Causes of death are many and varied. Old age, suicide, illness...
But the cause of death that scares the most people in this day and age...
... is death by fire.
Hey.
Th-That's...
What is going on with that comical moon?
The fierce battle between Benimaru and their previous boss brought Adolla closer.
Because of that, the ocean changed, and the way the moon is represented was altered.
So Beni did that?
Not my problem.
The moon is smiling!
Yeah!
Our guys are excited about it.
Tonight, we'll pay tribute to the old boss's spirit and drink while gazing at the moon.
Yeah!
How can that lot from Asakusa be so easygoing about this?
The moon has transformed into something with a ridiculous face!
I've never seen a moon like that.
No, that moon is what we all often think of...
It is the image of the moon itself!
Now it's clear what the Great Cataclysm actually is.
Shh! Right now, I'm Doctor Marimo!
Don't use the name Licht. It's on the wanted list!
Doctor Marimo?
I couldn't just sit around.
You're the 8th's...
No, he's Doctor Marimo.
Yes, indeed.
I see.
So...
What is it that's clear about the Great Cataclysm?
Konro, you said earlier that your old boss and the doppelganger were different, right?
His personality and appearance were exactly the same, though.
But he didn't have the strength to hold his own against our current Beni.
And more than anything else, while he was a rough man,
he wasn't someone who would destroy things without a thought.
Destroy!
Destroy! Destroy!
Destroy the Tokyo Empire!
Destroy the Tokyo Empire
Doppelgangers are entities that reflect the image that other people have of a person.
And that odd moon is also made from the images that people have of it.
The source of both is Adolla.
Adolla's true form is likely the aggregation of people's images of things.
So according to Adolla,
the Great Cataclysm that interferes with the patterns of the world is...
The Great Cataclysm is merging people's images of the world with the world itself.
But the White Clad's objective is to return the world to the fire.
That's what Rekka said.
If the Great Cataclysm merges people's images with the world,
then it's different from the objective of the White Clad.
Adolla is a collection of humanity's imaginings.
If what lies beyond humanity's imaginings is the White Clad's goal, then...
Death.
All human images end in death, huh?
If that's true, it lines up with the White Clad's objectives.
There's only one pillar left.
If this world fuses with Adolla...
The world will be destroyed.
Things have gotten pretty disturbing.
If it's all gonna get destroyed anyway, how about I bust it up first?
You saw what the old boss was like. Please stop joking.
If your doppelganger were to appear...
what would happen then?
Fall back! Retrieve the Honda Shot as quickly as possible!
I thought it split in two, but it split into 64 parts.
This is why I hate the strong.
With just the 2nd, there would have been casualties in town.
It's good that Haijima got involved, too, isn't it?
Well, it weakened toward the end, so I was able to enjoy myself.
Well, that's good.
It's not good.
It seems the 7th took care of the seventh pillar.
If only they would handle everything.
There's only one pillar left.
Will it be a demon or fire? Who knows?
Don't be ridiculous.
I'm docking your pay.
You're the demon here.
Fire Force
Chapter 3
Episode 15 "Birth"
This makes seven pillars.
The Great Cataclysm seems to be steadily progressing.
Yes, it does.
Whether I'm there or not, this world will likely be destroyed.
However...
Look!
That boy's so adorable, I can't believe he's from this world!
He must be an angel!
All I can think is that an angel's descended to Earth!
He's just so cute!
What? I thought I'd blended into the aboveground world perfectly.
Shall I snipe them without their noticing?
Not yet.
My family.
My older brother. My mother.
Before the world is destroyed, I want to know about my family.
Shinjuku Ward Office
My mom and I have been treated as dead for the last twelve years,
but if I check an official copy of our family register,
I should learn something about our family.
But, Commander, you and I don't officially exist in this world.
Surely you won't be able to check your family registry.
I don't intend to follow the proper procedures.
I'll stop time and steal it.
Commander, what is that?
An official copy of the Kusakabe family register.
Mari Kusakabe
Shinra Kusakabe
As I thought, it does say that I am dead.
Mari.
Mari Kusakabe.
Mari Kusakabe
Do Not Duplicate
So that's my mother's name.
What's wrong?
It's nowhere in this family register.
[Name] Shinra
[Date of Birth] Solar Era
[Father]
My father's name isn't here.
Here.
What do you want to play?
Anything's good!
Commander. Commander.
Commander!
STARTLE
I asked and found out the location of the hospital.
Have you? Well done.
Holy Sol Medical University Hospital
My father's name wasn't in the Kusakabe family register.
There may be something written in the hospital's birth records.
Will you stop time again?
Of course.
C-Commander?
He's already gone...
Behind you.
I'll be right back.
The commander played a prank. That's rare.
It's not here.
My father's name isn't written on the birth records, either.
Either they didn't know who the father was
or he wasn't acknowledged.
Perhaps your mother gave birth to you as a single mother.
It's true the possibility is highly likely.
But the thing is...
Take a look at these records for me.
This is...
They ran tests to check for a virgin birth?
Maternity Dept. Mari Kusakabe
Even aboveground, I've never heard of an actual virgin birth.
If this were really true, it should have been a bigger deal in the past.
Perhaps a local community center?
Even if it wasn't treated like a big news item at the time,
they might still have some record of it.
The community center?
Shinjuku Ward Community Center
Apparently, we'll be able to hear the story from the director here.
Why bother? I can just steal it again.
I thought it would be good to hear it from someone who was here at the time.
Well, you know,
long ago, I was the one who wrote the local circular notices.
And since I went to the trouble of writing them, I'm happy you're interested.
If there are people like you who gave them a good read, then I'm glad I wrote them.
This man talks a lot.
Was he born mouth first?
Shall I attack him?
Not yet.
But no, you know, it was a long time ago, so I don't remember everything.
But what you're asking about, the Kusakabe family of seventeen years ago...
I remember that very well.
It was a very memorable year.
Memorable?
The Kusakabe family went through a lot besides that fire twelve years ago.
What do you mean by "a lot"?
Mrs. Kusakabe had two children, you know.
But for both of her children...
she said the father didn't exist!
Can you believe that? I've never heard of a virgin birth!
But if it were true, then it would be a holy thing, right?
So I thought I should write about it in the circular for posterity!
He just likes rumors and gossip.
It's only natural, but everyone doubted Kusakabe-san.
And Kusakabe-san was in her teens, so she was young.
Everyone wondered if she was hiding something unsavory.
Maybe they were the children of one of her teachers at school.
More people believed that than the virgin birth thing.
Even her own mother didn't believe her. The poor thing.
I think we should attack him after all.
Make the preparations.
But you know, it seems like it was true. And as proof...
the Holy Sol Temple pressured me to stop leaving records about it.
Who would have thought the government would put pressure on a little circular?
Fire Prevention
But even though I didn't know the exact reason, if they say to stop, I have to stop.
Commander.
It wasn't the Holy Sol Temple so much as it was Yona laying groundwork.
In which case, does that mean we really were virgin births?
Why would they hide my mother and the two of us?
What happened to us, the Kusakabe family?
Why did my older brother become a devil?
I thought I would be talking to the young lady there,
but you're quite a mature little boy.
Wait, was he turned into a devil?
An Adolla Link?
You're...
my mother.
Mother, what are you?
What happened to you?
Fire Force
Chapter 3
Fire Force
Chapter 3
Seventeen Years Earlier
Holy Sol Medical University Hospital
You don't know who the father is?
Does that mean you've had relations with an indeterminate number of men?
You're still in school, aren't you?
I-It isn't like that!
I really have no idea!
I've never even been in a romantic relationship.
But you are pregnant.
As to whether you're a virgin or not, there are tests we can run to determine that.
Please do!
Please look into what is happening to me!
I've never heard of an actual virgin birth before.
But according to the tests, there is no doubt. She is...
Mari Kusakabe-sama
Oof.
You've gotten so big.
Abe-san, how are you feeling?
Oh, I'm not Abe anymore.
What?
My parents refuse to believe that this is a virgin birth,
and they said that they'd never allow me to have the child of some man of dubious origins.
They disinherited me.
And they told me not to use the Abe name.
What? That's awful!
It's nothing to laugh about, Mari-san!
No, it's just...
They're paying my maternity fees, and for child-rearing expenses.
And I'm the one causing all this trouble, not them.
They say that a break in the flow of money is a break in a relationship,
but I guess when a relationship ends, it doesn't mean the money stops flowing.
Mari-san...
When I look at you, for some reason, I start to feel like everything will be all right.
But when things are hard, say so, all right?
That's why we're here, after all.
Thank you.
TMP TMP
You sure do kick a lot!
This little one has terrible leg habits!
Maybe it's cheering its mama on.
Mama, huh?
Wh-What's wrong?
I think it's coming.
Delivery Room
Mari-san, push! We can see the head!
Breathe out! Out! Breathe everything out!
Pulse and breathing are both normal.
She really did give birth.
I've heard of babies being born wrapped in flames,
so I was worried about what kind of baby she might have, but...
Mari-san.
Are you feeling all right?
How's the baby?
The picture of health itself.
Thank goodness.
What am I, anyway?
Well, after everything, we still don't know at this point.
I see.
I'm no expert, but after the Great Cataclysm, there was this legend.
A certain woman fell pregnant before having sex with her husband.
It's a story about a virgin birth.
And the woman was told about her pregnancy by a messenger of God, an angel.
The story goes that the child she bore would save the world and become a hero.
So I'm the mother of a hero, huh?
It's not a bad story, right?
My adorable baby! What name would you like?
Mother.
So you really did give birth.
You had the child no one wanted.
Having the child of a man from who knows where...
You don't know who the father is, you say?
Just what kind of indecent life have you been hiding from us?
You are the worst, most vulgar daughter ever!
You betrayed me and your father, who have raised you until now!
You refuse to listen to your parents and instead give birth to a child no one wants!
Instead of us, your parents,
you chose the filthy baby of a man who's no better than trash!
Don't touch him!
Who would touch that filthy thing?
And now, I doubt that we will ever see each other again.
But I will give you one last warning.
That child will only bring you misfortune.
It's all right. You aren't an unwanted child.
You're the hero this world needs,
Shinra!
She doesn't know who the father is?
That's her older son standing by the glass, and she doesn't know his father, either.
She doesn't look the type to play the field like that.
I guess you never can tell.
12/25 Kusakabe-sama
Little brother!
He sure is tiny.
And cute!
Sho and Shinra are angels that came to their mother.
An angel, huh?
Then I'll have to become a hero and protect him!
Well, Shinra, you are the most powerful hero, right?
Yeah!
You really are a hero, Shinra!
These are my mother's memories.
Memories of my older brother, my mother, and me.
The Great Cataclysm will fuse the world with Adolla,
this collection of humanity's imaginings.
The Great Cataclysm has happened once before in the past.
Which means the world that exists now
has incorporated images from humans of the past.
In the world before the Great Cataclysm of the past,
there was a legend passed down about a child of virgin birth who saved the world.
That's the image they had of it.
My older brother... Shinra Kusakabe...
has the image of a savior created by the people
from before the last Great Cataclysm imprinted on him.
I'm gonna become a hero and protect Sho and mom!
My brother isn't a hero to just me and my mom.
My brother is a real...
But then why...
Why did people start calling my brother a devil?
And I was a virgin birth, as well. So what am I?
My brother is a real, live hero.
There are very few people who know this fact!
I will guide and protect my brother!
That's right, isn't it, Mother?
Mother, I will bring my brother here! I promise!
Let's go, Arrow.
Sir.
Wait! You're done already?
Did something just happen, just for an instant?
Yes.
The world is not ending.
I have something I need to do.
Someone is trying to deny my brother's existence,
and there are a limited number of people who would do that.
We will strike back.
Authorized Personnel Only
The appearance of the giant pillars is being treated as an omen of the Great Cataclysm.
According to our predictions, the number of pillars that appear should be eight.
There's one left.
As the Fire Force that protects the Tokyo Empire,
we can't stand silently by.
I won't complicate this.
Shinra, what is the Fire Force motto?
Sir!
To protect the lives and property of the people, sir!
We will give Tokyo back to the citizens!
This is Operation Recapture the Tokyo Empire!
You in, Devil?
I'm not a devil.
Just what is Shinra Kusakabe?
A hero.
To Be Continued
Fire Force Chapter 3
Despair.
Next Time
Abandon all hope.
The collective unconscious shall guide us to the correct conclusion.
Inflicting guilt on people...
So the one who metes out atonement is the hero, huh?
Next time, "Savior."
Episode 16
Savior
Return to the great flame of fire. Látom.