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[Ogami]

Why... did you show Kohran this footage...?


[Yoneda]

In order for her to build the best spirit armor... I had to expose her to those tough thoughts.
That her machines, her own friends, could be destroyed... and I showed them as they were tormented by people.


----
[Ogami]

Meaning...?


[Yoneda]

Meaning that I didn't want her flippin' out and going insane the second she pilots her Koubu out into battle and realizes that her job's to forcibly dismantle demonic machines who're tryin' to do the same to her.


[Ogami]

...


[Yoneda]

What?


[Ogami]

No, it's just-- I'm impressed, that was almost logical.


[Yoneda]

M'boy, if you don't stop mouthin' off every two seconds, I'll apply logic to your arse with that suit of armor standin' behind my chair.


[Ogami]

Yyyyessir.

----

[Ogami]

Machines, her friends...




[Ayame]

Kohran would be extremely sad if you wounded those heartfelt feelings.
Don't get caught up in your own perception of common sense and try to understand Kohran as she is.


[Ayame]

You of all people should be able to do that. Right, Ogami-kun?


----
[Ogami]

I'm no stranger to an absence of common sense, if that's what you mean.


[Ayame]

...


[Ogami]

Sorry, I'm kind of on edge and making snarky remarks is the only thing that's standing between me and gibbering madly.


[Ayame]

Oh, I don't know, I'd say that you're already about halfway there.

----

[Ogami]

Y... yes. I'm going to go speak with Kohran once more.


And Ogami, fired up by the passion of a thousand suns, rushes back down to the hangars!



[Ayame]

Oh, did you realize that just now?


[Yoneda]

Heheheh... if it's him, he'll be able to protect everyone... we can forget about a second Star Division happenin'.


Awww, the old man really DOES care!

Sure, he's grossly overestimating Ogami's capabilities, but Ogami needs all the support he can get.



Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

[Ogami]

There! Dammit! Kohran, don't be rash!!




Well... there's Kohran, with enough shooty to reduce an army of men to so much burger meat in a handful of seconds.

And the only thing standing between a rampaging Kohran and the unsuspecting world is one man, who barely has enough meat on him to make a burger.

... we may have slid into "BAD END" territory without realizing it.

[Ogami]

Please wait, Kohran! Let me apologize!!


----
[Kohran]

For what?


[Ogami]

FOR ANYTHING, IF IT'LL GET YOU TO PUT THE KOUBU DOWN!!

----

[Kohran]

Forget it, Ogami-han... and... thanks fer yesterday...
Ya stayed by my side th' whole time, right? I... somehow, I felt relieved...
And y'know, I'd done some thinkin'... should I even be here...?


----
[Kohran]

'Cause I found the answer, Ogami-han... I finally realized somethin'.


[Ogami]

O-okay...? Well, introspection is always good, if it stops violence from happening in my general vicinity. Keep going.


[Kohran]

No one understands machines, so everyone always dismisses 'em outta hand... that's th' root of th' problem. The solution's so simple!


[Ogami]

Alright, one more step, and we can get to a non-violent answer! And that answer is...?


[Kohran]

All I have to do is to KILL ALL HUMANS.


[Ogami]

What!? No, back up, back up!! Fuckfuckfuckfuck--

----

[Ogami]

That's not right! Listen to what I have to say!!
I... didn't notice that you care for the Koubu to that degree.
That machines... that the Koubu are all your valued friends, Kohran...


[Kohran]

Ogami-han...


[Ogami]

I didn't seriously think about your feelings... or the machines' feelings... I'm so sorry, Kohran...
And to the Koubu, too... I'm sorry...


In a burst of steam...



[Kohran]

........


The hatch opens.

[Ogami]

Kohran...


[Kohran]

I'm sorry... I... I...




----
You have no idea how long I waited to grab a frame of Kohran crying WITHOUT her eyes open because it looks totally ridiculous and kind of creepy.



... like so.

[Kohran]

Waaaaaaaah...!


[Ogami]

I-it's alright, Kohran, you don't need to--


[Kohran]

WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!


[Ogami]

K-Kohran? Please calm down, everything's alri--


[Kohran]

WAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA--


[Ogami]

Kohran! KOHRAN!! GET OUT OF YOUR KOUBU! COME BAAAACK!! COME BAAAAAACK...!!

----



...

Alright, back to the story in progress. SOME TIME LATER...



[Kohran]

... heheh, after lettin' it all out like that, I feel almost refreshed, somehow.
An' y'know, Ogami-han... when I was livin' in China... I didn't have any friends.


----
[Ogami]

...


[Kohran]

Ogami-han, y'all could at least TRY t' be surprised. On general principle an' all.


[Ogami]

Er, sorry, I was just thinking that neither of us has taken a shower since last night's battle and we're sitting kinda close.


[Kohran]

... oh god, thanks fer makin' me notice. You're really a pro at ruinin' th' atmosphere, ya know that?


[Ogami]

With all this funk, there's really not going to be much atmosphere LEFT. Hankerchief?


[Kohran]

Gladly.

----

[Kohran]

Everyday... without playin' with a single person... I'd stay all alone with just machines-- like a clock-- an' tinker with it.
This... a pocket watch that was a memento of my father... was my only friend.
Though I only ever spoke with this child, it was my support...


[Ogami]

Kohran...




[Ogami]

This watch was your only friend... and human friends...?


[Kohran]

I didn't have none... 'cause I was always tinkerin' with machines, people called me eccentric...


----
[Ogami]

Or crazy?


[Kohran]

Yeah.


[Ogami]

Maniacal, even?


[Kohran]

Look, if y'all want, I can be back in my Koubu in no time flat...


[Ogami]

NO! No, I'm sorry, that's completely fascinating, keep going please.

----

[Kohran]

A girl that likes machines-- yeah, that's weird, ain't it?


[Kohran]

An' then, after I met with Ayame-han, I was sent t' Percy, someone who lived in Kobe.


[Kohran]

Every day was like a dream... together with Percy-han, I jes' kept tinkerin' with machines.
I was really happy back then... 'til I was told 'bout that...


[Ogami]

"That"...?


Sadly, the game doesn't supply its own ripple effect or mysterious finger-waving sounds or even a "X YEARS AGO..." subtitle. You'll have to imagine your own.



[Kohran]

I did it! I did it, Percy-han!!
This child can listen t' what I say! I've made a humanoid steam-powered machine move!


[???]

M... murderer!


[Kohran]

Eh...!?




[???]

I'll never forget! That machine killed my sons in the European War!!


[Kohran]

Wha... what're ya talkin' about, auntie!? What're ya sayin' that this child DID!?


[???]

Murderer! Machines are murderers!! This iron demon killed my sons!


[Kohran]

That's wrong! This child doesn't do anythin' like that!!
It doesn't murder people! That kinda thing... that kinda thing's absolutely impossible!!




... end flashback.

[Kohran]

After that... I endin' up watchin' that... footage of th' Star Division...


[Ogami]

... I saw it too. Just now, Commander Yoneda showed it to me...


[Kohran]

's true that... after watchin' that footage, it can't be helped that you'd see machines as murderers...


[Kohran]

But... that's wrong! It ain't th' machines that're killin' people!!
It's people who kill people! It's th' people who're usin' the machines that're doin' those kinda bad things!!


[Ogami]

That's...


----
[Ogami]

... really making me look at everything we've accidentally done to the Imperial Capital in much harsher light.


[Kohran]

Keep it t'gether, Ogami-han, y'all can go back an' angst once we're done wit' this stretch o' background exposition.

----

[Kohran]

People're all selfish... y'all can jes' fix a machine if it breaks... machines don't say any complaints...
Jes 'cause machines aren't people, everyone... everyone blames machines for anything bad that happens.


[Kohran]

Hey, Ogami-han... d'ya know exactly what kinda machine's a good machine is?


[Ogami]

A good machine...?


This is probably not the best place to reply with "a dead one!".



[Kohran]

That's right; a good machine's one that precisely achieves th' purpose it was made for.


[Kohran]

That's what ya call a "design philosophy."


[Kohran]

When designin' a machine... ya make it while thinkin' that y'all want it to move in such-and-such way.
'Cause of that, a machine that works in line with its "design philosophy" is what a good machine's all about.


[Ogami]

Huh... so that's how it is. I see.


Just keep nodding and smiling, Ogami.

[Kohran]

Out of all th' machines I've met up 'til now, th' best child's gotta be... th' Koubu.
This child... it responds precisely to th' feelings of those who made it.




[Kohran]

On th' back of th' Koubu's blueprints... these words were written:
"I pray that this spirit armor will become the hope of the people"...
They were the words of Yamazaki-han, th' person who wrote up th' blueprints, but I felt that they were really warm...
And 'cause of that... th' Koubu became good, warm machines.


[Ogami]

... I see. So the Koubu are happy...


[Kohran]

That's right... it's when machines an' people are supportin' each other can they both become truly happy...
Machines can't say a word t' you or me, but... that's what I believe.
That machines are thinking that they want t' continue livin' together with people...


[Ogami]

That's true... now, I'm getting the feeling that I understand.


----
[Ogami]

I'd always thought that machines just thought in terms of beeps and boops!


[Kohran]

... well, one step atta time, I guess.

----

[Kohran]

But even so... even though these machines're really givin' us their best... everyone still...
Sayin' that if they break, all ya gotta do is fix 'em... or makin' somethin' that'll only be used once... people're all jes' selfish 'bout this...
If they thought 'bout machines, they surely wouldn't say things like that... 'cause these children are all good.


[Ogami]

I see... so that's how it was. Hey, Kohran...




This is one of those times where it'd be better to take a semi-reasonable answer against two completely asinine ones. I'm pretty sure that all three options boost your trust with Kohran, though.

[Ogami]

Kohran... let's convey those feeings to everyone in the Flower Division... no, to everyone in the world!
It's just that everyone else still doesn't understand how to get along with machines.
I'm sure they'll learn! Because everyone here likes you, Kohran!!


And thus...

[Sumire]

... that is exactly it. If you simply take the time to tell me, then even I will come to understand, as well.


[Kohran]

Sumire-han... e, everyone!?




... the Improbably Happy Ending/Resolution begins.

[Sumire]

It is exactly as the Ensign says. Kohran always controls herself and does not speak about these sorts of things to anyone.
If you had... spoken just one word, I most certainly would have attempted to better understand machines.


Yup, she totally would have.

Really.

[Ogami]

Kohran...


[Kohran]

O-Ogami-han... I... I...


[Ogami]

Aah... that's great, isn't it, Kohran... you've communicated your feelings to everyone, haven't you?


[Kohran]

I'm sorry... I gotta apologize t' everyone...
I... said some pretty mean things t' all y'all...


[Sumire]

It is perfectly alright, Kohran. In that sense, at least, we are both equal.
All of us also did not try to understand your feelings, you see.
From here on out... we must speak with each other much more. About machines, and... about the stage...


[Kohran]

Yup... o' course... 'cause everyone... everyone here's my valued friend.




[Iris]

Yaaaaay! With this, everyone's back together!


----
[Ogami]

Yaaaaay!


[Iris]

Yaaaaay!


[Ogami]

...


[Ogami]

... aren't we supposed to roll credits right around here?


[Iris]

I don't think we're done yet, Oniichan.

----

[Sakura]

Hmhmhm... hey, Sumire-kun. Aren't you going to give THAT to Kohran?


[Sumire]

I know... Sakura-san, will you please be silent.


[Sumire]

Now then... there is something that I would like to give to Kohran.
U-um... this... is the first of its kind that I have drawn, so it may not be very good, but...


[Kohran]

Hm... what's this? It looks like blueprints o' some kind, but...


[Sumire]

Um... it is the set that I would like to use for the final performance.
I was thinking that it could even be used for other performances, not just "Journey to the West"...


----
[Ogami]

You can draw blueprints!?


[Sumire]

Well, I forced a bunch of the stagehands to draw one up for me, but it IS the feeling that matters, is it not?

----

[Kohran]

This's great! This could certainly be used in any kinda performance!!
This's amazin', Sumire-han! I'll make this set! Y'all can look forward to it!!


[Kanna]

Awright! With this, it looks like the final performance is gonna turn out to be amazing!!


WOOP WOOP WOOP

[Ayame]

Everyone, come quickly! The Hive of Darkness has appeared!


----
[Ogami]

Ggg.. ghh.. th...


[Sakura]

Ogami-san? What's wro--


[Ogami]

FINALLY.

----

[Ayame]

Hurry and meet at the Command Room! We will be launching shortly!


[Maria]

Everyone... let's go.


[Kohran]

Understood!




And then Sakura was naked.



















Approximately X minutes after naked:



[Yoneda]

Right then, Ayame-kun. How're the launch preparations coming?


[Ayame]

Yes. The Koubu's maintenance is perfect. The Rolling Thunder and the Shogeimaru are also in top condition.


----
[Yoneda]

Sweet! Let's launch BOTH AT THE SAME TIME.


[Ayame]

... no.


[Yoneda]

C'moooooon, we can link 'em together and call it the Rolling Shogeimaru! It'll be the first blimptrain in existence!!


[Ayame]

...


[Ogami]

Please don't start getting convinced by that kind of argument, we don't need our transportation methods getting any more complicated.

----



... again.

[Yoneda]

The leader, Tenkai himself, is in command of the operations.


[Ogami]

What did you say? Tenkai's appeared!?




[Kohran]

That's... that's th' type o' person I jes' can't forgive!!
Let's go, Ogami-han. We're beatin' th' hell outta Tenkai!! Quick, give th' order t' launch!


Times like these makes you wonder who exactly's supposed to be the leader around these parts.

[Ogami]

Right!




[Ogami]

Imperial Assault Force Flower Division, go forth! Our target is Shiba Park!! Let's go!


[Kohran]

Understood!




Doo doo doo, robot suitin' time.



Also, the Shogeimaru launches again.

...

WHEEEEEEEEE!


NEXT TIME: Brawl in Shiba Park. ... again.


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