skin.

Knowing that, Ms. Oyafune still didn't hesitate

to give a sample.

You call her a coward, but peeling ten centimeters

of skin from her arm must have been pretty painful.

Now, why don't you tell me more about DRAGON?

Unless of course

you're curious about the pain Ms. Oyafune endured?

Maybe you could see for yourself

what that "coward" went through.

[SHIOKISHI grunts]

Minobe!

Here's a helpful tip.

Always have two security outfits on hand

in case someone in proximity decides to betray you.

If it comes down to it,

they can always end up k*lling each other.

[chuckles]

Huh?!

What is this?

Why? Why have all other security guards besides you two

been k*lled?

[gasps]

[UNABARA] It can't be!

[MINOBE] And why not?

Did you not consider the possibility that others

may have infiltrated the darker side of Academy City

just as you have done?

[UNABARA] Técpatl! And Tochtli!

[KAMIJO] It appears in the form of Fuse=KAZAKIRI.

The aeon passes from Osiris to Horus.

"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law."

Next time, "DRAGON."

When science and magic cross paths, a story is born.