Iron-Blooded Orphans Ep. 41: Natural for a Human

Shino reports to Orga that Gjallarhorn seized Naze and Amida’s bodies, and Orga asks to be left alone as he stands over their empty coffins. Jasley argues with McMurdo about having a funeral for Naze on Saisei, but McMurdo answers that he can do what he wants. Jasley thinks it presents a bad image since the Turbines were criminals, but McMurdo counters that he finds some things suspicious about this incident. Jasley meets with his comrades and boasts that it’ll soon be his time to run Teiwaz once they get McMurdo out of the way. During Naze’s funeral, Jasley and his thugs show up and antagonize Tekkadan to goad them into responding. In another room, Atra and Hush struggle to care for the Turbines babies, and Mikazuki plays with one while laying on his side. McMurdo meets privately with Azee, Lafter and Eco, telling them that he’ll take care of them since it was his final promise to Naze. After leaving, Eco comments that McMurdo was nice to them. Azee tells Lafter that she can go to Tekkadan if she wants since they won’t be armed any longer. Lafter asks why she brought up Tekkadan, and Azee answers that she can be true to her feelings since it’s what Amida wanted for her. Azee recalls Amida telling her that Naze loved all his women equally, but that all women want a man of their own. On the Skipjack, Iok meets with Rustal and boasts that they’ve stopped McGillis’ movements on Mars, but Rustal interrupts and informs him that McGillis is investigating the Dainsleif rounds that Iok took from headquarters. Rustal wants order and moderation and tells Iok to think on those words. The senior Tekkadan members debate what to do about Jasley, and Orga says they can’t act rashly until the Turbines girls are secure in their places in Teiwaz. Ride walks in and tells Akihiro that Lafter has come to see him. She asks him in a corridor if he wants to get drinks, with Shino and Eugene eavesdropping around the corner. He agrees and says he’ll tell everyone else, so the guys grab him and tell him he has to do this alone. Akihiro takes Lafter to Pub Someday, the bar he and the others went to during their first trip to Saisei. Lafter feels like she’s had a lot of things taken from her heart and recalls her tough upbringing on outlaw ships, until Naze and Amida took her in. Until that time, she didn’t know what it felt like to live like a normal person, and she believes Naze and Amida made her who she is now. Akihiro feels the same way about his life after joining Tekkadan, and she tells him that he’s kind. She thought he was just a muscle freak, but discovered that he’s the most considerate person. She tells him that she’s going to stay behind and pass on the legacy of Naze and Amida. Akihiro tells Lafter that he respects the honest life she leads and wants to be like her. As they say goodbye, she gives him a tight hug and walks away. She thinks to herself that she’s never felt like this before.

With the Gundam Barbatos Lupus Rex repaired, the Isaribi and Hotarubi depart from Saisei to return to Mars. Orga thinks about Naze telling him to protect his family and move forward. He also recalls Naze’s criticism of his goal to be the King of Mars. Mikazuki comments to Atra about how the Turbines babies looked like Naze. He asks if she’s going to have babies, which makes her nervous. She tells him that she doesn’t want to have babies with anyone other than him. He asks if it’s ok if she wants one with him, which makes her even more nervous and leads to a hasty exit. Hush finds her distressed in the mess hall, and she asks him to do clean up duty in her place. Jasley meets with his men and is disappointed that he couldn’t provoke Tekkadan into starting a fight with him. He wants a big fight that would drag in McMurdo as well, so he decides to take further action. Lafter and Azee wrap up their shopping, but Azee realizes that she forgot something and goes back to buy it. Lafter walks into a teddy bear shop and notices that one is scowling due to its thick eyebrows, which reminds her of Akihiro. A man walks by outside and fires several gunshots into the store, killing Lafter. Azee hears the clerk’s screams and runs back, finding Lafter on the floor in a pool of blood. Eco calls Orga and reports that Lafter was killed, likely by one of Jasley’s thugs. She adds that right after that Jasley asked McMurdo to put the former Turbines girls under his protection, but McMurdo refused. She also says that McMurdo is trying to work over some of the top dogs in Teiwaz who seemingly side with Jasley. Additionally, Azee has taken ill because she blamed herself for leaving Lafter alone. The senior members of Tekkadan want revenge, and a furious Akihiro asks Orga to give them the order. Jasley tells his men to put him in touch with Iok so they can crush Tekkadan. Orga calls McGillis and learns that Iok is Rustal’s protégé, and he thinks that if they find evidence of Iok’s wrongdoing that it should benefit McGillis. McGillis offers to back them up if they attack Jasley, and Orga says that if they do, they will have to leave Teiwaz and end up as stray dogs. McGillis reiterates that he promised to make them the King of Mars and won’t betray them. Orga reciprocates that he won’t betray McGillis either, no matter what. McGillis and Isurugi meet with a group of loyalists led by Liza Enza. Akihiro breathes heavily after having wrecked the gym in rage. Orga talks to Mikazuki about the upgraded Barbatos, and Mikazuki asks how far he should go fighting Jasley. Orga thinks it’s a strange question coming from Mikazuki, and he tells him to forget all past ties and crush their enemy.