The Lifespan of a Species
In those days, humanity had declined.
The system that governed the world began seeking new possibilities for human survival.
Thus, humanity took on myriad forms, and each one built its own society in the preserves called "Clusters."
The Breakout from Hell
Shinjuku Cluster
Kanto Union Shinjuku Police
Survival of the fittest.
At the end of the Seventh Age, humanity faced a second threat of decline.
To overcome it, they pursued many possibilities.
They needed to pass on and develop their culture.
This goal drove them to redefine not only social structures, religion, and morals,
but their nature as organisms.
These experiments gave rise to wildly divergent forms of humanity.
Evolution and Diversity
You all know therianthropes, magi, dragonkin, demihumans, and more.
The human race is Homo establishment.
They build structures and systems, finding their raison d'être in society.
Diversity harbored potential for human growth.
The Clusters arose to preserve it.
Recently, however, unauthorized travelers between Clusters have drawn attention.
They are heinous criminals.
They pursue desires rooted in individual emotion over the common good.
This must not be tolerated.
Wh-Who are you people?! You shot at us out of nowhere!
Because you stood in the way of our advance.
News to me!
Don't tell me you left your Cluster without authorization?
So what if we did?
Hey. Hang on.
We stand for justice.
So we'll give you survivors a chance.
Are you vampires?!
What are you filthy creatures doing he—
Don't act like you know what's right.
Anyway, did any of you see a man, probably alone?
What?
He betrayed us.
Zesh-sama!
He must be wandering around now that he's escaped our Cluster.
Zesh-sama, it's me, Jami!
Jami, Number 5923!
This wicked man stands against justice.
Zesh-sama!
I found this! All on my own!
Your glory is personal.
Don't put it before collective justice.
But just look at the mark on their truck!
They must be purveyors! To Ooedo Castle!
Officially licensed distributors.
So that's why they were out here.
Ooedo Castle rules all of Tokyo. If this gets out...
Zesh-sama.
Calm down.
Listen.
Those bureaucrats in Ooedo Castle don't scare us.
They don't have justice on their side.
But sir—
Believe in Tenporin-sama.
Tenporin-sama is justice incarnate, our guiding star.
He does not fear Ooedo Castle's discrimination!
Still, we don't want needless conflict,
so we'd better kill them all here.
No objections!
Die.
For justice!
It's the target. Target located.
Hey, wait!
Gimme some credit!
Zesh-sama!
Every assigned action, however small, ultimately benefits all of humanity.
Cluster-breaking is a heinous and serious crime, a hostile act against the human race.
For that reason—
Hello, everyone.
High school year 2, geography lesson 13.
Today, we'll discuss the Tama Cliffs,
one of the massive faults that protect the Tokyo Cluster group.
High School Year 2, Geography Lesson 13
Tama Cliffs
1. Origins
2. Topography
The Tama Cliffs...
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Operating hours have ended for today.
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Operating hours have ended for today.
If you wish to purchase an extension, please deposit the additional fee shown.
Operating hours have ended for today.
If you wish to purchase an extension, please deposit the additional—
Thank you for your patronage.
Had enough?
Good!
I'm impressed you stood your ground and faced us in the end.
Wait.
I don't want to fight you.
Too late for that!
You think you can fool me, Zesh Gear?!
I hate to see a brother in arms defy Tenporin-sama and turn to evil.
If that's evil, Zesh,
then evil's good enough for me.
Coward! What an underhanded trick!
I think that's our client.
And the guys chasing him?
Only the ones with destroyed brains are staying down.
Must be zombies—no, vampires. The Undying Order.
What's our move?
They're the biggest threat in Tokyo right now.
Damn this dust.
Equa! If he hasn't signed the contract yet, we should pull out.
No one told me this guy had beef with the Undying Order.
Is our prospective client
attempting to save the caravan survivors?
Either that or lure those guys into a trap.
Let's wait.
Whether he makes it here alive or dies in the wasteland,
that's part of the freedom he chose.
Death to traitors!
Watch out for that left arm of his.
His right leg, eye, and some organs are also cyborg parts, right, sir?
Everybody get behind me.
End of the line. Surrender.
Thanks.
You picked the perfect spot.
Must be tough,
seeing too well.
Tricks won't—
So this...
This is the evil new power you gained!
But...
we are justice!
And we don't tolerate traitors!
You insult justice!
You besmirch Tenporin-sama!
And you humiliate me!
Kill him!
Kill him in the name of justice!
Keep firing!
We can win if we pin him down!
Becoming a cyborg had a cost!
It reduced his vampire stamina and regeneration!
Justice will triumph!
You're taking my blood?
Yeah.
Since Tenporin and his cronies tinkered with me,
I need to take vampire blood regularly to stay alive.
You'd use your brothers' blood just to prolong your own life?
A curse on you, Kisaragi!
Sorry.
I'm already cursed.
Get me into Shinjuku Cluster.
I just need you to open the gate.
That's your only request?
Not fancy enough for you?
No, that's fine by us.
But weren't you a vampire with the Undying Order?
They've laid waste to more than one Cluster.
So why are your comrades after y—
Looking to mock my "lesser race"?
No, not at all.
We're extractors.
Getting people and things out of where they are is our job.
Chivalrous Yamanote Line
Grand opening in 09 days
Shinjuku Cluster
Shinjuku-I-O-077 Experiment No.
I can't believe you use the wall maintenance routes.
If you feel like running away again, give us a call.
I came here so that wouldn't happen.
All right.
Onii-sama, I'm leaving now.
Be careful. Boss Yaohachi's guys are on edge.
Did something happen?
A vampire gang called the Undying Order has been expanding its influence.
I hear they could hit yakuza revenue streams soon.
So, anyway,
stop obsessing over other Clusters and focus on nightlife—
Oh, right! This month's tuition.
What?!
My part-time job can cover it.
Don't sweat it.
You'll graduate in another year or two, right?
But...
Know something?
Working nightlife and charming powerful yakuza
aren't the only ways a woman can be happy here in Shinjuku.
You can have other hopes.
Huh?
If you study hard,
then some Fuji-Matsuzaki family big shot, above even Boss Yaohachi,
might let you keep his daughter company and—
Not now, Onii-sama! I'm going to be late!
See you later!
Huh? Okay.
Well, time for bed.
You wanna piece of me?
Ow...
Come on! Get her clothes off!
Hold her legs down, dumbass.
Could this city get any worse?!
What did you drag home a dead body off the street for?!
Not even your big brother can eat this dinner!
I mean, he's been lying there all day.
But when I checked on my way home, it looked like he'd been walking!
Then call the police.
But they don't take care of sick people.
Anyway, you said he stopped moving when sunlight hit him?
That makes him a vampire.
What's your plan?
Eat dinner with a corpse in the room?
I know I'll take any job, but even I have my lim—
Huh?
Hello? You alive?
Listen, I'm sorry, but I live here alone with my sister,
and we can't risk putting up a stranger under this roof.
So—huh?
What is it, Onii-sama?
Lunalu, did you...
Yes?
bring home Kisaragi?
Huh?
Eil took good care of his parents.
Miyu always considered everyone's feelings and maintained harmony.
Liu studied diligently and gained a profound knowledge of biology.
Jin worked hard and never skipped training.
And Zesh Gear, one of our Four Noble Generals.
He always stood at the head of our Undying Order,
and his justice smashed through all obstacles.
This great man—
Who needs "justice" when you're ready to do what it takes?!
Screw him!
He swiped the grand mission to avenge Kikkyo-sama and protect us all,
and then he blew it!
Failed, failed, failed, failed—
I beg your pardon, Tenporin-sama.
That outburst was unbecoming.
Don't let it bother you, Nonoc.
Sir!
Kisaragi may have been my friend, but he betrayed and murdered my sister Kikkyo,
then fled as a threat to all vampires. For that, he will pay.
This problem concerns our very survival.
What must ethnic minorities like us do
to avoid vanishing beneath the press of Clusters?
Nonoc?
We must...
...step up to pillage, violate, and rule!
Precisely, Lalac.
Tenporin-sama likes my answer!
Zanza Gear.
Personal sentiment...
I understand.
We face Kisaragi. My brother was too careless.
He sought personal glory and failed to think deeply about our race's future.
I realize how that brought about this outcome.
What have our trackers found?
Sir! Given where we lost Kisaragi, he may have fled to several Clusters.
Yoyogi, Kudanshita, and Kagurazaka seem most likely.
Burn 'em all! They'll be ours anyway!
Please forgive me.
If we act too openly, other Clusters will band together against us.
The Total Administration Agency at Ooedo Castle won't keep silent, either.
I believe we must first identify which Cluster Kisaragi has hidden in.
Forebear once, and the seven passions harmonize.
Forebear twice, and five blessings yours shall be.
Forebear one hundred times, and grow full with the spirit of spring.
With true mind, you may receive the vast universe.
Congratulations!
It's been what, 10 years? Way too long!
Hard to believe orphans like us survived.
Oh, don't worry. I make a decent living.
I might seem a bit different, but my job'll do that to you.
Diet till summer! No overeating!
Call me a secret detective or a jack of all trades.
Basically, I deal in info.
You've changed a bit.
Never pegged you to class change into a vampire and come back a cyborg.
Oh, yeah. What do cyborgs eat?
Don't ask me.
What're you acting so cold for?
So, how's food for you?
Not a problem.
Oh! He spoke!
We had a conversation!
Um... How did I get here?
Like you had anywhere else to go.
Lunalu picked you up near here, passed out on the street.
I see. Thank you.
Oh, you're fine. I already had a doctor check you over.
Don't sweat it. I can afford that much.
I appreciate it.
By the way... you a Cluster-breaker?
I won't cause you any more trouble.
I got to see you. Now I'll leave.
Hey, wait.
Hold up!
I ordered you a leg. Stick around until it's ready.
A leg on its own won't help me any.
I have nowhere to stay.
You've got our place, right here.
Is this that "rebellious phase" they talk about?
Why didn't I realize before I brought him home?
Sorry for making you do so much.
Don't be.
I ordered the leg from a craftsman who's very particular.
Seems like it'll take a while.
Make do with this for now.
Hm? You're already healed up?
You really are a vampire.
No, this is a serious downgrade.
You mean the others heal even faster?
Huh?
Oh. You see, Boss Yaohachi...
No. Forget it.
I try not to gripe about work.
See you later!
Hey, on your way back...
Do the shopping, right?
She has cram school again?
Seems like it.
Well, I'll be asleep upstairs.
Swallow Hall
Yo.
Hey.
You know, you must be awfully tired.
Huh? Do I look tired?
Oh man. I definitely won't be impressing anyone then.
Better turn in for today.
Why not change jobs?
If only.
Kisaragi-san,
my brother peddles information for yakuza because of you.
Don't talk about his work so casually!
It's all because you killed a yakuza way back when!
Cut it out!
But you ran away on your own and left him holding the bag!
Do you think my brother helps yakuza because he likes it?
Of course he'd rather do something else!
You ruined his life!
Lunalu!
How dare you show your face aga—
Sorry.
It was my fault.
I guess I've gotten careless around you guys.
Listen, Kisaragi...
You plan to die, right?
I bet you're running from trouble you stirred up in some other Cluster.
But you didn't need to come to Shinjuku, of all places.
The Kanto Union still has it in for you.
I'll bet.
Don't you want to live?
I never had a reason to live.
But I've got no good reason to die, either.
What should I do?
Well...
I guess I've overstayed my welcome.
Oh, no, about that.
Would you stay a little longer?
I want you to guard Lunalu.
What's that supposed to mean?
You were listening?
Onii-sama!
I mean, look. We finally reunite, and you act all prickly.
Try to be a little more friendly.
Excuse me?!
Please!
Fine.
Kisaragi-san.
If you must stay, please keep out of my sight.
All right.
And... I spoke too harshly earlier.
I'm sorry.
That's the spirit! Opening up like that counts for a lot.
I didn't apologize to you.
Would you open up your career options while you're at it?
I have too few choices.
In other Clusters—
It'd be the same anywhere.
Am I wrong?
I understand.
My brother doesn't do his job by choice, either.
But I can't do that.
I can't find something to do in a Cluster built on yakuza and nightlife.
There are cops, too, right?
You know very well that the yakuza own the police.
But forget that. Tell me.
What kinds of jobs do other Clusters have? Well?
Uh...
Um... Sorry.
Forget what I said about keeping out of my sight.
Much appreciated.
You take the weirdest things seriously.
Were you always like that?
I can't tell.
I like studying.
Learning that there's more to life than I know makes it fun.
I mean it.
I want to find out so much more about other jobs and Clusters if I can!
Is that strange?
Nope.
Take doctors!
We only have the most basic surgeons and so on here.
They could never make cyborg bodies like yours.
The news lacks public funding, so it's all yakuza business and fights.
Oh, right!
I heard novels come in all different genres in the outside world!
And there are "ranches" where people only work with animals, right?
The ocean! I'll bring Onii-sama!
Do you speak politely to prepare for the outside world, too?
You never used to call him "Onii-sama," did you?
Is that weird?
Not if you have a reason for it.
If you have your own rules, no one will, or should, laugh at you.
Do you know about Yokohama?
Only that it's supposed to be outside the Tokyo area.
So you think it's an urban legend?
Who knows?
But they say it's like a port, right?
Yes, and that you can reach other Clusters from there.
Why not ask your teacher at that cram school?
Geography, civics, earth science, data, and home economics.
I've heard all the lectures.
But it says it can't answer questions about anything else.
What kinds of rules do other Clusters live by?
Every one has different values.
Some rules are hard to stomach,
but each Cluster has its history and its reasons for them.
I know.
No, you have no idea.
What?
Sometimes,
those rules bite people who don't know them.
Ignorance won't save you.
But... kids get to act fearlessly. That's their right.
Was that sarcasm?
Jealousy.
Bye!
Ugh! I treated her like a new recruit.
I asked if you got the money together.
Boss! Just a bit longer!
Please wait just a bit longer!
Moron.
Hey, you.
Don't try and get smart with us.
We'd be happy to pimp you out instead.
By the way, white verbena flowers mean "pray for me."
Eudicots also...
Normal stuff won't cut it.
Guess I'm coming up on the end.
At 1:27 PM today, an intruder entered Shinjuku Cluster illegally,
SHINJUKU CLUSTER SUFFERS ILLEGAL ENTRY!?
police under Saibara Gang control report.
We are currently investigating their objectives and vehicle.
SHINJUKU
Security camera footage 1:27 PM today
ATTACK ON MEMORIAL RAILROAD? ON THE TRAIL OF THE INTRUDER
Many suspect that an independent office has launched a suicide attack
to obstruct the memorial railway scheduled to open next week.
The Fuji-Matsuzaki family planned this railroad
Cluster Conquest Memorial Train
Fuji-Matsuzaki Family Kanto Union
to celebrate the gambler-street vendor alliance.
Ochanomizu Cluster
The loop line will link all Clusters.
Huh. I thought they were onto us, but I guess it's someone else.
This looks like an Undying Order vehicle, but—
Alga, maybe it's time to retire. You're getting up there.
Maybe he got sand caught in him?
Restoring unsaved conversation data.
Statement regarding incident in Shinjuku Cluster.
Restoring.
Um... Speaking of Shinjuku, we just got a request.
Client profile Request No. 10203015 Name: Cruz Nadigo Sex: Male Age: 26 Cluster: Shinjuku Address: Unregistered Family: Sister only
But the conditions are a little unusual.
Shinjuku?
Yes. One of Zesh's men seems to have infiltrated.
Why Shinjuku?
I believe he was involved in Kikkyo-sama's project.
Oh? Then Kisaragi may have a part in this.
I'll attempt to contact Shinjuku's yakuza groups.
What do you want, Undying Order? I thought we were enemies.
I have a proposal that should profit us both.
Hmm... It's hard to chew.
Student Number Shinjuku C-8695432.
Yes?
Audio call from your guardian.
Student No.
Shinjuku
Upper secondary education Remote classroom
Paging Student
Lunalu? Sorry, I need Kisaragi for something.
Come home alone when your class ends.
Watch out.
Stay on your guard, and don't rush.
Sorry. I mean it.
You can't help it.
They're nothing like us common folk.
Yakuza are something else.
They're building a network that crosses Clusters,
and even running a train on it to celebrate.
I wish they'd ride off all the way to Yokohama while they're at it.
Yokohama.
Never heard of Yokohama Cluster?
They say you can get to any Cluster from there.
The crossroads of tomorrow! The harbor of hope!
The junction of destiny!
Aren't those just rumors?
About that. Our parents came here from somewhere else via Yokohama.
Honest.
The movement to identify human happiness, exemplified by utilitarianism,
led to the current Ooedo Castle Total Administration Agency's...
Where'd you turn into a vampire?
You have to ask?
I figured.
Collection
Equa
Movie Theater
Sorry
Finances
Lunch
PC > Desktop > Equa
Search
Emergency
Plan A
Fund Transfer
Reserve
That place used to keep itself totally isolated.
Yeah. Ningyocho was the only place I could run from the yakuza.
And so you took in a criminal from Shinjuku Cluster?
Ningyocho Cluster
You should have reported him to us at the Total Administration Agency then.
Report him? Whatever for?
You want to fight this?
He, Kisaragi, told me about the outside world.
Your point being?
We shouldn't be the only ones forced into isolation.
You vampires are all infected.
Ningyocho Cluster is a quarantine facility.
So what have you been doing lately?
Breezing into other Clusters and killing Moderators.
You're launching invasions.
What do you want that badly?
Everything.
We were shut away, an ethnic minority awaiting extinction.
That is your policy at Ooedo Castle.
So do we wait quietly to die or step forward?
Cornered rats bite cats.
In fact, we already have!
We no longer need Ooedo Castle's administration!
We victims of ethnic discrimination will guide Tokyo!
You just declared intent to rebel.
Will you use force?
It's too late for second thoughts.
We've already dispatched internment officers to Ningyocho Cluster.
Eleven of them.
T-Tenporin-dono...
Yes?
Actually...
there's one more.
I beg your pardon. You sent 12 assassins.
All members of the Total Administration Agency,
I wish to place you under the supervision of Ningyocho Cluster
and our security agency, the Undying Order.
We hereby request the surrender of Ooedo Castle.
Then we shall use Kisaragi.
Based on testimony from surviving distribution workers,
we believe that you and he parted ways.
Were your reasons emotional, or does Kisaragi have meaningful information?
Either way, as far as you're concerned—
At first, they demanded Lunalu instead of funds for the railway.
The place they'd send her to would put her through hell as a prostitute,
then taxidermize her to pile on the humiliation even after she died.
So that's why you wanted a guard?
Yeah.
Damn it!
Damn it! Damn it!
I guess a life like mine is no good after all.
I've got no education, no gang to back me up, nothing.
You've got one thing. A sister.
You're right.
And I got a chance to keep her out of those freaks' hands.
Of course I jumped at it.
The Undying Order.
Yeah. They asked for your head.
Sorry, man. I mean it.
You had no choice.
I might not be your first choice to go out with, but don't grumble.
Yes! I found Kisaragi!
Zesh-sama!
Somebody! Anybody!
How stupid can you be?
I'm Jami, Number 5923.
And I'm not stupid.
Yeah?
Thanks. You did good.
Huh?
Hey, is that loose cannon one of yours?
Who can say?
Hey! Find Kisaragi's body.
An eye or a finger'll do.
Yes, sir!
Guess Cruz grew a spine in the end.
Please get our money and territory ready.
We'll keep our word.
If you can identify the body.
What're you doing this for?
Since a ride dropped into my lap, I'll spend a little longer among the living.
Oh, come on!
Sorry. Letting the Undying Order kill me is the one thing I can't stand.
Seriously? You still dig your heels in over the weirdest things.
Then at least grab Lunalu!
We're on our way!
Hey, moron! Who's your boss?
I'm not a moron! I'm Jami!
A new recruit serving under Zesh-sama the Just!
Meaning you're a vampire.
What're you up to?
You see,
I need to drink vampire blood regularly or I'll die.
I wonder if this'll make Lunalu happy?
She's gonna leave the Cluster, after all.
No, she'll be pissed.
Other Clusters are just—
Okay, then, die here.
Lalac-sama?!
Hey! Get back here!
I'm Jami, Number 5923!
Lalac-sama—
I'm gonna die!
I got Kisaragi's blood in me!
Relax. I used normal bullets.
Stop! Stop it!
Friendly! I'm on your side!
Did you think finding Kisaragi on your own...
...would help you score brownie points, moron?
Collective good trumps personal desire!
Good thing you're a vampire, huh?
It still hurts like hell!
How about you try it, huh?!
I'd love to, but becoming a cyborg did a number on my healing speed.
Like I care about that!
Get me outta here now!
Sure.
See you.
Kisaragi!
You used blood, didn't you?
Whirlwind.
Lunalu.
Shit!
Human sacrifice!
We've got him cornered! Surround him!
Huh?
Onii-sama?
Cocky common stock.
What's going on?
Don't move unless I tell you!
Little idiots.
Hey, you guys okay?!
You're in my way. Please stand back.
Blaze Wall.
Kisaragi!
I want him dead!
I said you yakuza are in the way.
We'll settle things with that bastard Kisaragi.
We have to.
Yamamoto!
This is for you!
Onii-sama!
What?
Breaking news.
The man who killed Sub-Lieutenant Kota Yamamoto, Kajimoto Gang, Kanto Union,
has returned to Shinjuku Cluster 10 years after his crime.
BREAKING
VICIOUS MURDERER INFILTRATES SHINJUKU CLUSTER!?
The murderer's name is Kisaragi.
SUSPECT: KISARAGI
A lower-class slave, given his lack of a full-name registration.
If you have any information, contact the nearest yakuza office,
or an affiliated restaurant, entertainment venue, or police station.
On charges of harboring Kisaragi and aiding in his escape,
wanted notices have just been issued for Cruz Nadigo, P.I.,
SUSPECT: CRUZ NADIGO
SUSPECT: LUNALU NADIGO
and his sister Lunalu Nadigo, unemployed.
I repeat...
How come? How come?
What a mess.
Sorry. If I hadn't come here...
Nothing would've changed.
But...
Don't... sweat it.
What are you doing?
What's the easiest way to break out of this Cluster?
At a time like this?
Because it's a time like this.
You oughta... know better than we do.
I won't be alone this time.
Teach me how to drive this thing, drive it yourself, or die!
Choose now!
Get... out of this Cluster.
No.
He'll never... betray you.
No.
There's a reason.
In my laptop—
No! I won't!
It's his fault you...
Seriously? You were dying to leave.
But...
Hey.
That dog-looking thing...
Nyanpy?
Yeah. That one.
Here!
Our folks... used these tickets.
Yokohama.
Your dream came true.
I wanted to see a movie with you.
I bought this off a business owner with gambling debts.
The speakers are busted,
a lot like...
Onii-sama?
Let's go.
Onii-sama is...
I can see that. Hurry up.
Wh-What are you saying?!
And you call yourself his friend?!
Good. You've got pluck.
Let go!
Why did my brother suddenly just...
Report from Nonoc.
The plan is proceeding on schedule.
I hope this night will be unforgettable.
How could you leave my brother behind?
Proper funerals and burials are for people who can afford to live easy.
Kisaragi, you bastard!
Charge!
Check everywhere!
Kill him on sight!
Where could Kisaragi be trying to go?
Who knows?
I just hope the yakuza don't catch him.
Hey, are you for real?
I don't know how much of this I can take.
Just shut up and go.
Is Kisaragi hoping to confuse us?
No, he wants to leave the Cluster.
He must know a route.
There's no way through!
Rockets!
Nice going.
Huh? Oh, yeah.
This is... the outside world.
Huh?
Kill the lights.
R-Right!
What's that thing?!
No... No way!
The Undying Mobile Fortress!
Stop!
Huh?
Hit the brakes!
I know you're there, Kisaragi.
Please come out, Kisaragi, my friend.
The boss of all vampires himself.
What do you want now,
Tenporin?
You've mellowed out.
Why not just shell us to death?
Let me tell you something as a thank you.
You see—
I assume you're speaking to buy time?
Right in one.
To be frank, I wanted to crush you in one blow.
But Nonoc-san wished to take the woman home with us.
Tenporin-sama!
Nonoc!
I'm Lalac now!
Help! I'm one of you!
Like hell you are, shit-for-brains!
Well?
This is one of the powers I gained by experimenting on you.
Ten years ago, you came to our Cluster and told us of the world outside.
I'm nothing if not grateful.
Thank you.
Thank you!
Thank you very much!
Truly, thank you!
Allow me to express my gratitude through my fists!
One day, I'll share this power with everyone.
Tenporin-sama!
Th-Thank you, sir.
Such is life.
Bring the Gachirin long-grip recoilless gun.
What's wrong?
An alert, sir.
Abnormal heat source detected in Shinjuku Cluster's barrier wall!
Vampires!
You've got balls, renting out a chunk of our turf without even a thank you!
We were born and raised in Kabukicho, Shinjuku.
Why should we have to give way to you bloodsuckers?
I'll teach you
that when Shinjuku yakuza fight, it's winner take all.
Let 'em have it!
What're yakuza for if we back down?!
Stay the course for honor and duty!
A mass departure in Shinjuku Cluster?
Due to conflict with the Undying Order.
Conflict...
We feared they would clash eventually, but...
They're constantly on the move and scattering.
They aren't moving in formation, but I sense a single will from them.
How do they relay orders?
Unable to detect wired or wireless comms.
I can't believe it!
It's almost like...
A unified pack masquerading as a disordered rabble?
Fill 'em full of lead!
Get the leader!
Take out the head vampire, and we'll steamroll 'em!
Foolish barbarians! We are noble beings!
Request that Tenporin-sama return.
Tell Lalac to transport the woman she captured.
Worthless insects.
Don't mess with me, guinea pig!
Kisaragi!
I'll get you for Yamamoto this time!
Boss!
So there you are,
Kisaragi.
Tenporin-sama!
Kill Kisaragi's ass!
He murdered his own lover!
Got you now!
Die!
Kisaragi.
What's keeping you, Tenporin?
Come here.
The Cluster's defense systems?
No, the Total Administration Agency.
Hey! Somebody get the boss to a hospital!
Shinjuku's south-southeast block appears pacified.
Good. The administration system itself is still functional.
And the Kanto Union?
Unclear.
However...
What of Kisaragi?
No change, sir. Survival and whereabouts unknown.
We'll launch another sweep as soon as the situation settles down.
Fortunately, we destroyed a major yakuza group, so—
No, that won't be necessary.
The girl Nonoc brought will prove useful.
But sir—
The yakuza umbrella organization remains.
We would be unwise to fight it while facing the Ooedo Castle bureaucracy.
We must capture or eliminate Kisaragi.
And we cannot afford to waste your lives before we do.
Yes, sir!
Hey.
I'm Jami! Jami, Number 5923!
Um... What should I do now?
Thanks. I appreciate it.
Huh? What'd you say?
"I appreciate it."
Before that!
Huh?
Oh, er...
"Thanks"?
Yes!
Where's Lunalu?
Lalac-sama took the girl.
Shit.
Got a map?
A map? Um...
Oh, how about this thing the guy in glasses left?
Hey, moron.
It's Jami. Number 5923.
Get this open.
Ten thousand tries ought to do it.
Kisaragi-sama!
Press them in order, starting with "0000."
About that...
Can it.
I got it unlocked.
Huh?
It was "0000."
He always did have a careless streak.
CHIVALROUS YAMANOTE MEMORIAL RAILROAD: TOKYO STATION OPENING CEREMONY
CAUSE OF SHINJUKU LAND SUBSIDENCE REMAINS MYSTERY
Hot topics Boss Nishimura throws opening pitch Shiina Group seasonal expulsion festival Kanto Union unreachable Will Yamamoto get his revenge? "Shonen Yakuza" suspends publication See more All topics
We can only get the Shinjuku internet from here.
They must know that, too.
Undying Order
So...
vampire
Rental Raptor return procedure
Please return your raptor with a full fuel tank. Returns accepted at your nearest store. When you make your return, interior cleaning, ammunition replacement, and...
We repair prosthetic legs
Come to us for all your equipment and prosthetic-leg repair needs. Have you experienced any of these symptoms? •Difficulty walking •Painful physical contact •Strange noises
Care for bereaved families of blood donors
We help the families of those who died or suffered sever injury or impairment due to donating blood. Families who apply may receive assistance payments or mental support.
they must expect me to make contact if I survived.
We repair prosthetic legs
Care for bereaved families of blood donors
Rental Raptor return procedure
Let us handle your weapon and ammo supply needs
It's a trap, but I have no other—
Hey, something popped up.
Moron!
Oh, I got through.
Huh? Umm...
Kisaragi-san, isn't it?
You hired us before.
Um, did I make a mistake?
I meant to call someone named Cruz-san.
He's dead.
Oh, is that so?
Then I suppose we only need to perform one of the two extractions he requested?
Oh, but you wouldn't know about that, would you?
What to do...
Extractions?
Want a bite?
You may find this uncomfortable, but please bear with us for a while.
Assuming Kisaragi survived, we'll need you as bait to lure him out.
Why do you want him so badly?
Because he murdered my sister and plunged our race into danger.
What?
Don't mind me. I only need it for a test.
Kisaragi was quite close to my younger sister, Kikkyo.
No doubt they would eventually have married.
And since he began as a hero who offered his body for our people,
nothing would have prevented their union.
We vampires nurture special bacteria within our bodies.
They are the source of our unique abilities.
But we had a serious problem.
These bacteria can be toxic to the weak—children and the elderly.
They claimed many lives.
Kisaragi worked with Kikkyo to save others and aid the vampire race.
Then... why did Kisaragi-san kill your sister?
In the end,
he belonged to the common human majority.
Damn it! Don't get my hopes up!
She's not compatible?
No, unfortunately.
Compatible with what?
We vampires face a shortage of women.
I hoped you could adapt like Kisaragi did, but unfortunately not.
Wait, Nonoc!
She still has a role to play.
Zanza Gear! Her corpse is good enough for that!
And Tenporin-sama shared vital information, hoping she would join us.
Since she cannot—
Wait!
Please wait!
Before you discuss me, don't you think you ought to say something
about my brother?!
He was stabbed...
...by a yakuza. And that guy died, too.
So who cares anymore?
But what about what you did?!
I can understand this fit as a passing emotion, but you must move on.
And individuals who do not affect society can always be replaced.
"Individuals"?! No one could ever replace my brother!
And why not?
Huh?
Your brother exerted no influence on your race as a whole.
Even if he had, he is dead now,
so someone else should fill his role instead.
Am I wrong?
Won't...
Won't you at least apologize?
Apologize?
What would an apology accomplish?
It would neither restore the individual nor alter the group's behavior.
My brother died!
That's not the...
Glare back at her, Lunalu!
At... At least don't lose in spirit.
Even if she kills me here.
Well? Come on.
Why do you cry?
This is Ningyocho Cluster,
the world outside Shinjuku Cluster that you longed for.
Out here, you are prey.
Meaning you exist to be eaten.
I... I'll do anything!
Cleaning, laundry, even cooking!
What're you talking about?
That crap's got nothing to do with gender in our Cluster.
Do you imagine your Shinjuku Cluster assumptions apply here?
You said you'll do "anything"?
Even cut off your arms? Swap out your legs?
Or maybe let us poke around in your brain?!
Hell, you could be feed for livestock, too.
Anyway, that's what "anything" means.
I'd like blueprints and background data on Ningyocho Cluster,
where the Undying Order has its headquarters.
We may once have been colleagues,
but we can't provide those to a civilian, and a criminal at that.
I won't do anything to affect the Cluster's survival.
Then why ask?
I have no obligation to disclose business information,
but my work may curb the Undying Order's out-of-Cluster activities.
Oh?
Very well.
But we cannot take sides in this conflict.
We can only exercise the authority permitted to us.
Is that acceptable?
I don't mind.
It doesn't matter if our client is dead or alive.
We simply get the job done.
Our negotiator sure is hard-boiled.
Boiled, oiled, oiled-d-d-d-d-d...
Restoring unsaved conversation data.
Why did I say those things?
Cleaning and laundry?
Why?
Why?!
This is no time for tears.
Sure isn't.
Huh?
They'll catch on to us if you shout.
What are you? Human?
Yup. I'm a slime and an extractor,
here on a job from a cyborg who doesn't explain enough.
Got it.
If Lunalu is still alive, then we stick to the plan.
Okay. I'll tell our leader.
And just so we're clear, I have no idea if your plan is going to work.
Just do the job I hired you for.
Thank you for handling that, Martes-san.
Thanks for waiting, Senpai.
Umm, Lunalu-san?
Yes?
Our job normally entails extracting people to another Cluster,
but this is a special case.
Excuse me! Before that, I can't afford to pay extractors.
And Kisaragi-san escaped, too, so I doubt he does, either.
Your brother already paid in full.
What?
In installments, right?
Yes, starting three years ago.
The plan was to extract you from Shinjuku and choose a destination later.
But please be prepared.
You've gotten involved with the Undying Order and the yakuza,
the two most dangerous organizations in Tokyo right now.
Unless you forget your past and change your name and appearance,
you won't be able to live in Tokyo.
This is awfully sudden.
So many things happened to me all at once.
And now extractors?
It's funny. I was a student just the other day.
Lunalu-san?
I understand.
I just felt the urge to gripe a little.
Sorry. I'm fine now.
Our client's proxy, Kisaragi-san, gave me a question for you.
He'd like you to choose one of these futures.
One: Get extracted to another Cluster.
Two: Serve the Undying Order.
Three: Return to Shinjuku Cluster and serve the yakuza.
Four: Head for Yokohama, although who knows how that will go.
To be clear, we don't know if Yokohama really even exists.
You could drop dead in the wasteland if you're not lucky.
Martes-san, this is Lunalu-san's decision.
Yes, ma'am.
This will get a bit rough, but please bear with us.
Number four!
Huh?! Yokohama?!
Are you certain?
If the alternative is spending my life hiding or living in fear of someone,
I'd rather face forward, even if it's hopeless!
That way, I can accept myself!
I don't want to make shadows in my own heart!
I understand.
Tenporin-sama!
The woman locked up underground just...
So he's made his move.
Kisaragi-sama, message from the extractors.
"Number four." I wonder what that means.
I see.
You hear about Shinjuku?
Yeah. With the Undying Order, right?
Think it'll turn into a fight?
We can't chicken out now.
Stop yapping and keep watch.
The boss'll lose face if the Undying Order pulls any crap here.
All ready? Then as planned, we leave in 30 minutes.
Move, depart, exit, go-o-o-o-o-o...
Full—o—speed—o—ahead.
What the hell?!
Who's driving?!
Stop it! Somebody stop it!
Huh?
It looks like they already got rolling!
What? Why 30 minutes early?
Did something go wrong?
We were going to Tokyo Station, but we'll have to change plans.
Damn it!
Oh yeah! Living the dream! The yume!
Nobody fix me now!
Me, ore, meaning washi!
Watashi, ware, midomo, shosei, soregashi, asshi, oidon-don-don-don!
What is it, Ulula?
I'm getting a rush-r-r-r-r-r...
What?!
A Yurakucho drone?!
But we need to meet up with Kisaragi-san on that train!
Equa-san!
I'm so sorry. Wait just a moment.
Thank you for everything!
Ulula, pass! Give Alga here!
Whoops. My bad.
Ah, that feels better.
Oh, Alga-san. Recovered already?
From what?
Hey, isn't this line...
The one the Undying Order used when they wrecked Omori Cluster.
Rumor has it the tracks run all the way out of Tokyo.
Go.
Huh?
Rockets.
We'll crash! Look in front of us!
Then get out.
Huh?
The memorial train is running on the Tokaido Line.
I'd like to secure Kisaragi if he's onboard.
I will order a stop.
Um... He told me to take over driving.
Then please go ahead, Jami-san.
Huh? What'd you just say?
"Please go ahead"?
After that!
"Jami-san"?
Yes! What can I do for you?
This is the Tokyo Area Transit Administration System.
Memorial train 893, come to an immediate stop.
Your present course—
Oh, can it!
You extractors put in more work than I expected.
Thanks.
It's our leader's policy.
People who can't fit in with their Cluster's rules hold new possibilities,
so she wants to help them all she can.
And if it comes to a fight?
Don't count on us.
That's also our leader's—
Policy, huh?
Good rule to put the brakes on half-baked sentimentality.
Does it remind you of something?
Way too much in my life.
You're sure you want to keep going?
Yes. Let's go to Yokohama.
And beyond.
Read this. You may need it.
Right.
I was worried since we didn't have much of a map,
but it looks like we'll pull this off.
I doubt even the Undying Order will follow you out of the Tokyo Area.
Still...
Advice doesn't break our rules, so let me give you some.
Keep struggling till you're satisfied.
Thank you very much.
Satisfied or not, we'll still fight.
What happened to you?
I learned what a brush with death feels like.
I was scared, and... I betrayed my principles.
But you're alive, so nothing else matters.
Who cares if you gave up your silly pride?
If I abandon that, I'll be alive and nothing else.
Like I am now?
I have my own reasons.
Like your promise to my brother?
That's right.
Isn't that a kind of pride?
Tell me just one thing.
What?
Why did you kill your girlfriend?
Why do you want to know?
So that I can trust you
and understand the bare minimum.
It's a silly story.
I... loved Kikkyo, and I thought she loved me back.
But you see, we lived by different rules.
How so?
They used me as a guinea pig
and made me a cyborg so I wouldn't die.
What?
I thought of them as comrades. Part of me feels like they betrayed me first.
But from their point of view, it might have been perfectly natural.
Vampires put the survival of their race before everything else.
They lived in isolation with no outside contact,
so they didn't share our morals.
They believe it's right to sacrifice parents, children, friends... anyone.
That's how they managed to survive.
I was destined to die after countless experiments
and be revered as a hero of the race.
They wanted a myth.
But one day, I gained the power to kill vampires.
You mean... your blood?
Yeah.
Considering that I've needed regular vampire blood transfusions since then,
something inside me must kill the bacteria all vampires carry.
And the first victim was Kikkyo.
Apparently my blood got on her during surgery.
And...
With the last of her strength, she tried to kill me.
She seemed to realize that my blood was deadly poison to them.
But that was no reason to let her kill me.
Before I knew it, with my own hands, I'd...
Does the Undying Order know what really happened?
Yeah.
But in their eyes, their race's survival outweighs individual lives.
I tried to save myself, and only myself.
Kikkyo gave her life for vampirekind.
I ran away.
I killed the comrades who attacked me and kept running.
And now here I am, still with no clue what I'm living for.
I wonder which of us was right.
Get back.
Speed up!
We'll derail if we hit a curve.
Can't you ride the line?
No way! I don't know how!
I'll run for it! I'm not doing anything!
Jami-san!
I'll give you my blood. Now please help me.
Uh-uh. No thanks.
Just 'cause I'm a vampire doesn't mean I suck blood!
We give blood when we wanna make more of us!
This is a warning.
Stop now and surrender, and we will spare your lives.
I repeat,
stop now and surrender, and we will spare your lives.
I hope you'll make a wise choice.
Shall we shell them into oblivion?
No, better to bring him down personally.
Where are you, Kisaragi?!
Whoops.
Kisaragi's in the rear.
Shoot to kill.
Freeze.
Kisaragi is running away?
It seems he was on the memorial train.
If he'd remained in the Tokyo Area, we could have secured him as a test subject.
Damn those extractors. They never mentioned their job involved Kisaragi.
We should contact them.
That won't be necessary.
We have an issue I can't determine how to handle within the current rules.
I want your opinion.
What the—
I can't see!
I can't see anything!
Cower in fear of my blood that you made!
Yes, it does concern me.
I invited your black blood into existence.
And now I'll conquer it— the only poison that affects us.
Is that so?
Wait!
That's enough. I surrender.
So come on. Leave those guys alone.
I categorically refuse.
Why? You only need me dead, right?
You hired extractors to help that girl.
You went to those lengths because she is your hope.
So I must utterly wipe her out.
I won't allow you any lingering worldly attachments.
I see how it is.
Kisaragi-san.
No dice.
What's our speed?
We're still running slow.
He says we can't risk trouble on the tracks in this fog.
Kisaragi!
Your name will go down in history
as the hero who saved the vampire race!
Even after my name and Kikkyo's are lost to time, yours will endure!
Won't you return to us?
Today's death is tomorrow's glory.
No thanks. I'm not the hero type.
I can't see!
I can't even tell if the track splits.
Where's the map? The map...
Shinjuku Cluster
I got my start developing weapons.
Since I settled in Shinjuku, concealed weapons have been my specialty.
How about it?
I'll make you something if you need it.
Can't you think of some jackass you'd love to blow away?
Sure, if I end up fighting a war somewhere.
Was that Cruz guy in such a bad spot he had to order this?
Do you have it yet?
We just received the item you requested.
But there are two potential delivery points,
so they'd like us to confirm the setting.
At the edge of the Tama Cliffs, or over it?
Tama Cliffs?
The Tama Cliffs are a massive chasm!
I learned about them in class.
They're supposed to protect the Tokyo Cluster group.
Do the Tama Cliffs have—
No! No tracks!
What's wrong with you, moron?!
I came along 'cause I believed in you, and this is what I get!
Extractors!
Why the hell didn't you say something?!
We're Tokyo extractors.
Other areas fall outside our responsibility.
Please forgive us.
I know we did notify our original client.
And you proposed this escape route yourself.
Also, we consider shipping goods a separate request from the extraction.
We normally deliver only within Tokyo, ending at the Tama Cliffs,
but the Ooedo Castle TAA just granted us special permission.
As we had already contracted for this package,
we may deliver it to the far side of the Cliffs.
Which side would you prefer?
We can't stop short of the Cliffs now!
Then we will deliver outside of Tokyo, in line with the train tracks.
We're doomed!
What do we do?! What do we do?!
We can't jump a train over a canyon!
Quiet.
What, are you gonna stop before the Cliffs, then?!
They'll catch us and kill us like—
We'll keep struggling. As long as we can.
Even if it's hopeless, we'll still try.
Oh, come on!
Zanza Gear, you bastard!
This is as far as you go, Kisaragi.
Forward!
That's right, push!
Let's go!
Tenporin-sama.
Yes, let's settle the score here.
Okay. We'll blaze a trail.
Right.
So they want us to push it in and return to the Tokyo Area.
All hands! Evacuate, then prepare for Kisaragi's next move!
Now, come on out.
When you run away, run forward.
No! We won't make it!
Self-destruct.
Huh?
Make the weapons unit self-destruct!
Could that be the package the extractors delivered?
They made it across.
What now? We can't touch them over there.
If Kisaragi's left Tokyo, the Ooedo Castle bureaucrats won't contact him, either.
Our weak point is now secure.
Not so.
The problem is that we still have a natural enemy in this land.
We'll kill, dissect, and analyze him, then take countermeasures.
That's what it means to overcome the past and proceed into the future.
If we must sacrifice more members of our order...
Two left.
I took the liberty of using it first.
Don't sweat it.
Your brother ordered this thing.
What?
Jami-san?
Why?!
Kisaragi-san!
Get going to Yokohama!
And beyond!
Go!
Dive into the future
that he, Cruz, and I couldn't reach!
No!
Promise you'll catch up to me!
I'll wait for you in front of Yokohama.
Suit yourself!
I never got to tell you properly before.
Thank you, Tenporin.
You saved my life.
Shinjuku?
Yes, that's where I ran away from.
There are places like that out there?
I have nowhere to go.
Would you allow me to stay here?
Working for you, if possible.
What? I wouldn't treat you like that.
Huh?
Please, teach me about the outside world.
As a friend, if possible.
Yes!
I thought of you as a friend!
Can you understand...
my joy when I learned your blood was compatible with vampirism?
Yeah.
Back then, I felt like we'd become real comrades, too.
I had something to tell you as well.
Six thousand, seven hundred twenty-four people. Thank you.
That's the number of lives you saved.
And that man was among them.
What was he? Number 59...
...23!
In my laptop—
Sorry
Huh?
Is this recording?
I'm, er, leaving this in case something happens to me.
I don't know who's watching,
but when I tell you the truth,
please get Kisaragi off the hook. He's a wanted man now.
Tell Boss Yaohachi.
I'm the one who killed Yamamoto-san that day at the festival.
What?
I killed him.
Kisaragi didn't do it.
I did it because
Yamamoto-san tried to take Lunalu away with him.
That guy was...
a little weird about you-know-what.
I couldn't let him get away with it, so...
Kisaragi took the rap for me.
So please, forgive him.
He hasn't done anything wrong.
I know it's cowardly to say this after I'm dead,
but until my sister grows up, well...
Oh, right.
If you ever run into my sister,
tell her that if she really wants to leave Shinjuku,
she should call an extractor named Equa.
And tell her I'm sorry I was such a scummy, useless brother.
Well...
I'm sorry.
You put the individual first to the bitter end.
You were always an outsider.
You don't know the terror we ethnic minorities feel!
The sorrow of fading away.
The despair of being forgotten.
And most frightening of all,
our very existence remaining unknown.
So we resisted.
The Clusters that didn't acknowledge us. Even Ooedo Castle.
And yet you...
Quit making speeches to your public.
You already said you're going after Lunalu to make me suffer.
Basically, you just want revenge.
This is for your sister Kikkyo, not the vampire race.
Great. That, I can understand.
This is the path of the avenger.
Out of ammo, I see.
Did he win?
Tenporin-sama won.
He beat him!
Yeah!
I can't... disgrace myself... in death!
You must be the extractors.
I'd like you to contact Ooedo Castle for us.
Say we'll obey their commands so long as they do not attempt to crush us.
Are you certain?
A hero is born.
Now the vampire myth is complete.
It has an unshakable core.
Hauling you up was hard work.
Jami? But your legs...
I stuck 'em back on.
Good thing I'm a vampire.
I owe you one.
So... where to?
I've got a silly promise to keep.
But, I mean, you can't survive, right?
Without vampire blood?
Jami, you've got a good head on your shoulders.