AD 2042, THE GREAT 4 INITIATED "WAR AS AN INDUSTRY."
THE WORLD DUBBED IT "SUSTAINABLE WAR."
AD 2044 THE GLOBAL SIMULTANEOUS DEFAULT
THIS TRIGGERED A RAPID ESCALATION
AND CAUSED TURMOIL.
EVEN ADVANCED NATIONS SUFFERED FROM CIVIL WARS.
AD 2045
Wonderful not to have any noise.
If only it would stay like this forever.
ONE TACTICAL FORCE KNOWN AS "GHOST"
THRIVED IN THIS WAR-TORN WORLD.
Ishikawa, are you telling me that chick is your squad leader?
I'm Standard, but you can call me Stan! Nice to meet you, boss lady!
Major, what's the plan? Is that briefing barbecue still on?
Looks like our barbecue in Palm Springs is canceled.
Prepare for a brain dive.
Major, you had a beer without us, didn't you?
Won't we get hacked if we go wireless? We can talk normally given the distance.
I don't use bargain-bin tech like yours.
This is a seek-and-destroy op.
Our target is the hideout of a group of plunderers
planning a major raid on Gated Town.
So no pulling punches?
We're going to capture as many of them alive as possible.
Seriously?
Those are our orders.
Seems the police have some questions for them.
Got it.
They're probably here to take part in the raid.
Sustainable war victims strutting about as if they're the aggressors?
Whoo!
The more the merrier in the sustainable war game!
Makes my eyeballs ache.
Dear customer…
CHINESE FAST FOOD
Togusa here. I'm at the specified address.
Perfect timing.
The target's still entirely focused on his virtual currency server attack.
You going in alone?
I'd let the local police take him in if I were you.
Relax, this isn't my first rodeo.
Oh, right. You used to be a detective.
Japan used to be a peaceful place.
You always kept me safe.
Now everybody has to pack heat these days, even private security cops, Major.
What the--?
Don't move!
Where are your clothes?
Don't mess with me!
Chief?
Hello?
It's been a while, Togusa. How have you been?
Fine. How've you been, Chief?
I was able to stay with
the Interior Ministry even after Section 9 was disbanded.
I heard you became an adviser to the Public Security Bureau.
-That's right. -No!
Well, I have a special favor to ask you.
Do you still hold a grudge against the Major and the others
for leaving you behind?
That's in the past.
But not a day went by when I didn't think about what could've been.
I see.
The prime minister made a request of a rather complicated nature.
Can you come by my office tomorrow?
This is all so sudden, sir.
All right, I'll come by first thing tomorrow afternoon.
Good. I'll see you there.
Yes, sir.
Pretty sure I've never used a single one of my paid vacation days.
Don't delude yourselves.
Sustainable war is a game of chicken between major nations.
Politicians who stink at negotiating
and amateurs who don't know how the game is played
get swept in and spit out by the war machine.
Go back the way you came!
Even if you've nowhere to call home, you still have your lives.
This might end up being my last job.
Enter.
Excuse me, sir.
Seems time has toughed you up.
Is that supposed to be a compliment?
It is if you want it to be.
Then thanks for the kind words.
They're bringing back Section 9?
Yes.
What's the PM's objective?
For one, those who take positions of power want to give themselves
the weapons they'll need to flex their muscles.
Did the new PM learn of Section 9's existence
from documents pertaining to the Interior Ministry?
The PM's reason for the urgent reforming of Section 9 takes priority
over his personal motives.
I believe his true objective is meeting the Americans' demands
for the dispatch of special resources.
So it's as the Liberals feared?
An American-born prime minister would be no more than an American puppet?
I've yet to meet him in person, so I can't really say.
But this is an opportunity to have the Major and the rest of you undertake
a major operation for me once more.
What sort of op?
Over the past few years, I've searched for an answer
on how to deal with a society in turmoil.
I'd like you people to lay the groundwork
that will help the next generation find that answer.
I don't know what a man in my position can contribute,
but I'll humbly offer whatever assistance I can.
Then get me the Major and the six original members of Section 9 ASAP.
Yes, sir.
I thought you were on vacation.
Something came up.
Now then…
What would you like to look up today?
A South American-based mercenary group by the name of GHOST.
All right, entering the dark web once more.
REVENGE/GHOST
That pissed off the Raiders in Mexico,
which is why they're operating out of North America now.
This is the chance of a lifetime.
I wouldn't be so sure.
What's so funny? Don't you wanna make GHOST pay?
Of course we do.
So what's the problem?
It seems GHOST is as reckless as ever.
It's because they've contracted with a PMC.
So, you guys are gonna pass?
That's right.
I'm done here.
Hey. Got a minute?
You again? What do you want?
I forgot to ask something.
Why lay low after they signed a deal with a private military company?
Because they contracted with Obsidian.
Obsidian?
What syndicate were you with?
Around here, Obsidian has a reputation for tight security.
Everyone knows they'll retaliate if you lay a hand on one of theirs.
Yeah, that's right.
I think you should run now, Togusa.
What the--?
What's going on?
Togusa?
That's the place?
Yeah, I've hacked in.
There are 17 men and one armored combat vehicle packing a 105mm tank gun.
Seems the intel from our man on the inside was spot on.
What's the plan?
I wonder where they got those weapons.
Obsidian, this is GHOST.
This is Obsidian.
Commencing operation.
Roger that.
-Tachikoma! -Roger!
That was not my fault!
No, it's totally on you!
What the hell?
Thanks for the intel.
These guys look too old to be students.
They're former college football players bankrupted by student loans.
Such model students.
The Global Simultaneous Default erased their debt, yet here they are.
Should've found something else to pour their energy into.
The default didn't reset their lives,
so they want to take it out on those beyond the gilded gates.
Can't say that I blame them.
So, how'd they get all the weapons?
About that…
Word is they have a patron called the Good One-Percenter.
A delivery service suddenly showed up with the weapons two days ago.
-What? -The Good One-Percenter?
He gave 'em an armored vehicle too? What kind of nutjob does that?
Never found out how they communicated, let alone his true identity.
Wish I'd peeked inside their leader's cyberbrain.
I think I'm done here.
A think tank is standing by up top.
-Thanks. -Hey.
Wait.
Hey, that's a damn guard dog robot!
Why didn't you warn us?
You blew it!
Our optical camouflage doesn't seem to fool it.
Looks like stealth entry is a no-go.
Wait.
What the--?
Batou! Get moving!
Clown, we'll take out those fools below.
Roger! Wait, who's Clown?
We got company.
Damn it.
Freakin' amateurs are scary! Never know what they'll do.
Quit screwing around and take out the rest!
Here goes nothing.
This can't be a consumer model. Military grade?
Could be.
Major, we've got three inside.
-Tachikoma! -Roger!
We have you surrounded. Surrender peacefully!
We're totally surrounded.
The shit's really hit the fan.
What's going on? They don't know how to drive?
Just a bit more! Buy us some time!
Back in business!
Major, we've got a problem.
They've got a stealth drone?
Major! It's got a lock on us!
Major, it tapped into my satellite feed.
Crap, I can't get through to Saito!
This is bad.
-Tachikoma! -Roger!
Damn it! It has Hellfires? That moneybags gave 'em those, too?
What the hell's that one-percenter thinking?
At any rate, the armored car isn't going anywhere.
Sorry to disappoint, but…
Batou, get the Stinger!
On it!
That thing's AI is pretty good!
Take that!
And that!
Crap.
Damn it.
Major, I'm out of ammo!
Major, the drone's back.
Looks like optical camouflage fools this one.
Mr. Saito. Are you all right?
Mr. Saito? Where are you?
Four missiles left.
Major.
We caught up.
Good. Take it out!
Shit, they're targeting the drone!
Watch this.
What?
Damn it.
Batou, optical camouflage works against the drone.
Roger that!
Did they all croak?
If not, I'll do the honors.
Hey, Major.That thing won't stop even if we take 'em out.
If a rocket is fired over that gate,
we lose.
So, we're all out of options?
Major, it's me.
Saito?
I almost forgot these things are our protective outfits.
Saito, is your Stinger good to go?
Yeah, locked and loaded.
Good.
Guess we get to nab the jokers in there.
Okay. Let's do this.
Saito! Can you catch up to it?
Already in firing range.
Good, do it!
It's even got flares?
Saito, force it lower.
Copy. I'll see what I can do.
Goddamn stubborn AI!
Tachikoma.
Keep an eye on that thing.
Roger.
You don't even get paid that much.
Why put your lives on the line?
It's not always about the money.
We're just using our skills to do what we enjoy.
Then you're no different from us!
What?
You may be right.
Are you the leader, quarterback?
Yeah, but I'm actually a running back.
How'd you get that drone and those Hellfires?
Not going to talk?
Major, we've got a problem!
We really screwed the pooch.
We did it! We really did it!
What the hell?
You really made a mess of things.
Drop your weapons and come along quietly.
There seems to be a mistake.
These are the guys who launched the missile.
You'll have plenty of time to explain later.
Are these guys a Delta Force cyborg squad?
Most likely, based on their gear and barriers.
And if we say no?
I'm not here to negotiate.
We've no choice but to play along for now.
I don't like this.
Their timing was impeccable.
They may have been planning our capture from the start.
Someone set us up?
He might very well be that someone.
But why?
We'll never know unless we ask.
All right. We'll come peacefully.
A wise decision.
Tachikoma, go invisible and lie low in the buffer zone.
You'll be dismantled if they catch you.
Okay. Roger that.
The Major and her team, a.k.a. GHOST,
have been fighting battles, primarily in South America.
They're now working for Obsidian,
a private military company in North America.
That's all I know at the moment.
I see.
Obsidian is based in Los Angeles.
I reached out to them but got no response.
So I'd like to fly out there and see for myself.
Very well.
Chief.
I'll be able to expense this, right?
Keep all your receipts.
Thank you.
I'd like to apologize for bringing you in like this.
It was most unfortunate.
What?
I don't follow.
I'd prefer an explanation over an apology.
I had no choice under the circumstances.
We were being watched, you see.
Allow me to introduce myself.
I'm John Smith.
And I'm here to offer you people a job.
What the hell?
This is bullshit.
You already have a subcontractor.
I saw how you executed your mission, and I must say, I was quite impressed.
This seems pretty one-sided.
As you might've surmised, I work for the government.
In other words, you really don't have a choice.
You'll be part of a mission to rescue a certain individual.
It's Togusa.
I sent a message to Obsidian, but as expected, no response.
I did some digging myself.
Their company is highly regarded among mercenaries.
So I hear. I'll do some recon.
Understood.
I'd like to ask your president about GHOST Team.
If you don't bullshit me, you might walk out of here alive.
Who are you working for?
There's been a misunderstanding. I'm a former GHOST member from Japan.
There he is!
Are you all right?
Sorry, but I'm afraid not.
Proof?
They have a full-prosthetic female team leader they call Major.
And her team members call her Queen Kong behind her back.
How's that?
Damn. You're still alive after calling her that?
Never said it to her face.
You seem on edge.
Something happen to GHOST?
Unfortunately…
they've vanished.
Vanished?
They've gone missing?
Yes, the Major and her team vanished during their mission.
Obsidian's president sent a team to investigate, but they came up empty.
Which means someone cleaned things up.
If so, I fear for the worst.
I'll try to track down whoever abducted them.
Don't dig too deep.
We should assume a major organization is behind this.
I'll do my best.
What's going on?
That's the building.
A missile attack?
But this is overkill.
A grudge against GHOST wouldn't lead to this.
Togusa!
Now, I'm hearing their voices. I must really be losing it.
Togusa!
It really is you!
Tachikoma? What are you doing here?
I could ask you the same!
They're not even trying to conceal their snipers.
Not again?
They really want to keep this op under wraps, huh?
I hate the way these things zap you.
May I have a minute, Miss Byron?
Long time no see, Daisuke.
Time is of the essence, so I'll get right to the point.
Among the operations your agency is overseeing,
are there any involving a mercenary group by the name of GHOST?
I believe they are currently involved in one of our missions.
I'm in urgent need of them.
Could you immediately discharge them and hand them over to me?
I can't do that.
Not even on orders from you.
And after the operation is completed?
The thing is…
The entire mission will likely be scrubbed from existence, including them.
This mission…
It's in our national interest. It must be carried out.
If there were anyone who could save them now,
it would be the president.
This is your drop point.
And this is where your rescue target is located.
Complete the mission as quickly as possible.
This means I'm a free man again!
I forgot to mention one thing.
Be prepared to face commensurate penalties if you abandon the mission.
And if we just vanish into thin air?
How will you punish us then?
You're welcome to try, but your chances are slim to none.
I'm counting on you, Major Motoko Kusanagi.
Ishikawa, determine our current position.
Batou, how many are we facing?
A platoon-size group if not more.
Major.
They took us back to a point not far from where they captured us.
What's going on?
We're inside LA's Gated Town.
What? Don't tell me our rescue target is being held in a Beverly Hills mansion!
I found out who owns the mansion the missile struck.
Patrick Huge,
standard-bearer of the red-hot robotics industry,
but derided as the poster boy of sustainable war.
What? The CEO of Blood Robotics?
That's right.
Does that mean…?
You mean to tell me he's the Good One-Percenter?
The one who gave the Raiders those weapons?
Yep, it's definitely him.
I don't get it.
So this isn't a rescue mission. It's an abduction?
So it seems.
What the hell?
So this CEO guy is the Raider's boss? They should just go arrest him.
He's a law-abiding entrepreneur for all intents and purposes.
There must be other ulterior motives behind this op.
Saito, any movement behind us?
Delta is being deployed, and they seem to be monitoring us.
Why would they do that?
They're making us do the dirty work.
Whoa, this ain't cool. Screw this--
Saito, stay here and cover us.
Let's move.
Batou, send Tachikoma our position on the q.t.
-I want Delta kept in the dark. -Got it.
He's got some nasty toys.
More guard dog robots?
Hey, what the hell's that?
She's been dead for at least two months.
The deceased is Patrick Huge's wife.
The mystery deepens.
Why the hell's he in the house while his wife's body is by the pool?
You sure he's still in there?
Patrick Huge is in there.
Why else would the NSA want us to storm in and abduct him?
This is seriously messed up.
I may be a mercenary, but I'm first and foremost a law-abiding American--
What now?
We gonna bail?
No. Capturing Huge will help us break through Delta's cordon.
Thought you might say that.
We'll execute a stealth entry at dawn.
I want him taken alive.
What's happening?
Batou, downstairs with me. Clown and Ishikawa, second floor.
Major, check this out.
He's selling off his company's assets?
Yeah, he must be holed up here, waiting for the sale to complete.
Blood Robotics' assets easily exceed 200 trillion yen.
A sale that big can't be easy.
Yeah,
looks like he set up a program to transfer the assets all at once
after his "death" in the missile attack.
Anything?
No sign of him.
Clown, what's wrong?
Can't… fight it.
Idiot! Be more careful.
What the hell, Clown?
Switch your cyberbrains to autistic mode.
Roger.
Patrick Huge? Don't move.
What the hell are they?
-I'll restrain him. Aim for the legs. -Got it.
Has the FCS gone to shit?
No, he's dodging before we even fire.
Is he a cyborg?
No, he should only have a cyberbrain.
I doubt a cyberbrain alone could make anyone move like that.
What's going on?
Major, the guard dog robots activated.
Major!
Here they come.
Stop right there!
What is he, some kind of freak?
Get this cyberlock off me!
A clothes closet?
Is he done free-balling it?
Batou, away from the door!
He had an armored suit in there?
Must be nice to be that rich.
Damn that Smith. Bet he knew we'd have to deal with this.
What the--?
Shit, does his company make those too?
Okay!
Nice shot!
What the hell?
Reactive armor?
What?
Batou, I can get one more shot in, but that's it.
Batou, I'll try a cyberbrain attack on him.
You sure?
Judging from that training program, he's got mad cyberbrain skills.
Shit.
I was made for this!
I'm not letting a bunch of metal mutts take me down.
Tachikoma?
That's me!
Major!
Tachikoma!
Major, are you all right?
Togusa?
You saved me again.
Just doing our job.
Do you have that malware you've been collecting?
Yeah, why?
Disengage Autistic mode and hit him with all of it.
Really? Even I don't remember what's in that stuff.
We just need to slow down his processing speed.
Disengage Autistic mode. Now!
Eat this!
Goddamn freak.
Tachikoma!
Ishikawa, open the hatch.
I'm on it.
The cyberlock's not working.
But this should do the trick!
What a pain in the ass.
Yeah.
Major, are you okay?
Major?
Major!
Saito!
Fire!
What are we gonna do with this asshole?
Major? What happened?
Major?
Saito!
Major?
He's not human.
We envisioned many scenarios,
but this is the worst possible outcome.
You must be disappointed.
I know you wanted to take that thing alive.
How deep did you dive into its brain?
You really want to know?
What's this about?
I don't know what you saw,
but your fates were sealed from the start.
Director Byron?
Abort the operation.
Maintain your current stance and stand by.
You don't have the authority to call this off.
How about him, then?
Its call sign is Marine One, sir.
Chief?
The Old Man?
Please read this.
Impossible. An executive order?
They are members of a special forces unit working under your nation's president.
Special forces? That's news to me!
You must have known if you're in charge here.
Retrieve the bodies at once.
As for Mrs. Huge, prioritize the analysis of her lifelog.
Yes, sir.
It's been too long, Major.
Fancy meeting you here.
Seems you saved our hides.
Not to worry. I came with a job offer that's a perfect fit for you.
Well, good luck back in your homeland…
Princess Mei Ling.
Zài jiàn!
What's this false memory you put in his head?
Let's just say it's a fairly rousing tale of adventure.
Got a problem with that?
No problem here.
But he wasn't half bad.
I agree.
Now, how about sharing this ops' true objective?
The mansion's owner… What was that thing?
Patrick Huge.
He was controlling the group conducting the raids
and providing them with his company's weapons free of charge.
He was the mastermind.
That's not what we're asking.
Why did you want to apprehend such a prominent figure?
And why were you willing to sacrifice us to hide your government's involvement?
After all that's happened, why not just come clean?
If we were to get officially involved,
their existence might become public, and the world would descend into chaos.
"Their existence"? You mean there are more like him?
If you'd have captured Huge alive,
we might have been able to use him to devise a countermeasure.
Hold on now.
You blaming us for blowing your chances?
This would've turned out way better if you'd kept us in the loop.
He knows where we stand now.
Time to start talking.
Their cyberbrains possess processing power far greater than any supercomputer.
They were the ones who triggered the Global Simultaneous Default.
Wasn't that the G4's policy failure?
It's easy to pin the blame on the nations of this world.
The truth, however, goes far beyond that.
I sensed he wasn't human when I connected to his cyberbrain.
Why is that?
For lack of a better term, we refer to them as "posthuman."
It's best you see it for yourselves.
I want all your cyberbrains offline.
Some kind of freak with a super high-performance CPU awaits?
He was the first to be discovered.
Is he conscious?
Yes.
However, nearly half his cerebrum has been damaged.
Unfortunately, that renders him inadequate for our research on posthumans.
-There it is. Save immediately. -Sir.
Commencing analysis.
What is this?
We believe he's using code to communicate, but the data is corrupt.
From what we can tell, it's something about your visit.
Maybe he's happy to see us.
I wonder.
We're unable to process his thoughts in real-time, so…
Is she a nurse?
She doesn't have a cyberbrain.
Correct.
A precaution to ensure she cannot be hacked.
Were he to connect to the network,
he'd take complete control of the system.
That's why every system in this facility is air-gapped.
Are they born with such capabilities?
No, they were once ordinary human beings.
Gary Harts was a master sergeant in the Third Army, Central Command.
As a young soldier,
he always did his duty, and his men had great faith in him.
Commander!
I'm fine.
After retiring, he moved to the suburbs,
where he lived a peaceful life with his wife and kids.
But one day, he developed a high fever.
Its cause was unknown, but it continued for a week.
He was unable to even speak during that time.
But after a week in that state, he suddenly recovered.
There was no damage to his memory or speech.
His family was overjoyed, but his wife was concerned
because she noticed something different about him.
Honey?
That's when it happened.
He… shot his wife?
Ever since that day, Gary Harts has been missing.
Can you zoom in a little more on the D1 isolation room?
Sure.
What the--?
-Hey! -They're think tanks!
Don't mind us.
Yeah.
A week after Harts disappeared, the security system
of a nuclear missile facility located on a Nevadan Air Force base went down.
Someone had infiltrated the facility.
One of the survivors reported that his body moved against his will.
Every one of them had a cyberbrain with the latest offensive barrier.
Yet he hacked them in an instant?
The way he's moving…
It's the same as Huge.
This incident two months ago was the first ever to involve a posthuman.
So he tried to launch a nuke to spark another nuclear war?
His motives are unknown.
However, we do know the target he set.
It was Moscow.
Is this objective shared by all posthumans?
We can't say for sure.
But from what we've seen while observing them,
their objective is the collapse of the existing social order.
The recent terrorist acts known as "raids"
are an example of what their actions are causing to rise to the surface.
So sustainable war is also their doing?
It's true that we launched the war-as-an-industry model
with the intent of making the world economy sustainable.
But that was no more than a controlled economic action.
As long as you live out of range of the carnage,
any war could be called a controlled economic action.
Exactly.
Posthumans have made war the new normal.
Even civilians are being dragged in.
What is it, Major?
He keeps throwing a paper airplane.
Childhood regression due to brain damage?
Look closer.
Every time he throws it, it returns right to his hand.
Room temperature, air pressure, air resistance…
He must be calculating it all.
Are you serious?
A miscalculation?
You threw it even farther than usual today.
Was he pretending to be brain dead this whole time?
She needs help!
Don't!
Call the guards.
Yes, sir.
What is this?
What's happening?
Looks like he's taken over.
It's impossible for him to connect to the system!
What about the error code he's been sending?
We've been storing it on this server.
That must be it.
You thought his code fragments were messages,
but they're probably a virus.
He used it to infect that switch.
That's the only system connected to the entire facility.
Which means…
-Batou! -Right!
He's trying to escape!
This is bad.
Let's shut down the system!
Got it.
What's going on?
It's hard to tell from just the video.
Looks like fun. I'll jack in and see.
New-terminal-detected-in-system. This-one-should-prove-useful.
What did you connect to?
Let me have a turn!
My barriers are fading, and everything is merging into one!
What just happened?
Why you…!
Major, they're coming in from above, too!
They'll smash their way in before long.
Take that!
Don't mess with an enhanced cyborg!
We won't get anywhere at this rate!
I don't understand. We already shut the system down!
Doesn't matter.
He's gained direct control over your robotic troops.
Just one way to stop this.
No! He's our only…
You're in charge of this operation!
Are you gonna make the call? If not, back off and let us make it!
Fine.
-Batou! -I'm on it!
Got a problem with that?
It had to be done.
That was a close one.
Thanks for saving me.
What the heck did you see?
It's difficult to put into words.
This job you accepted doesn't look like it'll be easy.
So it would seem.
Takashi…
You're looking at Kanami again.
What, Yuzu? I told you not to come here.
Don't worry. Nobody's looking at you.
Come on. Go on, now.
Shimamura.
Where do you think you're going?
Sorry.
When was the last time that you visited Fukuoka?
I haven't been back to Japan for quite some time.
It hasn't changed much.
Actually, a lot has been happening.
There has been an increase in tourists from Asia who find Japan nostalgic.
We've also welcomed in wealthy immigrants.
It's sparking an unexpected economic revival.
By using robots and my kind like slaves?
I guess…
But in general, robots don't complain.
True that.
Whoa! Incredible!
-Ba! -Ba!
Oh! It's Batou!
How's it hanging, boys?
Hello, Major! How have you been?
It's not fair! You guys went with Batou and had unimaginable experiences!
Yeah!
You're juiced up! Where did you get it done?
We demand to parallelize the experience!
Sure!
Yay!
Stop right there!
Why do you keep trying to parallelize without permission?
You must not parallelize contents that have not been authorized by me.
Shoo! Shoo!
How dare you!
We're not germs!
You're always so hardheaded! You should learn to loosen up a little.
I don't need to. This is work.
We met before.
I'm Purin Esaki.
Purin?
This is my profile.
How impressive.
You studied at an American high school, skipped grades, and got your PhD from MIT?
You're being a bad machine, not doing as the owner says.
-I won't let you play this game! -That game!
We couldn't remove the copy protection no matter how hard we tried!
-Let me play it! -Come and get it if you can!
-Let me play it! -We want to play it!
She's tamed them well.
You must be Major Motoko Kusanagi.
As you know, America requested
that we search for and capture the posthumans.
I'm counting on you.
We have not yet officially agreed to work on this mission.
This is a classified mission.
Let's use the network here to discuss anything further.
Sure.
As I included in the report,
this is a difficult mission as it is.
Also, due to the nature of this team, I believe it is impossible for us
to belong to a government organization while also following American orders.
If you still insist that we agree to this mission,
we would like you to accept our terms regarding our budget.
This is ten times what I had in mind.
It is not a sum that I can move on my discretion.
As for the chain of command, we cannot avoid orders from America.
Then, we will leave this building in the same way we entered it.
What is with all this nonsense?
Really? Not you again.
Did you get relegated to Japan for that screwup?
I was sent here as an advisor.
I am still in charge of the Posthuman Countermeasures Bureau.
John Smith, National Security Agency of America.
What's this?
This is a list of posthumans in Japan that we are aware of.
Memorize it.
Don't leave a copy on your cyberbrain.
We searched cases around three months of when Gary showed posthuman symptoms,
including high fever, abnormal appetite, and change in personality.
We ran our results against medical data to pin down possible posthumans.
There were a little over 100,000 cases around the Pacific Rim.
Eight hundred and twenty-seven out of the 100,000 displayed clear changes.
Eight hundred and thirteen of them have already died.
We narrowed it down to 14 who have awoken to their powers for sure.
These three are suspected to be posthumans here in Japan.
Is there a chance that the number will increase?
By making certain that you capture these three suspects,
we can devise measures for the future.
If we have this list, it shouldn't be so difficult.
What you are looking at is data before they became posthumans.
With the exception of Patrick Huge, none of them have been caught
on surveillance cameras after they have shown posthuman symptoms.
This is the first time humanity faces one common enemy.
Who are you?
Sanji Yaguchi was sighted yesterday.
He's 28 years old and one of the three who have shown symptoms as a posthuman.
He was spotted in Fukuoka City.
Film?
A freelance journalist captured him on camera by chance.
That's why Yaguchi did not notice that he was filmed?
Thank God for analog cameras.
I thought he was a human boxer. Did he get a prosthetic left arm?
Who's the victim?
Koichi Tadokoro, 49 years old.
Secretary-General of the Ministry of Residential Control.
Secretary-General?
Why was he killed?
Right now, we have no idea.
A boxer turns into a posthuman,
and begins a sustainable war against the government with his fist?
If he has a prosthetic arm, could he have killed others with his fist?
There's a high possibility.
For now, we were lucky to catch Yaguchi in his acts as a posthuman.
Search for similar cases and find where Sanji Yaguchi is.
TOKYO RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT 2050
Apparently, Tadokoro was a conscientious government employee.
He worked on developing laws for immigrants and refugees.
And he disappeared the day before the title match?
I don't know if this has anything to do with it,
but Yaguchi developed a fever during the camp
before the title match.
I went through all similar cases that happened in the last three months.
I mainly looked at the forensic reports
and searched for matches with victims that have a similar cause of death.
There is a 98% chance that these cases have the same culprit.
Ninety-two cases?
It's not much as a sustainable war, but a lot more than we anticipated.
But they're not random killings?
These victims were immigrants or refugees.
So his sustainable war is against fake refugees?
So you'd think! But I found data that proves otherwise.
This is probably the first Japanese person to be beaten to death by Sanji Yaguchi.
This is Mr. Ishiwata.
He gives refugees other people's identities to gain Japanese nationality,
then sends them as part of the workforce for the Tokyo Reconstruction Project.
He was paid a restoration allowance from the government.
How did you know he was the first victim?
There were traces of flesh that were not from the victim found at the scene,
so I ran the DNA.
I believe Yaguchi lost his left hand from smashing Ishiwata's skull.
His body could not keep up with his updated physical abilities?
Yes.
I stole a list of people with stolen identities
from Ishiwata Construction's database.
All these people illegally obtained Japanese nationalities
but did not work in the reconstruction, and illegally received welfare.
He only goes after the fraudsters?
I think so.
Wasn't Tadokoro in charge of making laws for refugees?
Yeah.
If Yaguchi is going after those who are committing fraud,
we should assume that Tadokoro was a part of some fraud, too.
Let me look into matters in that area.
"I'll be away from Japan for a while. I'll be hard to get a hold of."
All right.
Two days ago, an office worker got his cyberbrain fried.
This was at Fukuoka Airport.
This is the log from when it happened.
What's strange about it?
The point of origin of the attack is receiving a lot of traffic.
The received information is packed and sent to the victim's cyberbrain.
The amount, three million.
What?
Three million hackers attacked simultaneously?
Someone instantly united the minds of three million hackers to kill the victim.
It's a superhuman ability.
A posthuman could pull that off.
Major! How long have you been here?
We've got our next target.
Suzuka Mizukane, a posthuman, was spotted on camera.
We'll call in Saito and Paz, and look for this woman.
I'll go, too.
Ishikawa and Borma, surveil the IR system around the airport.
Roger.
Um… Major…
what should I do?
Since when are you a member of Section 9?
Well…
I'm not in the position to give you orders.
Did she have to be so blunt?
You're not very perceptive, are you?
It's her way of saying do as you please.
Thank you very much, Major!
A teacher who got his brain fried for bullying at his school.
A senior gang member who was dating an actress and was caught cheating.
There are many similar traces of hacking.
But…
the victims have nothing in common.
What the…?
The victim: Tatsuya Hisata, 34 years old.
Deputy director of a mid-sized machine maker.
-He's running away from something. -Please, stop!
Don't…
What did his eyes see?
Is he laughing?
I've seen him at another crime scene.
He might be the guy.
Yes, Tadokoro was the mediator with the Tokyo Reconstruction Committee.
There was nothing suspicious about him.
We are aware of that, too.
Perhaps after Yaguchi became a posthuman, he did not agree with
using refugees as cheap labor for the Tokyo Reconstruction Project.
What if he thought that was fraudulent?
What are you trying to say?
Your father is involved in running Otomo Industries.
I believe they have many contracts
with the Tokyo Reconstruction Committee for various sectors.
That's true. But Otomo Industries is not the only one making profit.
Did they bribe Secretary-General Tadokoro or offer him a position after resignation?
Are you telling me that you have suspicions
against my father-in-law, not Mr. Tadokoro?
As long as Sachio Otomo is the chairman of the Tokyo Reconstruction Project,
we cannot dismiss the possibility.
I'm offended.
My father-in-law--
Prime Minister.
We are not investigating the possible bribery of Mr. Otomo.
Our interest lies solely in capturing the posthumans.
If there was fraudulent behavior in Otomo Industries,
there is a chance that the posthuman will target your father-in-law next.
I understand.
I will ask my father-in-law regarding this matter.
You must give me some time.
Understood.
Did I lose her?
Tough luck.
Koji Kogure, right?
Who are you?
I'm Purin Esaki of Section 9.
Peep Hole?
Yes. The app gives you a third-person view of what the victim is seeing.
What are these faceless people?
You went to all the sites to see this?
You have to be at the site to see it.
Unless you're the "King."
King? Is that the main hacker?
Yes, a.k.a. Nameless King.
Could you tell me more about this Nameless King?
There's no need for that.
Don't tell me that you're King?
I am.
Do you have the courage to open that door,
Miss Purin Esaki?
Ouch.
What do you want to know?
About the Peep Hole?
Or about my identity?
First, the full picture of the incident.
In that case,
I'll start with Think Pol.
Think Pol?
It's the system used to create a moral world.
Its rules are very simple.
First, you lock on to the person
who's getting the most hate on the Internet at a given time.
Next, you ask a large number of randomly selected people,
"Should this person be forgiven or not?"
So, the identities of the three million hackers are…
The voices of the people who found the target guilty.
This is ultimate democracy.
It's not. It's simply a witch-hunt.
What's wrong with that?
Nobody believes in existing justice systems anymore.
So, you fry brains?
If that's the collective opinion of the people.
People sometimes go down the wrong path.
This country has already been going down the wrong path.
Any chance that you are, too?
Shuseikan High. Grade Two, Class Three. Attendance number two. Shinya Uotori.
Shinya, may I come in?
What? I'm studying.
Your friends are here to see you.
Hello.
Are you arresting me?
Why would you think that?
Because I made Think Pol.
We initially also thought that you were the culprit that made this system.
The programmer is certainly competent.
Why would he let us track him down so easily?
You think that I'm just a kid, huh?
The peeping app was pretty well made, though.
You wrote it, right?
Yes.
So, how did you acquire this system?
I found it in the server of the middle school that I went to.
We were accessed by Think Pol, and fried people's brains.
We were the first.
That teacher was popular among parents.
The news said it was a tragic death of a passionate teacher.
But any graduate of that school knew that Yamada was a scumbag.
I knew it right away.
Think Pol had to be built by a student of that school.
I accessed the middle school's server and found the program right after he died.
And I released the program on the Internet.
It's very well-written.
It certainly was. But I was rather moved.
I thought the creator had a conscience.
How innocent.
Are you teasing me?
No. You and the creator of Think Pol seem naive to me.
The shutdown of Think Pol has been confirmed.
They are trying to salvage the codes now.
So, what happened to Uotori?
It looks like he hasn't learned his lesson.
According to him,
the creator of the program lost hope in this country a bit earlier than us.
Citizens unconsciously accuse others and lead them to ruin.
That's how posthumans tried to raid us this time?
TAKASHI SHIMAMURA
You guys are living through a difficult stage in life.
Respect the rules until you graduate.
Don't fall in love.
Don't be interested in sex.
In reality, your body is going through a sexual awakening.
But you are deprived of freedom, and must suppress your desires.
Sir.
This is math class.
Please go with the course according to the normal middle school curriculum.
Sorry about that.
I digressed a bit too much.
You're quite serious, Kanami.
That will be it for today.
Kanami.
Come to the counseling room alone during lunch.
Seriously?
If only there were the airborne troopers now.
According to the data, he's just your average middle school student.
Why do you think he created Think Pol?
He made a system this complex
but vanished after using it just once.
It would be nice if he stays quiet, but he could be preparing his next raid.
Right.
Togusa and I will investigate Takashi Shimamura's family home.
Ishikawa, Borma, and Esaki,
continue analyzing Think Pol and look for signs of a possible raid.
Understood.
It should be a fun period in life.
But they become posthumans and join the war.
I wonder how that feels.
Studies show that they practically feel no human emotions.
In which case, his mother should be in deeper pain.
And she's a single mother.
Please.
Thank you.
What happened after Takashi fainted during class?
He had a fever of over 40 degrees Celsius from the day after it happened.
He was hospitalized for about a week.
At one point, the doctor thought his life was in danger.
That was May 12th, six months ago?
Yes. I'm pretty sure.
The same date as when other posthumans appeared.
They were also all online before they turned.
Once the fever subsided, he regained his appetite
and his physical abilities improved.
His character changed, too, according to the report.
Yes.
Did he return to school afterward?
Once he got better, he returned right away.
1984…
But…
there was a big incident at school while Takashi was absent.
Is his disappearance connected with his classmate's suicide?
I've never heard that he was close with this student.
Considering his age, he might have secretly had feelings for her.
That doesn't seem like him.
But…
he missed school for about three days again.
What was he doing then?
He was always working on his computer.
He didn't even eat.
He didn't eat for three days?
Yes.
Then he returned to school
and never came back.
Takashi's presence has been confirmed within a 200-meter radius of you.
That's very close.
It's intentional.
He's making moves knowing that we're here.
This signal is effective for a minute at best against posthumans.
Turn off your cyberbrains and leave there now.
Is… something going on?
I'm picking up Takashi's signal at the front door.
Major, his signal has disappeared!
Major, abort! We can't read his next move.
You're right.
Um…
Did something happen to him?
It looks like your son was just here.
But he's no longer the Takashi Shimamura that you know.
What do you mean?
We're unable to explain it to you at the moment,
but it's highly probable
that he'll cause a massacre or terrorist attack in the future.
Major.
Takashi…
will kill people?
Directly or not,
he may very well be a threat.
If he ever contacts you,
you need to let us know right away.
How could this happen?
Takashi…
Takashi, I'm so sorry.
What's going on?
Mr. Togusa, are you okay?
I can't shut down the system.
Mr. Togusa!
What are you waiting for?
What happened?
He was alone, analyzing the data we seized from Takashi's home.
He was trying to understand Takashi's mind.
We found a code that was written after Think Pol was made.
Is it a virus?
We still don't know.
Hey.
Are you okay, Togusa?
-So, it was you, Batou. -Yes.
Major, too?
I'm sorry.
I suddenly felt somewhat nostalgic,
then the feeling turned into fear of death.
It looks like it made me pass out.
Major, we got the test results of the code that entered Togusa's cyberbrain.
What did you learn?
Apparently,
it's a program that awakens forgotten memories.
I see. That seems interesting.
Let's see what kind of memory made him pass out.
Don't do that.
-I haven't even checked what it was. -Is Togusa all right?
Quiet.
Ishikawa, can I see it?
Unfortunately, part of the code has been damaged.
How dangerous is it?
It doesn't look so bad.
We also see no signs of it being propagated.
Then what was Takashi Shimamura's intention?
Why did he write the code after creating Think Pol?
Major.
Maybe Takashi Shimamura wanted to recall something:
a certain forgotten memory.
The name Think Pol was probably inspired by "Thought Police,"
the police mentioned in the book 1984, which we found in his room.
He was certainly greatly influenced by the book.
Furthermore,
he already had the book at age nine.
Even his mother doesn't remember when Takashi acquired the book.
Did you later go back to Shimamura's house?
Yes… I did.
-Togusa's diligent. -Seriously.
Totally.
But it seems we've run out of ways to track Shimamura.
Not quite.
He was put in someone's care in Kyoto for a month when he was nine.
Takashi went to the trouble of making a program
that recalls his forgotten memory.
He must have wanted to remember something from his past.
A bit far-fetched, but not impossible.
Major, give me permission to go there.
If that's what your ghost is whispering, listen to it.
You should find something.
KYOTO 15 MINUTES
That's most likely his uncle's house,
where he temporarily stayed when he was nine.
-Why did he come here? -Traditional house!
His father got very ill,
and his mother had to stay with him at the hospital.
You…
Togusa?
Brother, what are you doing?
I'm not your brother.
Yuzu, where's Takashi?
He's right here.
My parents are angry all the time these days.
It's my fault.
Why is it your fault?
Kanami's not coming back.
Why won't anyone fight back?
Are they afraid?
Being courageous like Kanami will get them ostracized by their peers?
Hey, Togusa. What's up?
Nothing…
Takashi! Where are you going?
You're not supposed to go that way.
An airborne trooper lives over there.
Airborne trooper?
A guy who came from somewhere.
I heard he's very bad. He killed and buried people in the mountain.
Togusa, where are you going?
There. That's it.
Hey.
Takashi,
Look.
Ouch!
You took Yuzu out there?
To the airborne troopers' place?
It's not Takashi's fault.
I'm the one who followed him.
Be quiet!
No matter what you do…
nobody will be interested in you.
But…
I think Kanami will appreciate it.
I didn't steal this.
I accidentally took it.
Um…
I'm sorry.
Keep the book.
What?
The book describes everything that will happen in this world.
Yuzu!
It's started.
The World War has started!
Quickly, go to the gym.
STUDENT GUIDANCE ROOM
"War is peace."
"Freedom is slavery."
"Ignorance is strength."
Get out.
-Give me a hand. -Please…
I didn't say anything!
-Shimamura. -Hurry up, I said!
Takashi? Where are you?
They said not to enter the mountain
since the resident officer has work to do.
Yuzu?
Run, Yuzu!
Yuzu! Come on!
Brother…
Shimamura.
Kanami!
Stop!
Yuzu?
Brother…
I'm…
cold.
Yuzu?
War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Yuzu…
Take me with you.
-No. -I'm begging you!
War is peace. Freedom is slavery.
Back then…
I was clueless.
But now…
I've finished reading the book.
All right.
Get in.
Takashi…
Think Pol is a success.
Let's beat up other people that deserve it with this.
No.
Takashi?
Where are you going?
I don't know.
Where everyone wants to go.
Will you come, too?
What?
Tachikoma, it's me. Is Batou there?
Yes, he's here!
-Batou, it's from Ishikawa. -What?
Ishikawa? Put him on.
Hey.
Togusa.
Togusa is…
gone.
What are you saying, Batou? Togusa is right there.
What?
Tachikoma, I don't see him. Are you messing with me?
Come on, Batou. Why would we mess with you?
Roger, Togusa. Bye.
Stop fooling around!
-Bye-bye! -Togusa?
-Have a safe trip! -Where are you?
Togusa!
Have you found Togusa's trail yet?
We've continued searching for facial recognition using the IR system,
but if he traveled using the same methods as the posthumans, it could be difficult.
I see.
I've asked the Public Security Bureau to spare some manpower as well.
All we can do now is wait for their report.
Well, as long as he's not buried on that mountain,
we'll pick up his scent somewhere.
Good evening.
Sir?
Congressman Otomo?
-Damn it. -Sir, are you ill?
This is an emergency.
-Sir, are you ill? -It's Congressman Otomo!
We can't identify his face?
But it happened in an instant.
They say he wouldn't have felt any pain.
Reporting, a murder incident using an explosive in the sixth district.
If only we could use the civilians' eyes like they do in America.
Damn it.
What are you waiting for?
Release some fake news and hide the existence of posthumans!
That's a part of your job.
Damn it.
A stupid posthuman revealed himself
by coming after a bribery case, but you let him slip by?
Did you bug this room?
I can't have you hiding anything from me regarding this case.
I can have you restrained for espionage.
Oh, really? I thought you were one of us.
Mr. Aramaki, regarding my father-in-law's death…
please cover it up as a death from sickness.
Prime Minister…
There's something else.
I want to lure the posthuman out.
You must release some real news.
Following his father-in-law's death,
Prime Minister Tate will be the chairman of the Tokyo Reconstruction Committee.
Prime Minister Tate holds stocks in Otomo Micron.
The company is suspected of engaging in sweetheart deals with the committee
and monopolizing deals for micro machines that remove soil contamination.
Honey!
He has some guts.
He's no old-school politician, nor a puppet for the Americans.
Let us through.
POLICE HOSPITAL
-Step back. -Step back.
Isn't that him?
It is!
He's appeared!
I'm late.
The back entrance, too!
What is your purpose?
My love for this country is pure.
I would do anything to reconstruct this country.
Honey!
No!
You're boxing him? That won't work!
You're crazy.
I was taking a chance that his original personality was left in him.
I knew I could win if he took the bait.
What was that?
You should rest inside for a while.
Prime Minister.
Why did Yaguchi not attack you when he had the chance?
Perhaps his intention
was to confirm my passion for the reconstruction of this city.
If so, what is he after?
Well done. We'll take it from here.
Not you again.
Must I remind you
that your mission is solely to capture the posthumans.
This is the reality of Japan.
This is why I am here.
To make changes.
-Hey! -Batou! Your phone's ringing!
Who's calling?
Huh?
It's from a pay phone!
A pay phone?
I guess some people just don't like technology!
What do we do, Batou?
Go ahead and answer.
Roger!
Hello?
Is that Tachikoma?
-Hey, that sounds like… -Could it be?
-Togusa! -Batou!
It's from Togusa!
-What? Is it really Togusa? -Hurry!
-Here. -Togusa!
Hello? Togusa?
Partner…
You…
You're alive!
Yeah.
Somehow.
Where are you now?
Hey, partner…
Do we only need to be alive
for the world to be this beautiful?
Huh?
This is an unexpected catch.
Can you tell me who you are?