After I look at them, I'll take a break.
Why in the world would he tell them that?
Hey, Dear.
You can't go around glaring like that, even at your enemies.
You'll end up with wrinkles when you grow up.
I know that expression.
"How'd things end up like this when we just went out to eat," right?
Think of it as a last-minute job, okay?
Besides, you're the one who decided to jump into that hole.
You've been worried about Rudo, right?
Isn't that's why you tagged along?
Hey, sorry, sorry! Forgot you were sensitive about that...
Cute dynamic you've got there.
Is that there your kid?
Pretty much. Not by blood, of course.
I'm hoping we can get out of here ASAP.
Dear'll start to get sleepy if we're not back before nightfall.
I see. So Dear's your name, eh?
Mind if I call you "Dear little boy"?
Guess that's a no? All right.
He's at the age when a little brattiness is still cute.
How old is he?
He turned ten last month.
Hey, that's great. What day?
The 17th.
September 17th.
Hey, close one! Mine's September 19th.
So you just got older, huh?
Don't say it that way. You're making me feel ancient.
Listen to us. We sound like old men chatting.
Hey, don't laugh. It just makes me sad.
So, what's your story?
You don't seem particularly hostile.
Are you even here to fight us?
Bundus.
That's my name. You can call me that.
I'm Bro.
This is hard to navigate.
As for my story...
It's true that I'm not feeling hostile right now.
I'm here on Zodyl's orders, but there's other things I'm after, personally.
So if you can get those things, we can skip the fight?
Well...
Beating you two would get me one of them.
What I want...
is information.
If you give me the info I want,
I'll tell you what happens if you lose to us.
So tell me.
The boss of the Cleaners...
Arkha Corvus...
Who is he?
Boss.
You know I don't like that word.
Never mind that! It's an emergency!
Four members of Akuta, including Rudo, and three members of Child
were taken away by the Raiders and are currently missing!
Gris told us.
It seems the one with warp powers from the report stole them.
Gris wants us to allocate personnel to look for them.
Please, Boss! Why won't you just wear your choker?
It'd be so much easier if we could get in touch with you quickly!
Very well.
Semiu, round up anyone who's free.
I'll figure out where they are.
I happen to know a great information broker.
You want to know about our boss?
Bundus. What are you getting at here?
Just what it sounds like.
If it's too big a question, I can break it down for you.
Hang on.
You're trying to get important info about the Cleaners
by asking something unassuming, right?
I won't tell you anything that could put us at a disadvantage.
Don't get the wrong idea, now.
I'm a strict individualist.
My questions stem purely from my own curiosity and inquisitive nature.
Nothing you tell me will get back to the Raiders at large.
It's a simple exchange of information between you two and me.
You can choose not to say anything if you don't believe me,
but until you answer, I'll be staying where I am,
and you'll be trapped here too...
until bedtime comes around.
All right.
But I'll only give the answers I want.
In that case...
What is Corvus's favorite food?!
F-Favorite...
S-Sweet stuff, I guess.
How old is he?!
No one's ever... mentioned it.
What does he do for fun when he goes out?!
I-I've never seen...
How long has he been with the Cleaners?!
I-I don't know!
Have you ever seen him use his vital instrument?
N-No!
Th-This is bad!
I thought I could skip potentially damaging questions and wrap it up quickly,
but everything he's asking is totally mundane stuff, so it's just getting weird!
Dear's starting to get restless!
I've got to do something, or he'll grow up with wrinkles!
So hard to navigate!
I'm always between a rock and a hard place.
Fine, I get it.
I see what you're trying to do.
Listen, man, I really don't know this stuff.
I guess it's my turn now.
If your side loses, we're going to serve you up to a trash beast.
I don't know if you've seen this or not,
but we Raiders have managed to successfully cultivate a few trash beasts.
Dear. Are you hearing what I'm hearing?
Did he just give us incredible info for basically nothing?
Bro.
The value of the information you gave me was indeed worthy of this.
Despite being a mysterious figure, Corvus loves sweets.
All of a sudden, he feels human to me.
I understand him very well now.
He hides his true self well,
even from his own comrades!
C'mon. No need to hide it anymore.
You're just like me, right?
I've spent too much time going at it with people way stronger than me.
Now average folks can't stomp me unless I hold myself back.
When I'm going all-out fighting and fighting and fighting and fighting
but still can't win... that's when I feel most alive.
And so... I can get my hopes up now, right?
You're someone besides the boss who can beat my ass in, right?
Right?!
Zanka, my friend!
No need to hide it anymore!
You can let it all hang out!
Doesn't matter who's a Cleaner and who's a Raider...
Just show me...
Show me!
Show me the brutality you've been hiding!
I'm all out of ideas.
You can tell from the trash that falls from it
that the Sphere is a place of abundance.
Living creatures are mysterious things.
They change their appearance to adapt to their environment.
Sometimes, the fallen trash brings
remains of species never seen on the Ground.
Humans are the same.
The environments we live in will result in different kinds of humanity.
I'm a groundling. You're a Sphereite.
Why, then...
Why do we have the same look in our eyes?
Jabber told me that you and I smell the same.
Whatever else he is, he's perceptive.
That's what made me so interested.
It made me want to meet you for myself.
Meet me, huh?
Don't be stupid.
If you wanted me in on some weird, half-baked plan to take down the Sphere,
you could have come and talked to me like a normal person!
B-Besides, I don't need anyone talking me into it.
I'm trying to get to the Sphere to punch those assholes because it's what I want!
Don't pretend like we're the same and drag the other Cleaners into it!
I wonder. What is "normal"?
Rudo, did you know?
There are groundlings who see the trash falling from the Sphere
and worship it as "blessings from heaven."
Even rotting food waste,
even scrap lumber that crushes their flesh and bone...
There are those who see it as a blessing
and demand others do the same.
It may seem strange to outsiders,
but when it's all you know, it seems normal.
In time, it becomes "common sense,"
and to fight against it becomes heresy.
"Common sense" can be beneficial.
But a "common sense" designed by the corrupt
is a deadly poison to those who unknowingly imbibe it.
You'll never know who has that poison in their system unless it comes up.
But there's a way to snap them instantly out of their toxic delusion.
A shock to the system.
These shocks are very useful.
They draw someone's fundamental nature to the surface.
You've had that happen, haven't you?
With the shock Jabber dealt you.
Oh, which means...
The one Jabber is fighting right now
might also have something to be drawn out from within.
Or perhaps the shock will prove too intense...
and he'll be crushed.
Here we go.
Here's another one.
One of those "natural talents."
No way a mediocrity like me can beat him.
"I wasn't going all-out," my ass.
"I was holding myself back," my ass.
I've seen plenty of people who said that crap 'cause they wanna look cool,
but you can spot the real ones by how clear-eyed they are.
Man. It's the same shit anywhere you go.
"A mediocrity can't beat a natural talent."
But that's what makes it so damn worth doing!
Episode 16
Gifted and Not
Hey, quit running!
Zanka, old pal!
Don't let this next one kill you, 'kay?!
Stormy Weather!
All done now?
Hey, look at you, fighting!
Not over yet.
I'm not... finished yet...
Until I prove myself...
I'm not dying!
You broke my rib! And then you punched me in it!
You frickin' sadist!
I knew you had more hidden away!
Show me more of that!
I don't do any of that "holding back" shit you were babbling on about!
But don't worry!
Even a mediocrity like me can keep up with you!
Looks like you hit my left claw!
When I'm in all-out mode, my left claws hold three of my most recent toxins.
There's the numbing toxin,
a toxin for having a good old time,
and the gloopy-goo toxin from just now.
What, would you still rather be hit with shit?