"A near future not quite so informatized
that nations and races have disappeared,"
"though corporate Nets have covered the planet
and electrons and light stream everywhere..."
We've successfully packaged
the virus with cyberbrains.
Fire-Starter can create
all the soldiers we want.
The world's cyber economy
has only just begun.
I'll pay whatever it takes
to reconcile with the cartel...
True magic is the science of sciences.
Could you move your car, sir?
I'm with Public Security.
How'd it go?
Bingo.
The bottom of the braincase has been warped
by high pressure from directly below.
It's charred. I can't analyze it like this.
We'll have to infiltrate the lab.
Flight 381 crashed because
this guy blew himself up with an Ariel.
Guess this was his target?
"Group of Foreign Cyberbrain Engineers on Flight
"Group of Foreign Cyberbrain Engineers
on Flight 381 Assumed Dead."
"Group of Foreign Cyberbrain Engineers on Flight 381
Assumed Dead" Beats me. The issue is, why'd he do it?
Beats me. The issue is, why'd he do it?
Who is he?
Tei Murasaka, male, age 32.
A stockbroker with dual
Japanese and American citizenship?
No criminal record. His address is...
Damn, someone b*at us?
I love my job!
You've got to be kidding me.
What?!
Stop right there!
sh*t!
Hello!
Behave yourself.
This guy...
You mind telling me why an American
agent b*at us to the suspect's condo?
Because you moved too fast.
You'd already charged in by the time
the report made it through
Foreign Affairs to me.
Blame the bureaucracy for that.
Your team failed to call me directly.
Why didn't you tell me you'd connected
the att*ck on Flight 381 with Fire-Starter?
The intel came through my personal Net.
I can't reveal my source.
I see. Then let's make a deal.
The man you were after, Tei Murasaka,
isn't a stockbroker... he's an
American intelligence agent.
Who told you that?
His colleague.
Murasaka is indeed an agent of ours.
Nice to meet you, Major Kusanagi.
I'm Jeril, with American Army intelligence.
This is our recommended prosthetic body for
diplomatic activities. Is there a problem?
No.
Well? Have you been pursuing
Fire-Starter's broker, too?
Yes. We refer to him as "Pyromaniac",
because his virus sales unleash
Fire-Starter damage wherever he goes.
I'd love to have your help capturing him.
If you're looking to catch a firebug,
aren't you asking the wrong department?
You're the only firefighter with a
record of success against Fire-Starter.
I believe that makes you the
right observer of our capture op.
Describe this op.
Pyromaniac is in Japan right now
to carry out a hit on
Colonel Hozumi for the cartel.
Our antivirus specialist Murasaka was
on his trail, but we abruptly lost contact.
And by the time you found him,
he'd already been infected
and made the t*rror1st
att*ck on Flight 381.
Foreign Affairs passed along
a request for a joint operation.
You join in.
My team, under American Army command?
The deal's already been done.
Fine.
In exchange, I get to personally
interrogate Hozumi and analyze the virus.
So you're telling us to
join the fire brigade?
You're not the relief pitcher type.
We just have to use the authority
they gave us to b*at them to him.
We'll transfer Hozumi from the
Army Medical Center to the courthouse.
The theory is that Pyromaniac
will target her en route.
The Army's setting up an encirclement.
We'll predict the enemy's movements
and put out the sparks before they grow.
We're fire doors now?!
And under Yankee supervision, too.
But once a game starts,
it belongs to the players.
We'll be the ones to get Fire-Starter.
You plan to snatch their whole case?!
Problem?
Nah, I was getting sick
of this dump anyway.
Borma, you keep following up
on the Flight 381 bombing.
Paz, go through Murasaka's
background with a fine-tooth comb.
Ishikawa, look for data on Pyromaniac,
and find out how he got Fire-Starter.
Batou, Togusa, and Saito,
eliminate every possible way to hit Hozumi.
What'll you do?
I'll get the bait we need to trap him.
How does it feel to be nothing
but a head, Colonel Hozumi?
The false signals aren't too bad. I wouldn't
call the experience pleasant, though.
What brings you here?
Your past ties to the
cartel make you useful.
That's it? Just k*ll me.
Pyromaniac wants to get rid
of the information in your brain.
You'll be our bait to lure him out.
I'm a witness!
And as long as you stay within
my sight and my reach, I'll protect you.
The negotiations are complete.
- Understood.
- All as planned.
Only by struggle and
toil can we fulfill our duty,
and only information can bring true joy.
I made the barriers around
the facility nice and thick.
We're sure to pick up on any
infiltration by an outside Net.
Togusa here. I'm done
checking out the transport route.
No problems yet.
I'm almost done marking
the main sn*per perches.
Now it all depends on
how good their sn*pers are.
Mr. Saito!
Where should we go next?
Wherever the wind blows, kid.
Oh, wow! Okay, I'll turn to windward!
Listen, what if he gets inside
disguised as a Public Security guy
or a prosthetics tech?
Hospital or not, this is an Army facility.
You worry too much, rookie.
Would we bother setting up a cordon
like this if the perp were that dumb?
Don't make me laugh.
The Prime Minister approved
your request to use Hozumi as bait.
But do not let her die.
She's got a lot of state secrets
in her un-cyberized regions.
I'm aware.
We've prepped the hospital area.
I've done all an "observer" can.
Major, I found out who
Murasaka was tailing.
An upstanding citizen volunteered the info.
He was apparently after a cyber-drug
dealer by the name of Galvez Garcia.
Is he Pyromaniac?
Dunno.
But Murasaka dropped off the map
right after attempting contact with him.
That's all I got here. I'll keep digging.
Good.
This guy, eh?
Mr. Saito!
I made sure all the
sn*pers are in position!
"Cyberbrain Neurology"
I'm seeing delays in your storage cells.
I'll order some medicinal micromachines
to slow down the cyberbrain sclerosis.
We'll begin the transfer in twenty minutes.
Your security arrangements are watertight.
We could perfect them even
more if we were in command.
I can't allow that.
Now it's a matter of whether
our prey walks into our trap.
American spies and super-class-A
hackers... what reliable escorts.
We're not doing this for you.
This is for us.
I'm cutting you off from
all Nets for a while.
I'll get a good night's sleep.
What is this?
Cyberbrain contamination!
What?
It's him.
He's infiltrated...
Batou!
He hasn't tripped any warnings here!
Who is this guy?
Hey.
What's wrong? Are you okay?
Hey!
sh*t! This again?!
A hacking?!
The Army's encrypted
channel is being hacked!
Cut the connection,
or everyone's brains will be fried!
I can't! It's locked...
Is Hozumi all right?
You can't pierce a
titanium braincase with a 9 mm.
What do you intend to do?
Connect you to the Net,
using myself as a bypass.
Major!
I told you: She's my bait.
We'll lure Pyromaniac in and capture him.
Failure is unacceptable. Make it work.
Ishikawa! Access my cyberbrain now.
We have a job to do.
A rough one, too, if
you're talking like that.
Use Hozumi as a decoy?!
Ape-Face is gonna throttle you.
I got permission.
Pyromaniac should come to fry Hozumi's
brain the second we connect her to the Net.
When he tries to access her,
keep her guarded and tie down his lines.
While he's distracted, I'll run
a trace and pinpoint his location.
You make it sound so easy.
Major!
You called and we came!
Yay!
We're starting now.
Okay!
Wow, amazing processing speed!
att*ck barrier being hacked.
Gotta restore it!
You are the greatest sinner here.
You are the true servant of the Devil.
Quotes from Bryusov's The Fiery Angel?
I tied down his lines.
Let all be cast into the flames.
You're not getting away!
Major?!
Did he whiteout?
Does that mean he's dead?
Concentrate on your work!
Time to initialize!
He's throwing too many punches!
What's going on here?!
He must be using the soldiers'
cyberbrains to clone the virus.
What the heck?
Logicomas, one of you
synchronize with my Net.
We'll clone his virus and counterattack.
Huh?! But that will halve
our processing power...
Just do it!
Right!
Oh, dear.
Pardon me!
Major, his transfer speed...
Yes. Pyromaniac is hacking us
from somewhere in this building.
I don't want to burden my lines.
Chief, call Batou and Togusa over here.
Have them search the building
until I pinpoint his location.
All right.
Where are you, Pyromaniac?
Major! The barrier can't take any more!
We're almost there. Hold out.
I found him!
Major?!
Police! Don't move!
Yes, the deal's come off as planned.
This is the key to the Third World.
Drive.
They say he was driven by layer upon
overwritten layer of false memories.
We didn't find any evidence
tying him to the virus's creator,
nor did we find
Fire-Starter's original code.
He erased the source along with
himself... or rather, someone else did?
Unconfirmed. We'll have to
wait for the specialists' analysis.
When I accessed that man directly,
I didn't sense a Ghost.
Fire-Starter will spark the
evolution of all men's Ghosts.
Therefore, it must be protected.
It must use cyberbrains to version up,
then be returned to the Net.
I will go on living even after my death.
The original Fire-Starter...
I will track it down.
I will go on living even after my death.
Explain this to me.
The "Pyromaniac" in custody isn't Galvez?
They've run ID checks on
the corpses at the crash site,
and they found one they think is Galvez.
A 97%-probability match...
Who the hell did we capture, then?
I don't know. Respected cyberbrain
engineers are looking into that,
as well as how he got Fire-Starter.
Lots of unfamiliar names on that list.
Most of the well-known engineers are dead,
since they were on Murasaka's flight.
I hear almost all of those
were corporate advisors.
And connected to American
intelligence, too.
Why do you know that?!
It's not something worth hiding, is it?
I assume the Americans planned to use
them to analyze Pyromaniac after the op...
here in Japan.
It was going to be a
joint investigation, but yes.
They were probably just political
opportunists on corporate retainers.
I doubt they could manage
a decent analysis anyway.
You're saying there's another way?
It'd be faster for me to look into it.
Or you could let me analyze Hozumi...
I can't let you do either.
You don't have authority.
So give me authority. And a budget.
I'm ironing things out
with the Prime Minister.
Look through this.
What is this?
A job for your team.
Hozumi's being secretly handed
over to the Americans at 0100 hours.
You transport her.
We're giving top secret
intel to the Americans?
The state secrets in her
cyberbrain will be returned to us,
and Hozumi will ostensibly be in exile.
Excuse me, ma'am,
do you have an appointment?
Yes. Here's my interview request form.
I didn't think we'd meet like this again.
Our fates must be tied.
Pyromaniac just set back the schedule.
Trust me, I didn't want to come here twice.
Everyone who uses the Fire-Starter
virus believes it will change the world.
You only believe in the reality
before you, so you wouldn't understand.
Thanks for your opinion,
but we're done chatting.
This is goodbye, ex-Colonel Hozumi.
The Net will give me life after death.
It's getting foggy!
Will our optical camouflage do any good?
If this snow keeps piling up,
fog won't be the issue.
Oh!
Men!
Time for our field trip.
She's in a bad mood.
Because it's a rookie job. We already
took care of most of the guys after Hozumi.
Her cyberbrain's gonna be scrapped.
Why not transport it like industrial waste?
She's being kept alive
because she's still useful.
While she's alive,
we have to treat her that way.
Awfully noble words
for someone so pissed off.
Was the old ape snide at you?
No. Let's load her in
the truck and get moving.
Major!
The job's going as planned, Chief.
Pyromaniac just broke free.
He escaped?!
All security in the
facility has been silenced.
Hold on, I'm looping in my men.
Go.
He gave all the engineers and two of
the American agents cyberbrain death.
Those are all the security codes, I swear!
Let all be cast into the flames.
No, don't...
He stole the security codes of
all the engineers we convened,
and now he's on the loose.
So he was after those codes the
whole time, and he let us catch him?
What's the next play?
We're working with the
Americans now to track him down.
You transport Hozumi as planned.
Pyromaniac is only acting on false
memories Fire-Starter overwrote him with.
If he shows up, let the
Americans make the arrest.
Avoid contact if at all possible.
And if impossible?
I authorize deadly force.
Now that we know we can't
get useful information from him,
don't take unnecessary risks.
Your answer?
Yes, sir.
You keep your promises.
Are you a fellow disciple of the flame?
No, you're just an extension
of my plans. I'm only using you.
Fire-Starter will spark the
evolution of all men's Ghosts.
Therefore, it must be protected.
It must use cyberbrains to version up...
then be returned to the Net?
Yes.
I'll grant you your wish.
Then I shall fight for what I believe in.
To burn everything to ash...
Are we gonna hand over Hozumi
and call it a day, like the old ape said?
Unless there are complications.
If he lost his selfhood before
he was captured, how did he escape?
You're saying he had inside help?
It's likely.
If Pyromaniac erased the security cameras,
we might as well give up hope.
Anyway, our options are limited.
Without footage, finding him will
take good, old-fashioned legwork.
Ugh, crime scene investigation?
I'll let the new guy do the boring stuff.
You're a prince.
What just happened?!
Missiles!
It's a UCAV.
An American combat drone?!
I've been expecting you, Pyromaniac.
Someone leaked our location.
He must've gotten to the agents.
Come in, Chief. It's Kusanagi.
Looks like we're cut off from HQ.
We can't win without attacking
Pyromaniac. What now, Major?
Major, I can't get the right angle!
You three focus on shielding us!
Roger!
Huh? It's going home.
No.
He cut off our retreat and led us here.
Don't let your guard down.
Great, an American Army base?
Can't say I'm thrilled.
What?!
Major!
sh*t.
We're here!
That was close, huh?
Those guys were American Special Forces.
With the virus controlling
'em they're no smarter than Als,
but the optical camouflage is a problem.
Yep, we're surrounded.
He's obsessed. Who takes things this far?
They don't call you
"maniac" for being sane.
This guy'll blow up a plane
just to get rid of engineers
who might make a Fire-Starter vaccine.
We've got the Major, who did make one,
and Hozumi, who knows the source.
He'd do whatever it took to k*ll them.
This is a bad joke.
Ishikawa.
Find a terminal and
get back our line to the Chief.
Take Paz and Togusa.
Borma, try to keep the soldiers at
a distance. Saito, ditto the chopper.
Batou, take two Logicomas and back them up.
I'm the decoy now?!
What're you gonna do?
Take Hozumi's head and run?
I'll use the last Logicoma as a
booster and seize Pyromaniac's Net.
Can you do that with just one?
I'll use my personal Net.
Personal?
I run hacking tests whenever
I build a security system.
I have a network made up
of the debuggers I use.
Section 9's security codes
have probably been overwritten.
I might have some trouble reconnecting.
Work as fast as you can.
We'll need the Chief's backroom
dealing if this turns into open battle.
Let's go!
Okay!
What if they storm you during your dive?!
We can't protect you from out there!
You can have command if they do!
Don't die.
Logicomas!
Okay!
Wow, is this your personal Net, Major?
Yes. The Nets run by corporate
admins don't even compare.
This is a b*ttlefield where
distrustful barbarians gather.
Anyone want to join a game of mine?
Want to join?!
They took the bait.
Are you getting the hackers
to eradicate the virus?
Of course not. They're only breaking through
the soldiers' barriers to disable them.
Huh?! But the Army uses att*ck barriers!
So? Focus on your own work.
Someone is trying to
cr*ck you from outside.
He's here.
You maintain these connections.
Roger!
Phony cyberbrain space?
Looks like a Kuzan b*ttlefield...
I still don't sense a Ghost.
So the virus itself is running him?
Is this what you saw... or rather,
Galvez's memory?
Who are you?
I am Galvez, and Emma, and Murasaka.
All Ghosts are me.
An aggregate of the false memories, then.
That's not what we call a "Ghost".
You're nothing but
a vessel created by the virus.
Looks like the Major's doing well.
Okay.
Did he get it?
sh*t!
I have received a revelation from
Fire-Starter. That is my everything.
I must burn all threats to Fire-Starter.
So your goal is to eliminate all
possibility of erasing the virus.
Ultimately, you're another
one of its puppets.
If your personality is nothing
but false memories it molded,
further conversation is meaningless.
Major, should we take control?
Our chances of bulldozing
him aren't good. Leave him to me.
Fire-Starter will spark the
evolution of all men's Ghosts.
Your cyberbrain will become
fuel to version up the flames.
I'm out of a*mo!
sh*t!
We're back online!
What is it?
This is Ishikawa, Chief.
That Pyromaniac guy...
This is bad...
Uh-oh!
Major!
Major, time to withdraw!
She's still in her dive!
Dammit! I'm draggin' you with me!
You are the greatest sinner here.
Link with me, and go on
living even after your death.
Sorry, but I'm not that
pessimistic about the real world.
And I'm not at an age where
I worry about the afterlife.
It's over, Pyromaniac. Disappear.
Good work.
What the...?
Major!
Batou, is this your doing?
You took care of things?
Yes.
What happened to Pyromaniac?
He's extinct.
Pyromaniac's cyberbrain held nothing
but memories related to the hit on Hozumi
and a few deeply implanted
lines from The Fiery Angel.
This whole mess will be tied up in secret,
after some fairly involved negotiations.
I told you, you should've let me handle it.
Lay off.
Just be grateful you're not getting
punished for trashing an American base.
I'll have their agents stay out of
the Pyromaniac affair for now, too.
They knew about the Flight 381
bombing in advance, didn't they?
Fire-Starter switched hosts because
the Americans crowded Galvez.
They knew it was going to take
Murasaka and the engineers down,
but they waited until Pyromaniac had
security codes from around the globe.
Where did you hear that?
Did you think I'd come back
from a dive empty-handed?
I found an agent's memories in
Pyromaniac's auxiliary cyberbrain.
I'll do you a favor and pretend
I didn't hear that. Keep it to yourself.
Put on a uniform. We'll meet at the
Prime Minister's residence at 0900 hours.
He wants to personally thank your squad
for nabbing the t*rror1st
behind Flight 381.
We've finished refining the virus.
Not much longer now...
You must be Kusanagi.
I hear you've done us a great service.
Thank you, sir.
Ghost in the Shell Arise: Border 5 - Pyrophoric Cult (2015)
Moderator: Maskath3