Place Promised in Our Early Days, The (2004)

[bunniefuu]

She always said she felt like
she was losing something.

At the time...

...I was in middle school, and couldn't
understand what she meant.

But...

...those words had a strange effect on me.

It was before the w*r...

The big island of Ezo belonged
to another country.

Wow!

A plane?!

Now, those days are long gone.

Our promised place was beyond those clouds.

KUMO NO MUKOU, YAKUSOKU NO BASHO

In between the oh-so
violent...

[March. Aomori Prefecture,
Tsugaru District.]
...fevers and gasping...

...you asked me to get...

...the last bowl-ful of snow,
descended from the skies...

The realm of galaxies and
suns and atmospheres...

Upon two quarry-blocks of granite...

...where the sleet is
lonesomely deposited...

I perched upon them precariously.

And from the glistening pine-boughs...

...filled with cold transparent
beads that maintain...

...the hoar-white, two-phase
equilibria betwixt snow and water,...

- ... at the time, we were
drawn by two things.

- I shall take away the
last food for my little sister.

How much more time do we have?

We're still okay.
How much more time do we have?

Here you go.

Hot!

Thank you.

When do you want to go to work next, Hiroki?

My club meets tomorrow,
so probably the day after.

What about you, Takuya?

Tomorrow morning is my last practice...

So we'll go the day after tomorrow?

Sounds good.

One was our classmate, Sawatari Sayuri...

The other was the giant tower
across the Tsugaru Strait.

I was always looking up at that tower.

I felt that something very
precious waited there.

I yearned to go there.

One day...

One day...

...I will go there.

Shirakawa-senpai!

We'll go on ahead.

Ah, thanks.

Umm, since you guys are
quitting the club today...

We wanted to give you something.

Go on, Kana-chan.

Hey... wait...

Umm...

So you turned her down? Like always?

Yeah.

That freshman, Matsura...

She's cute.

So go out with her.

What?

If it were you, would you go out with her?

Huh? No... why am I...?

Is there someone you like?

Huh... why?

Well, I think she's cute, but...

To go out with her...

I wouldn't even know what to do...

You weren't the one she confessed to.

You're the one who asked me!

Sawatari!

Fujisawa-kun!

Sawatari...

You're going home pretty late.

Yeah. It got late while I was practicing.

The violin?

Yeah.

You aren't with Shirakawa-kun today?

No, I went to my club today.

I see you practicing archery by
yourself once in a while, Fujisawa-kun.

Y- Yeah...

I'm not very good.
I can't really seem to concentrate well.

What are you going to do over
spring break, Fujisawa-kun?

Well...

Takuya and I are going to work.

Work? That's good. Where?

At a military factory in Hamana.

We put guided missiles together.

I see. It's really great that you work.

I'm probably still going to go to my club.

I see.

Yeah.

Next Stop, Nakaoguni, Nakaoguni.

Following Nakaoguni is Oodaria.

We're almost at my stop.

You know, yesterday...

...I dreamt of going home
with you like this.

Bye bye. See you next term.

Y- Yeah...

Starting the 12th and spanning
a period of three days...

...the 11th conference between the United
States and the Union will take place.

They are expected to discuss the increasing
tensions between Japan's North-South divide.

While the Union is
opposed to the reinforcement of
the military base at Misawa...

...the American government is uneasy
about the Union's unwillingness...

...to announce the purpose...

- ...of the giant tower at Ezo.
- Hello.

Good, you're on break.

Yeah, come sit down.

Sure.

You're late, Hiroki.

Sorry.

We heard the news, Hiroki.

You guys stole a marine Chukar?

I told you...

...that's not true!

We didn't steal it!

We found it in the forest!

So you guys did steal it.

Well, you'll be okay since they've been
sending out a lot of drones for practice.

Make sure you guys don't get caught.

Yeah.

This place is always under
government supervision.

Don't say that kind of stuff.

Get to work.

Yes, sir.

Later.

Yeah.

You guys come in tomorrow
and start working, too.

I'll make you work harder than
you've ever worked before.

Yes, sir.

Okay, then...

We'll see you tomorrow.

Yeah.

There was a reason we started working.

When Ezo was still called Hokkaido,

they planned to dig a tunnel
under the Tsugaru Strait.

The plan was cancelled after the
North-South divide took place, but...

...there are still abandoned factories,
stations, and rails all over these hills.

We were going to one of those abandoned
stations at the top of the mountain...

...to make something we had
wanted since last year.

We worked at the Emishi
Manufacturing military factory...

...to make money to buy parts.

It was almost close enough to touch...

...but we still couldn't go there.

We both needed to see the island and the
giant tower with our own two eyes.

The snow's almost all melted.
I want to get started again.

As long as it's done snowing, we'll be okay.

We have to get all of our parts ready, too.

We still need the nanonet for
the exterior and the cell motor.

We'll also need a big electric motor
and some kerosene later.

What we make this week probably
won't be enough for that.

We'll make it.
We still have summer break, too.

That's right.

We named the plane Velaciela, and we were
going to go to that tower across the border.

[4 Months Later. Early Summer.]
The same dream again...

Sawatari?

Takuya-kun.

Hey...
Hey...

Sorry.

No, no.

Hiroki said...
Hiroki said...

We've never really spoken
to each other, have we?

You might be right.

Do you like physics, Takuya-kun?

Oh, this book? I'm kind of
interested in this stuff.

That's great.

My grandfather was a physicist.

Wow, that's better than me.

I never met him, though.

The North-South divide?

Yeah.

I see.

So, you guys are still working, right?

Is it fun?

I don't know about that...

There's a scary guy working at the factory
who yells at us and treats us like sl*ves.

Is he that scary?

He's like the demon from Nebuta.

Really?

You want to see?

Heh?

But won't I bother you guys?

No, Hiroki will probably be happy, too.

Yeah, I'll go!

The train for the Kanita - Minmaya line
will arrive on the second line shortly.

Please wait behind the white line.

Hey, Takuya-kun...

This might sound weird, but...
do you promise not to laugh?

What is it? I won't laugh.

Then I'll tell you. It's...

Hey, why'd you invite her?

Sorry. It just slipped out.

What do you want to do?

You want to tell her about our
plan to fly to the tower?

No, that would be bad.

Yeah... but what if she asks
where we're going with it?

Hmm...

Hey...

Yeah?

Hello.

Hey. It's hot today, isn't it?

Hello. Sorry for interrupting.

Ah... sorry!

So you're a friend of my two idiots?

Is Okabe-san single?

No, I heard he was divorced.

I think I can see why.

What a beautiful place! It's so open!

Wow!

A plane?

That's right.

Are the two of you building
this by yourselves?

Yeah, we've been slowly working
on it since junior year.

We work at the factory to get parts...

...and to ask advice from Okabe-san.

Right?

Yeah.

But it's still not finished.

It's incredible.

Hey, it's really great!

T- Thanks...

Hey...

When do you think the plane
is going to be finished?

Well, we want to finish it
during summer break, but...

We probably won't.
A lot of work still needs to get done.

The end of the year might
be a more realistic goal.

I see.

Where are you guys going with that plane?

We're going to that tower.

By tower...

...you mean the Union's tower?

Yeah.

We think we can get to the
tower in about forty minutes.

We just need to figure out how
to get across the border.

But we're working on that.

Wow, wow! I want to go to Hokkaido.

You want to come, Sawatari?

Really?

Yeah.

Really? Yeah, I want to go!

Thanks!

But we really don't know if it'll fly yet.

Don't worry, it'll fly!

Yeah.

So let's promise!

Yeah.

Then, it's a promise.

Yeah!

Back then, I felt that this place...
this time would last forever.

The tower I admired that lay beyond the
clouds...

...became the place of a precious promise.

At that moment, we weren't
afraid of anything.

But in reality, the world and the flow
of time kept on going all around me.

Yet I couldn't help but feel that
the nighttime smell in the train,

my friend's trust...

...and the presence of Sayuri were
the only things in this world.

Between last night and this morning...

...in the DMZ between
the coast of Tsugaru...

...and the 42nd parallel,
a short skirmish broke out...

...between the Japanese/American
and the Union Armed Forces.

As a result, the chief of police,...

...anticipating backlash from
national Uilta and t*rror1st groups...

...has dispatched a force
of 3300 peacekeepers...

...to the Union embassy as a
precautionary measure.

Yeah.

Of course I'll sell you kerosene and
anything else, if you pay for it...

...but jet fuel is expensive.

Why don't you guys just use a
reciprocating or large electric motor?

You know how to do the rest?

Yes.

Get to it.

Why do you guys want to
use a jet engine, anyway?

Because it looks cool!

Is that the only reason?

Wait a second... there were other reasons.

Umm... oh, I know!

Because we were lucky enough to find it!

That's not it!

What was it... there was a reason we
decided on two different engines...

There was a good reason behind it.

Oh, I know.

We want it to transform!

That's not it either!

I don't really care.

Just don't die...
I don't want it to get messy.

Hey, you guys should come to work every
day once summer vacation starts.

Yes, sir.

Hey...

Do I really have to play?

Yeah, we'll go after school.

I'm not really good.

That's okay.

I've never seen anyone play before.

Play for me?

I'd like to hear you play, too.

I'm getting nervous...

The nanonet won't reflect
radar waves, right?

But we are going to fly through
a military no-fly zone.

We have to do it right, or we might
get caught by the Americans...

...before the Union even sees us.

I guess we'll just have to fly really low.

Try to blend in with the
waves and landforms.

If we leave early in the morning, we could
probably hide in the morning fog.

Do you have a map of Ezo?

This is the only one with any real detail.

We won't know the lay of
the land till we get there.

So once we land, we'll have
to figure out our elevation.

But if we land, we shouldn't
show up on the Union's radar.

Velaciela should look smaller
than a little bird on the radar.

Probably, but if we run
into some bad luck...

Sawatari!

Hang on!

It's okay... it's not that far down...

Have we... done this before?

Thank God, I made it in time. I'll-

Are you guys okay?

Yeah.

Sorry.

Thanks.

Hey!

That surprised him!

What did you do that for?!

Stop it, Hiroki!

Sorry, it was just too tempting.

What?

What are you trying to do?

Don't get so angry.

Of course I'm angry!

Stay in the water forever!

Let's go, Sawatari.

Takuya!

Sawatari, say something to him.

Sorry, Takuya-kun.

Hiroki's an idiot.

Let's go.

Hey, Takuya...

Earlier, I was in a dream
for a brief moment.

A dream? What kind of dream?

I forget... but it was
probably about that tower.

The scenery here is pretty dreamlike.

The Union is amazing.

It seems like the tower is
connected to another world.

The sun... is taking its time setting.

That was a really special summer.

But the world around me would
betray me again and again after this.

Since that day three years ago,
I haven't seen Sawatari once.

[3 Years Later]

[Union Territory - Ezo Airspace]

[Fall. Aomori City.]

[American NSA - Aomori Army
College Wartime Special Information
Processing Room.]

We have some guests, but don't worry.

First phase complete. Let's continue.

Okay.

Next, the filtration stage.

Starting second phase.

We have a 25% increase in the
resolution power to reach our target.

Good, maybe we can make it this time.

Pick your algorithms wisely.

Yes, sir.

Which algorithm, Shirakawa?

I put a lot of work into the
group extraction filtering.

I got it from a paper by Ekusun Tsukinoe.

You mean the Ekusun Tsukinoe from...

...the Union?

That's right.

What? How'd you manage th-

Wait! Getting increased readings...

Who's Ekusun Tsukinoe?

He's a Union researcher
who was the first person...

...to prove the existence
of parallel universes.

He's thought to be the one
who designed that tower.

Got it!

I'm getting exposure readings
from the direction of XA YC ZC.

It-shows five... no,
six diverging universes.

Six? Begin the tune-in stage.

Connect to it!

Starting third phase.

Connect to the closest parallel world.

Yes, sir.

He's fast.

Shirakawa-kun is the closest one.

Connection is possible in 12 exa.

11... 10... 9.4... 9.2...

I've connected!

I've connected to one of the worlds.

My exposure readings are steady.

Let's move on to the transformation stage.

Fourth phase.

Replace space with the parallel world.

Transformation of space with a radius
of 60 nm confirmed. Spreading quickly.

It'll be visible to the naked
eye in a few moments.

We can't do it.

We can't do it.

Exposure readings falling.

We can't maintain our connection
to the world much longer.

Wave function is converging.

We've lost the connection
to the divergent world.

We were able to switch a 1.3 mm
radius area with the other world.

Good work.

Doctor Tomisawa, is Shirakawa-kun free now?

Yeah, he's free. You guys
are always together.

You were the one who told me to stay
with him until he got used to it here.

Did I?

Oh yeah, Maki-chan, I'm going
to Tokyo tomorrow for work.

You're going to report your findings, right?

There's that too, but we think we've
found the key we were looking for.

You mean the one you were
talking about a while ago?

Yeah.

Your cerebral science team
might get some work soon.

Maki-san.

A lot of soldiers have
been coming in lately.

The guy in the suit is
probably from the NSA.

NSA?

The National Security Agency.

I see. I guess there have been a lot
of rumors about t*rror1st attacks.

Did everything go well today?

We've still got a lot of work to do.

We're starting to barely make it
out with the naked eye, but...

...it's nothing compared
to the Union's tower.

That's not your fault.

They're way beyond the basic physics of it.

I saw those aerial shots, too.

What I don't understand is why the
transformation stops 2 km from the tower.

If it were going to be used
in an attack, it'd be useless.

Maybe something isnt' working right,
or perhaps that's all it can do.

Or maybe the transformation
itself caused...

...some disruption the
designer couldn't foresee.

Professor Tomisawa thinks
there's an external factor...

...as to why the tower isn't
used at full capacity.

What are you doing tomorrow, Shirakawa-kun?

You don't have school, right?

There's something I want to find out...

At the library?

No, at an acquaintance's factory.

You want to see? We aren't exactly a museum.

Huh? What?

A girl? How old?

I don't know!

But she's beautiful... I think...

Okay, we'll be waiting for you.

Wow...

What a big antenna.

It's not exactly legal, but...

.. we can connect to some
interesting places with this.

So, you specialize in the
study of the brain, Maki-san?

Yes. Memory, dreams, sleep.

You work with Takuya, right?

Weren't you doing research on the tower?

Yes. I'm doing research on the tower...

How do I explain this...

Both of our fields deal
with parallel universes.

Parallel universes?

The same way people have dreams,
this universe also has dreams.

This world hides what it could
have been in its dreams,

and that's what we call
parallel or divergent universes.

My research deals with how those parallel
universes affect the human brain and dreams.

There are theories that the Union's
tower is doing the same research.

We've been using technology to
observe these parallel worlds, but...

...organisms from long ago may have
unconsciously been able to perceive them.

At the quantum level of the brain,

we think information from parallel
universes is what triggers precognition.

That's the type of research I do.

I see.

It's kind of romantic to think
that the universe has dreams.

Romantic?

What?

Nothing...

But you're pretty good, Maki-san.

So young, yet doing research for
a government advisory board.

No, it's not like that.

But I have always been drawn to
that tower, so I really like doing it.

Me, too. To tell you the
truth, I'm drawn to you.

But Shirakawa-kun is the one who's great!

He's our youngest member,
but he works the hardest.

I've always thought he was pretty cool!

No, it's not like that...

I don't do much...

I have to be going soon.

I'm sorry, it seems like I
ate most of the cake.

Don't worry about it.

Takuya...

You going into town?

Yeah, I'm dropping Maki-san off.

Can I come?

What?

Sure.

What?!

Can you take me to the train station?

Aren't you going home, Okabe-san?

I'm going to Tokyo tomorrow to do some work.

Okabe-san.

Did you think about what I asked?

What was it again?

About the Uilta.

You're so persistent.

It seems you're working
pretty hard at the lab.

That suits you better, doesn't it?

It's not like that.

I just want to get everything out of
the way concerning the tower.

[September. Tokyo.]

Can I help you?

Oh, no.

I just didn't think you could
see the tower from Tokyo.

Oh, on some days you can.

The air is very calm today.

This way.

Those are the reports from when she arrived.

Her condition started in her third
year of middle school, cause unknown.

The time she spent asleep became longer...

The only time she was able to stay
awake was during the first two months...

And she has been sleeping
for the past three years...

So she keeps having dreams, right?

Those brain waves have been recorded.

How about a DNA analysis?

See page six.

I see. From a split blood line.

Thank you.

Here's the Health and
Labor Ministry's request.

As soon as we confirm the move date,
you'll receive the proper documents.

What's this letter?

The patient wrote this letter
when she first arrived.

Have you read it?

No.

Emishi Manufacturing...

By examining the diversity of the
universes and how they occur...

...we will be able to predict the
future with great accuracy.

This is something we wish to achieve.

This is not just a theory
as we have seen before,

but something based on the reality
of the future and its outcome.

The effect this will have on the government
and military is surely immeasurable.

However, to put it bluntly,
the Union's technology...

...concerning quantum gravitational
theory greatly surpasses our own.

The symbolic tower that stands in Ezo...

...was first started in '74
after the North-South divide,

and is thought to have
been operational since '96.

It does seem ironic because
the designer, Ekusun Tsukinoe,

was born on the island of Honshu.

So...

Moving on, I will explain the
technological aspects...

...of searching for these
parallel universes.

I thought someone rude was in the room.

I was listening. You were saying
you're trying to sneak...

...a peek at God's dreams
and foresee the future, right?

Well, you pretty much have it.

Are you interested in that
kind of stuff, Oka-chan?

I studied up on it a bit.

Anyway, how would you like to do
something tonight, for old times' sake?

Shirakawa-kun is really smart.

He has a good nature.

I told you he'd be good.

Yeah, but when did you start
hiring students, Oka-chan?

Well...

...those guys were kind of special.

Those guys?

Yeah. There's another guy who's supposed to
be in Tokyo that I'm getting worried about.

I can't reach him.

They were making a plane together.

That brings back memories.

Is that why you came to Tokyo?

I thought you'd be here for another reason.

What did you think I was here for?

The matter concerning the Uilta.

Actually, you're right.
That's what I'm really here for.

I've been able to get my hands
on a PL outer-shell b*mb.

Don't ask how, though.

I think I know your source.

So what?

Are you going to ask if
it'll work on the tower?

That's right.

Well, I think it'd work...

The tower's exterior would
vaporize instantly.

They say the interior's composed
of nanonet ribbons,

but those would probably
incinerate as well.

Well, the PL outer-shell b*mb might
be the best way to do it.

I see.

But...

...a t*rror1st attack would probably
increase the chance of w*r, so why do it?

That's exactly why we're doing it.

Has it been confirmed?

Basically.

Lots of important people want a w*r.

Wasn't unifying the North
and South your philosophy?

It still is.

It's such a waste...

From our perspective, it's a
marvel of technological success.

It's not hurting anyone just standing there.

Don't give me that.

It might seem harmless now,
but the tower has...

...the powerful ability to replace
the space surrounding it.

So you knew?

Yeah.

I really like the view...

There are always romantics.

Oka-chan, let me ask you something.

Some time ago, we may have found
someone linked to the secret of the tower.

Yeah?

She's still in her teens.

Yeah... and?

You might know her, Oka-chan.

I might sound a little
too persistent, but...

...you might not want to say anything
about her to Shirakawa-kun.

Especially if they were good friends.

He's going to find out sooner or later.

Even if that's true, there's no need
for him to start worrying now.

He works for the NSA now.
He doesn't need to get involved.

Even I would like to see the dreams
this world is having, though.

The chill wind seemed to blow
from the depths of space,

and the scent of a different
universe was present.

The sky, the clouds, the ruined city...

No matter how far I walk, nobody appears.

It's so cold.

Why am I here?

Someone... please, someone...

Hiroki-kun...

I'm having the same dream again.

In the end, we didn't get to fly Velaciela.

Three years ago, when Sayuri left
us without saying goodbye...

...it came as a shock to us.

I guess we were also mad at ourselves
for stopping the project for that reason.

Once we graduated middle school, Takuya
went to a high school in Aomori,

while I left for a high school in Tokyo.

I thought that if
I went to Tokyo,

I wouldn't be able to
see the Union's tower.

But I was wrong. When the weather's good,
you can even see it from Tokyo.

In those days, I was overcome
with bleak feelings.

These tanks are going to your
hometown, right, Fujisawa-kun?

Yeah, I gue-

Hey, I wonder if they're
slow enough to hop on...

Want to stow away to Aomori?

Sometimes I got letters from
Okabe-san, describing his situation.

I didn't reply to a single one.

Once I got to my room
and shut the door,

it felt like the bones in my body
were tearing through my skin...

...as I was overcome with
an intense, heartfelt pain.

When did I start having such pain.

Next, we have news concerning
the tense international relations.

At the United Nations Security
Council meeting on the 19th...

...America demanded that the Union allow
UN inspectors inside the tower facility.

- The Union's government has...
- Living alone, the nights
seemed to last forever.

...strongly opposed this...

When I couldn't pass
the time effectively,

I went to a nearby train station and
pretended to wait for someone.

Once I grew bored of that, I'd
walk home as slowly as possible.

I had friends in high school, but
I didn't feel like hanging out...

...with them when I wasn't
wearing my school uniform.

In a city of thirty million people,

there wasn't a single person
I wanted to see or talk to.

It was on those kinds of days
that I dreamt about Sayuri.

Those dreams were about me trying to
find Sayuri, who was alone in cold place.

But I never find her.

Only Sayuri's presence, which made my heart
tremble, remained in my body after I awoke.

When I think about it, I realize this is the
third winter since I've come to Tokyo.

It's as if I've spent my days holding
my breath under cold water.

It's as if...

It's as if...
It's as if...

...I'm the only one left in the world.

That's how I feel.

[March, The Following Year]

[Southern Edge of Union Territory]
[The Coast of Cape Shiragami]

It was my dream to go to Ezo one day.

Being able to come here just seems too easy.

This is just the southern edge, though.

Do you have family on the Union side?

No, nothing like that.

I guess it's because you're from
the post-divide generation...

It's not like I don't understand
your attraction to it.

The boss lost his family in the
North-South divide, so...

...he must feel differently about it.

Oh, really?

But I was really surprised.

About?

I didn't think the boss
would get you involved.

I made sure he would take me.

I told him that if he didn't take me,
I'd leak it to the public.

That's a dangerous thing to say...

Boss!

You've gotta be kidding me!

Those are some stupid government officials.
Our communications were breached!

Let's get out of here!

It was pretty dangerous this time.

But we might know how to get in by air now.

It's just as well we came here.

Right?

Boss, a ship!

It's a patrol boat!

Your ship is in our territorial waters.

Halt, or we will open fire.

Why are they following protocol when
they know the w*r's about to start?

This is bad. Lose them.

Yes, sir.

Three minutes till we reach the border!

Sato! Miyagawa! Get your g*ns ready!

Halt, or we will open fire.

Takuya!

Are you okay? Takuya!

Those wings...

I know them!

When I first wake up, it's like
I don't know where I am.

I sometimes think that I may
have come to the wrong place.

The dreams I have about Sayuri seem
more real than reality surrounding me.

From the hospital?

Sayuri...

Hiroki-kun, Takuya-kun...

I'm very sorry about leaving you
two without saying anything.

I'm disappointed we couldn't spend
our summer vacation together.

When I woke up, I was in a hospital
in Tokyo, and I have been here since.

Although the staff said I should
cut all ties to the people I know,

I was allowed to write this
letter after pestering them.

I am sending this letter to Okabe-san
so you both can read it.

But I'm not sure what I should write about.

I have the same dream over and over again.

In the dream, I am alone
in an empty universe.

In that dream, my whole body...
fingers, cheeks, fingernails, heels,

and even the tips of my hair
are painful with loneliness.

Those warm days we spent
together seem more like a dream.

But as long as I don't
lose those memories,

I think I might be able to keep
a grip on reality in the future.

She was transferred to another hospital?

Yes, about a week ago.

If you want to know more, please ask at
the hospital she was transferred to.

Okay...

Umm... could-you show me
the room she was in?

Hiroki-kun, Takuya-kun...

Did that beautiful white plane safely
fly across the sea to the tower?

What is this?

It's the same feeling as in my dream.

Sawatari...

...are you there?

I've been looking for you...

...looking for you...

...for a long time.

Sawatari.

I want to keep our promise this time.

I want to take you to that
tower in Velaciela.

I have a feeling that if we do that,
we might be able to meet again.

I won't leave you by yourself.

I won't give up.

I will protect you, Sawatari. I promise.

Yeah... it's a promise.

Let's go to that tower together.

Doctor, come quick!

The tower's operational level
has risen dramatically.

The replaced area is growing rapidly!

It's rising at the same rate as the
subject's consciousness level.

She might wake up soon.

Is this really...?

Replaced area has passed a radius of 20 km!

What is this?

Are they trying to rewrite the world?

Subject's consciousness
level is dropping rapidly.

The replacement speed is dropping as well.

It stopped.

They have replaced a radius of 26 km
with the parallel universe.

Subject's consciousness level
has also dropped to normal.

She is sleeping stably.

Doctor Tomisawa...

Yeah.

The subject's sleep really is the key
to what's holding the tower at bay.

The information the tower gets
from the parallel universe...

...while able to change the
space around the tower,

is being blocked by the subject's dreams.

We have to keep Sawatari Sayuri dreaming.

But I might have just been dreaming.

Even so, the warmth Sayuri left on my
skin was still flowing through my body.

On those now distant days...

...we made a promise we couldn't keep.

Hey, Takuya-kun...

This might sound weird, but...
do you promise not to laugh?

What is it? I won't laugh.

Then I'll tell you. It's...

...about this dream I've been having lately.

Big towers? Like the Union's?

No... they're distorted, and
have this weird shape.

There are lots of other towers
around the one I'm on.

I don't know how, but I know that
each of those towers is another world,

different dreams that this world has.

I can't move from that place,
and I'm all alone and so lonely.

And when think that my
heart is going to disappear...

...I see a white plane in the sky.

A white plane?

Yeah.

Anything else?

That's where my dream ends.

[Aomori Prefecture, Tsugaru Distinct]
[Private Hospital]

Oh, good!

You're awake, Shirakawa-kun.

Maki-san...

I was worried about you.

Umm... why...?

Does your shoulder still hurt?

Excuse me for a second...

Your fever's gone down.

Are you hungry?
Do you want something to eat?

I bought some apples, bananas,
and some cake, too.

You want anything?

[A Few Days Later]

[Inside Aomori Army College]
[Special Ward]

You won't be able to get in with your ID.

Are you okay now?

Yes, sorry for worrying you.

Umm...

You heard from Maki-chan?

Want to see her?

We think she's sleeping because her
brain can't handle the information

from the parallel universe
sent to her by the tower.

If she were to wake up...

...we think the world would be
engulfed by the parallel universe,

with the tower located at the center.

But...

...we really don't know how
to wake her up anyway.

In anticipation of the w*r,

she'll be moved to NSA HQ in the
United States in a few days.

To the people in this field,
she's a precious sample.

Why was it Sawatari?

Even though we don't know much about it...

...it's probably not a coincidence.

The designer of the tower,
Ekusun Tsukinoe...

...is her grandfather.

As we've heard before,
that tower is a weapon.

For the past twenty-five years...
that tower has been a part of the scenery,

and has been symbolic of many things.

Symbolic of the state, w*r, people,
or even despair and admiration.

How someone interprets the tower depends
on which generation they're from.

But we all see it as something
we can't reach or change...

...and as long as we see it that way,
this world will not change.

On the morning of
three days from now,

the United States will
declare w*r on the Union.

We will carry out a t*rror1st attack on
the tower in the confusion of the w*r.

Using an unmanned Predator
plane flying at low altitude...

...we will infiltrate Ezo and
use a PL outer-shell b*mb...

...equipped with a seeker
m*ssile to take out the tower.

The Uilta Freedom Movement will
also disband after that day.

This factory will also shut
down after today.

Yeah.

Yeah, okay. I'll see you tomorrow.

Hey.

It's been three years, Takuya.

When did you get here?

Two days ago. I'm staying at
the abandoned train station.

At the abandoned train station?

Yeah.

What happened to your arm, Takuya?

Oh, just something...

What's that supposed to mean?

I'll tell you later.

They're closed today, too...

Hey!

Chobi! How are you?

It's been a long time.

You're going to fly Velaciela?

With Sawatari on board?

Yeah.

It should take a day to put the
rest of the stuff together.

All that's left is the operating system-

Wait a second.

Were you listening to what I just said?

Sawatari is still sleeping, and the tower-

The tower is a target
for a t*rror1st attack?

That's why I need your help.

I told you, I've been thinking
about this for a long time...

If we fly to the tower together,
I think Sawatari will wake up.

You...

You came back for that?

W- What do you mean? We made a promise!

I have dreams about Sawatari.

I see them again and again...

Sawatari is alone somewhere...

...and she said she can't remember anything.

But she remembers our promise.

I promised her again in the dream...

...that we'd go to the tower this time.

That couldn't have been a normal dream.

You came back after all this time...

...and all I hear is a story about a dream.

When I look at you, I get irritated.

I don't have time to play children's games.

It's because you can't get over this thing.

I'll make you forget.

Stop it!

Takuya!

It's a choice between saving Sayuri...

...and saving the world.

I forgot something.

I see.

Aren't you going home, Sawatari?

Uh, yeah. I'm going to go home.

Hiroki-kun.

What happened to your cheek?

I just got into a fight with Takuya.

Are you okay?

Yeah, I'm fine.

We'll be friends again soon.

See you, good night.

Hiroki-kun! Are you going
to the train station?

I always have this feeling.

The feeling that I'm losing something.

The world is really beautiful, but...

...it feels like it's just me...

...who's drifting away from it.

But at the time...

...I thought Sayuri was the
center of this bright world.

Oh, now I see...

I thought I had understood...

...something very important.

Excuse me!

Is anyone there?!

Okabe-san!

It's Hiroki!

Okabe-san!

Is there a forwarding address?

So it really is you, Hiroki.

You've gotten big.

Okabe-san!

What is thi-

I heard from Takuya.

Let's see how determined you really are.

You guys are gonna take down that tower.

I wonder if all those rumors about
the t*rror1st attack are true.

I don't know.

The w*r is almost here...

...and once it comes, we won't
have time to study the tower.

I think what Tsukinoe and the t*rror1st
groups like the Uilta are doing...

...are protests against the
North-South divide.

You're so mysterious, Shirakawa-kun.

You seem to have a lot of secrets.

No, I don't think so...

Sorry, I'll go make some tea...

...and then I'll look at your wound.

You've been getting hurt
a lot recently, Shirakawa-kun.

Sorry...

Is something going on?

No.

I'm okay.

Sorry...

He was my best friend.

What?

The guy I had a fight with.

We admired the same things and
wanted to achieve the same things.

We both took different paths, and
I'm not sure how to say this, but...

...I didn't know which way to go.

I didn't know where lots of the strengths
and impulses inside me came from.

So when I got into this research
facility, I was relieved.

I think it's because I found
something I needed to do.

And...

...I'm very happy to have met you, Maki-san.

That's why...

...I don't want to get you involved.

There's something I need to do.

Once it's all over...

...I'd like to see you again.

Shirakawa-kun!

Sawatari.

This time, for sure...

...let's go to the promised place.

What's the meaning of this, Oka-chan?!

You're going to use kids to do this?

They want to do it.

Besides, the area around the tower
is a parallel universe, right?

No one is going to die.

That's no reason...

Calm down, Tomisawa.

When they come back, they
won't be kids anymore.

You want me to say what
you're thinking right now?

Well, well...

I'm going to hang up, then.

It's time to end this.

Is Sayuri-chan really going to wake up?

I don't know why, but I'm now convinced.

The promise we made is
Sayuri's bond to reality.

In her dream, she's still
waiting for Velaciela.

I think Hiroki and I felt that somehow.

Velaciela is made to seat two, and since I
won't able to pilot it with this arm...

...I'll stay and watch the destiny
of the tower unfold.

I thought it was cold, and
now it's snowing again.

I'll be going now.

Okay. Well, since you guys are back
together after being apart for so long...

...try to get along!

Which one is it?

This one!

Did Okabe-san tell you?

Yeah...

Takuya...

Which BIOS version do I use?

You changed the naming scheme.
I don't have anything after that.

It's on here.

There's also one for the seeker m*ssile.

What else do you need to do?

I have to check the wiring on the electric
engine, and tune the software.

Five hours till w*r is declared.

After that, you'll need to
fly through a w*r zone.

I'll look after the software,
you look after the wiring.

Okay.

And, Takuya! What's with that error message?

What?

On the version check.

The version check?

Oh, that? You did that, remember?

Three years ago.

What? Really?

You haven't changed a bit... idiot.

Hiroki, come look at this.

What is it?

A battle plan has come out
for the Tsugaru coast.

It's almost how I thought it would be.

The front is on the 42nd parallel...

The area around the tower is empty.

The land around there has
really been affected, I guess.

How do you want to go?

I'll pass over the water using
the jet engine at low altitude.

Once I pass the 42nd parallel,
I'll get to these mountains.

I'll pull up and cruise along.

What do you think?

Yeah.

It's not like we have much choice.

When you're approaching the tower,
there will probably be some...

...land replacement nearby, and
more after Sawatari wakes up.

When that happens, fly 10 km
away from the tower and...

...release the seeker m*ssile.

It'll fly on its own to the tower.

And that'll finish everything.

Yeah.

It's going to be okay, right?

Yeah. We still have two
hours until w*r is declared.

We finished faster than we thought.

Yeah.

Hiroki.

Hmm?

Can you play the violin?

You're such a single-minded idiot.

Don't say that! You're the one who asked...

Face this way and play.

Shut up!

Be quiet and listen!

I feel my body trembling at
the anticipation of waking.

I wonder why, right now...

...my fear is greater than my anticipation.

Sayuri said that...

...she felt like she was losing something.

Right now, I feel the same way.

But...

That promise we made after school...

I'm going to that tower.

The tower's operational level is rising.

The affected area is increasing.

Current radius is 36 km, and is
gradually growing at 0.4 km/h.

Is this a sign that she'll soon wake up?

Are you sure everything's
going to be okay, Oka-chan?

Doctor!

w*r has been declared!

The first skirmish off the
coast of Tsugaru is imminent.

There's land!

Hey, Sayuri.

It's our promised place.

Those wings...

Velaciela...

The dreams are disappearing...

Oh, now I see.

I now know what I'm going to lose.

God...

Please, God...

...let Sayuri wake up from her sleep.

Please.

Please...

All I need is one moment after I wake up...

Please don't let this feeling disappear.

I have to tell Hiroki-kun...

...that the connection in our dreams and
in our hearts is something special.

In a world with no people...

...all that existed was my
need to see Hiroki-kun...

...and Hiroki-kun's need to see me.

Sayuri!

Please!

For all this time, I've
needed to tell Hiroki-kun...

...how much I love him.

I won't need anything else.

Just one instant.

This feeling...

Sayuri...

Fujisawa-kun...

Replacement is rapidly accelerating!

It's swallowing Ezo!

Sayuri...

I...

I need to tell you something...

Something very important...

But it's gone...!

It's okay...

You woke up.

You can do it all over...

Welcome back.

Sayuri.

"The white cloud blurred with blue
reminds me of those distant days. "

"The hidden pain everyone
shares lies deep in my heart. "

"I put everything on the line,
the words in the distance. "

"Losing everything,
you still keep me warm. "

In a world in which we
lost our promised place...

...even though, we keep living.

"The light shines on your
voice and figure. "

"I hope my voice will reach you,
wherever you are. "

"I will live on. "

"From the sun-soaked rail, I hear
the voices of those distant days. "

"The promised place still
lies beyond those clouds. "

"Your heart surrounds my lonely self. "

"As time passes, I'm losing you. "

"Your hair, the sky and clouds dissolved
together in this secretive world. "

"Your voice, your soft touch
and the skin against the wind. "

"Make my heart strong. "

"The light shines on your
voice and figure. "

"If it can be granted, even though
we live in different places. "

"I want to live gently and strong. "