01x23 - Friends (Hyoka Kazakiri)

[bunniefuu]

As it turns out,

our transfer student, Hyoka Kazakiri, isn't human.

She's an anthropomorphic manifestation

of AIM diffusion fields.

Still... what does that matter, really?

Despite all that...

she's still our friend.

Now, now, monster, there's no need for tears.

Crying only makes you look more pathetic

and that much easier to destroy!

I'm really sorry to keep you waiting.

Don't worry... Everything will be all right.

[Music]

Come on, you're stronger than that, aren't you?

You can't start crying over every little thing

that goes wrong.

Ellis!

That makes your day, doesn't it...?

Somebody actually cares about you, monster.

I guess there will always be one idiot around.

I'm not the only one.

Why would you do this for me?

Don't be ridiculous...

Why wouldn't I do it?

And I only had to say one thing to these guys...

"My friend is in trouble.

I need to help her."

I've got something to prove to you.

Whether you're human or something else,

it doesn't matter.

You still have every right to live your life.

Do you understand what I'm saying?

There is a place for you.

And there's nobody who can take that away.

You belong here, Kazakiri!

Ellis...! k*ll them all...

down to the last man!

Configuration B...!

Our top priority is civilian safety!

Fire now!

Michael...!

Raphael...!

Gabriel...!

Uriel!

Symbols of the four quarters of Heaven!

I call upon your righteous power to aid me!

Hear my call and be guided by me!

I'm scared!

Well, so far everything's going as we expected.

Not that we had terribly high expectations...

Hey, kid... are you sure about this...?

Nobody will blame you in the slightest

if you wanna to back out.

You saw it already...

You know what I can do.

I'm not backing out.

I'm the one who needs to take care of this.

Wait, Toma...!

I don't understand what's happening...

I'm scared... Don't go...!

What are you planning to do?

Haven't you guessed yet?

I'm going to stop that monster.

That's a tall order, kid...

Maybe Miss Tsukuyomi is lucky

to have you as a student after all.

Prepare, men!

Count !

Now Count !

You can't do this...!

There's no way you'll come through it alive!

I couldn't live with myself if you d*ed!

Toma!

Be careful, Kazakiri.

My right hand cancels out any supernatural power.

It doesn't matter if it's good or evil.

I doubt that you'd be an exception.

Count !

We may not be able to hold hands or anything...

but that doesn't change the fact that we're friends, does it?

I promise you, I'll come back alive.

You got that...? I swear it.

You'll survive this?

Really?

Yeah...

We'll track down Index,

and the three of us will have some fun together.

Count !

Ellis!

Fire!

Now then...

What are you playing at...?

You're trapped.

How're you going to run away now?

I don't need to run away.

Do you hear me? I don't need to run away!

I'm tired of your ranting.

Shut up!

Now to deal with this thing.

You're gonna make a second monster?

Unfortunately, sustaining two at once exceeds my powers.

However... if I play my hand correctly

there is something I can do to get out of this mess.

Cease fire immediately!

Damn... she got away.

What is she up to?

Her target was right in front of her,

and she gave up that easily?

I'm overlooking something...

What was it she told me?

That's Index's church...

Why would one of their members do something like this?

Simple. Because I want to start a w*r...

and this will be what begins it.

So, for maximum impact,

I want to make sure everyone knows

that I'm one of the Church's pawns.

Now, what was that brat's name, again?

Oh, well...

It's not as if she's the only one I can k*ll.

I do have options...

I'll be happy to take time out of my day

to k*ll you instead.

She's after Index!

Sure is hot out here.

Sure is.

Look at you.

What's with that crazy outfit you've got on...?

I can't believe you're wearing something like that

when it's this hot out.

I don't think there's anything wrong with my clothes.

Thanks to some recent modifications,

they're rather breezy.

Okay.

That's why...

It's all held together with safety pins.

Impressive. How did this get so thoroughly ripped up?

I find that memory very distressing...

I'd appreciate it if we could avoid the subject entirely.

I wonder why this is taking so long.

I can't be sure, but it sort of seemed

like the sorcerer was targeting Hyoka in particular...

and I'm almost certain the forms she was using

were of the London style...

I sure hope nothing bad has happened to Hyoka.

The other girl who was with you guys?

Is that her name, Hyoka?

Yeah...

Oh... and in this case,

Toma wasn't the one who got her involved...

I actually introduced him to her.

This time, eh?

How... interesting.

Ooh, I'm really starting to get worried.

My poor friend is trapped down there

with a t*rror1st sorcerer on the loose,

and what's worse, she's with Toma in a dimly-lit area.

With conditions like that,

any number of things could happen,

Not that I'm concerned about it,

but aren't you worried about Toma's safety at all?

Huh...? Who, Toma...?

I'm not worried about him...

No matter what happens down there,

I know Toma will make it back home in one piece.

What does she mean "make it back home?"

Don't tell me he and this girl are...

Ah...! Sphinxy, come back here!

It'll be okay...

Although, if it's all the same to you,

I think I'll just wait here.

You go ahead and catch your cat and then come back.

Cats don't care for me.

I tend to rub them the wrong way...

I would only make things worse.

Sorry about this.

I'll track him down as quickly as I can...

Sphinx...! Hold on!

Wait for Mommy!

Why haven't the barriers been lifted yet?!

We don't control them.

The mall's administration isn't our jurisdiction.

It's still going to take a little while longer for us

to get them unlocked.

Damn!

Um... Toma...

I wanna thank you...

You know, for what you did back there.

Sure thing...

Never mind that, though.

How are you holding up so far?

Oh... I'm fine...

I think.

For the most part I feel pretty normal except...

Is that giant stone creature

going to come after us again?

I don't think that sorcerer was actually running away...

My guess is she escaped

so she could go after her next target.

Her objective here is not to k*ll

either one of us specifically...

Someone else will do as long as they meet certain criteria.

Somebody else?

Yeah...

she has options to choose from...

and Index is one.

Oh, no...!

If that's the case, shouldn't we tell these people?

They can do something to protect her!

Index is not an Academy City resident...

Antiskill can't know about her...

If they find her, she could be arrested.

We can only turn to them as a last resort.

Anyway...

if I'm gonna get out, it'll be through there...

Damn.

If they would just lift the barriers,

I could easily get a head start on her.

I hate that I'm already so far behind her.

How am I gonna get down?

Uh... hold on.

Are you really going after that woman by yourself?

Index is in danger.

No, it's okay...

I mean...

it doesn't have to be you......

There's another way we can help Index.

What are you talking about?

To fight a monster...

you should send a monster, don't you think?

It's not much...

I know it's not likely

that I'll be able to defeat that giant...

but at the very least I can act as a decoy.

If that thing comes after me,

it should give Index the chance to get away.

I know that's not a lot to offer...

but what more can you expect from a monster?

Please... are you still going on about that?

Get it through your head: you're no monster...

Is that how you think I see you...?

As some thing to be thrown away?!

It's for the best...

I know it is!

I'm okay with being a monster...

It's because I'm a monster that I didn't die,

even after everything that stone creature did to me.

And it's because I'm a monster

that I'm able to stand up to that giant

and take another b*ating if I have to.

I will do it.

I will protect the people I care about, no matter what.

That's why I've made peace with it all...

That's why I'm actually glad to be a monster.

Wha...!

Kazakiri!!

I knew it...

I'm okay.

This is me.

I'm Hyoka.

There's nothing of substance here,

nothing solid.

It's all made from the AIM diffusion fields

constantly emitted by the espers.

An ephemeral city.

An unseen place that exists in the same location...

as Academy City.

I was afraid of the role I had to play here

in this illusionary town.

I would determine somebody's place in life...

just by looking at them.

I would turn their world upside down...

with no more than a single thought.

I was the spring that powered the mechanism.

My job was to breathe life

into the gigantic wind-up machine that is society...

to make the world go 'round.

I couldn't go outside.

I could look from the shadow city and see things

and people in the outside world,

but I couldn't touch anything or talk to anyone.

But then...

something changed.

For the first time, I went into the outside world.

Excuse me...

It's simple... just push the button.

Today, for the first time, I spoke...

For the first time, I put on real clothes...

For the first time, a boy saw me undressed.

For the first time, I went to an arcade...

where a boy saw me undressed again.

Today... for the first time...

I made friends.

When she finds out what I truly am,

that I'm a monster...

Index may not want to be my friend anymore.

But even so...

I'll save her.

I will!

There you are, little rascal!

If you don't stop being so difficult,

you're going to be in a heap of trouble, young man!

Come on... we have to go back to the loudmouth...

You behave.

That sounds like...

like footsteps?!

Basic theory from Kabbalah.

Originated in the sixteenth century...

Primary application is defense

and the elimination of hostiles.

English Puritan formula combined with the original...

Linguistic derivation changed from Hebrew to English.

Judging by formulaic construct...

remote controlled.

And in that case...

TTTR!

CFA.

PIOBTLL

I'm not able to use magic to fight against it...

but I am able to disrupt the spell a bit.

"Spell Intercept"...

Using imposition chants to cut off the caster's control.

CR, BBF, TTNATWITOD

Manipulating him isn't enough.

His self-repair operations run in cycles...

I'll backtrack them.

Wait for an opening.

Right there!

This might work.

CR...

MBFPADCOG!

This isn't good...

He switched from remote to self-control.

I can't intercept anymore!

Toma...

[Music]

Things are becoming more and more complicated.

But no matter what happens...

one thing is certain.

Next time "Imaginary Number School District

Five-Element Agency."

When science and magic cross paths,

a story is born.