Fafner Ep. 16: Welcome Home (Friends)

The UN forces prepare to intercept the Festum and Burns says they will show the monsters of outer space the power of humanity. Sakura’s and Kenji’s mothers wonder if the UN forces can handle their systems and Fumihiko says Burns won’t go down without a fight. Michio tries to talk Yumiko out of going to the command center but she says she can’t trust others with the system. Michio locks her in a closet and says it’ll be over soon. He says he fought because he knew Yumiko was alive somewhere in the world. The core apologizes to Seri for getting them separated from the others, but she says it’s fine. The core says she’s not used to walking yet and Seri says they should rest. The core asks if Seri will be her friend. She agrees and the core thanks her by her name. Seri says she never introduced herself yet. A shelter entrance comes out of the ground and the core tells Seri to get in because she has to go. The core introduces herself as Tsubaki Minashiro, Soushi’s little sister. She promises they’ll be friends and the shelter door closes. The Festum turns invisible and smaller Festum destroy the Welle shield. Burns thinks the Festum is looking down on them because they’re approaching in a straight line. Chizuru receives a phone call from Tsubaki asking for her to pick her up. The Festum breaks through the 2 nd Welle shield and the Fafners attack it. The Nothung models launch and the smaller Festum attach to some tanks and self-destruct. Michio shoots some of them down and runs into the Mark Drei. He asks the pilot why she isn’t moving and she says that the Fafner amplifies her sense of touch and it’s too much for her. The Festum sink the UN subs and Burns orders the remaining units to fire. Chizuru and Tsubaki ride a scooter near the shore when an explosion knocks them off. Tsubaki laughs because it’s the first time she’s played in the mud. Burns orders them to detach a part of the island and blow it up, but the computer won’t accept their commands. Doors all over the complex open and close, allowing Fumihiko and his group to escape. The island defenses form a shield around the Nothung models and take them somewhere. Closing doors cut off Soushi, Sakura, Mamoru and Kenji from the others and Fumihiko says Tsubaki is leading them somewhere. The small Festum pile on top of a mountain over the command center and explode. Tsubaki collapses and says the island’s pain is reaching her. Chizuru says they should stop but Tsubaki wants to make everyone choose. Soushi is lead to the Siegfried system while the pilots are lead to their Fafners. Mamoru says they can’t pilot them because they don’t have their suits but Sakura says Kazuki piloted without one. Tsubaki says it’s her job to let people and Festum choose what they want. They arrive at a lighthouse and Tsubaki tells Chizuru to go back. Chizuru says she wants to stay and see things through. Fumihiko is lead to a new command room and takes over operations.

Burns escapes as the command center is destroyed and the pilots board their Fafners. Chizuru says Tsubaki wasn’t given a choice, but she says that she chose to have a heart. She starts to sing and the Festum is drawn to her. It visualizes itself and Soushi orders the Fafners to attack. Cannon sees them moving and Michio tells her they’ve found the enemy’s head and to go attack it. Mamoru blocks the Festum with his Fafner and Kenji attacks from the side. An eye appears on the Festum and a beam shoots out of it, disabling Kenji. Sakura attacks it but is disabled as well along with Mamoru. Cannon and Michio attack it, but their Fafner’s limbs are shot off. The Festum goes up to Tsubaki and she says it’s made its choice to live in a world without conversation. She says that it’s not the one that made that choice. Chizuru tells Tsubaki to run as the Festum is about to attack. Tsubaki says it’s all right and welcomes Kazuki back as he attacks the Festum. The Festum attacks him, but the Mark Sein blocks the attack with its hand. The Festum sends out smaller ones that pile on Kazuki. Before they explode the Mark Sein assimilates the Festums and the main one disappears again. Tsubaki says Soushi can find it if he looks and he sees the wound the Festum got earlier. He contacts the Mark Sein and is shocked to see Kazuki in it. Kazuki says he only fought because Soushi told him too but now he understands a bit more. Soushi connects the Mark Sein with the Siegfried System and shows Kazuki where the enemy is. Kazuki assimilates a rifle, making it more powerful and fires on the Festum, causing it to appear again. He then grabs Cannon’s sword and assimilates it. He fires a large blast and destroys the Festum. Everyone looks on in awe.