VOTOMS Phantom Arc Ep. 4: Nulgerant

On the planet Nulgerant, Shako and several Quentians find Chirico unconscious. Elsewhere, the Erdspinne pilots float in a chamber outside of their ATs and have their bionic bodies awakened by an electrical shock. At Alegium, Rochina takes off in a shuttle after having convinced the pilots that he has permission. Later, several priests report to Montwells that Rochina said the Child of God was about to be born, and that was how he escaped and set course for the Horse Mouth gas nebula. Montwells walks down from his throne in a daze, repeating again and again that the Child of God was about to be born. Elsewhere, a Balarant patrol station picks up Rochina’s shuttle approaching, but the officers dismiss it as missionary work. On Nulgerant, Shako and Chirico meet with an old man named Tedaya, who comments that Chirico must be pretty reckless to end up in their debt. He then asks Chirico, who killed God, to deal with the Child of God. He explains that 30 years ago they were sent to Quent’s twin planet, Nulgerant, but at the time they didn’t understand why. He thinks they can avoid a disaster this time because the Child of God is about to be born into their clan. Tedaya takes Chirico to a room where several hooded women are praying over a pregnant woman and using their special powers to ensure its birth. Chirico asks if anything like this has ever happened, and Tedaya answers that something similar happened 1,200 years ago. Shako adds that it’s being entrusted to Chirico’s care because it hasn’t been accepted yet. Tedaya explains that the baby must be taken to Gomor Tower to receive judgment. He says that if the baby is expelled during a purification ritual, it’s a true Child of God. He wants Chirico to defend the baby on its way to the tower because other Quentian tribes want the baby to die. Chirico asks why they don’t protect it themselves, but he’s interrupted by the sounds of the baby being born. The officers at the Balarant station are informed of a Gilgamesh security ship coming out of Alegium, leaving them to wonder what’s going on. They decide to contact Alegium and investigate what’s going on. On another part of Nulgerant, Vanilla, Coconna, Gotho and Zophie dress as pilgrims and sit down to drink and eat bread. Gotho points out the Quentians everywhere and wonders what’s going on. Coconna hopes that Chirico is safe, and Vanilla says there’s no way Chirico would be dead. They then overhear several men at the next table talking about the Child of God. The Balarant intelligence bureau hears the rumor that a Child of God has been born to rule over the galaxy. An officer mentions the story of how it’s thought that a god secretly ruled over the galaxy for 3,000 years. Gilgamesh intelligence officers hear the same information and wonder what Alegium and the Balarant will do. An officer thinks they should take charge of the Child of God. The pilgrims explain everything about the tower to Coconna and the others. Vanilla asks Gotho if he wants to go to the temple, and Gotho comments that Chirico might show up. A lookout tells rival clan leader Zeno that Tedaya’s clan has moved out. Zeno then tells his men to kill the Child of God, and they begin marching to a drummer’s beat.

On the surface, Shako scans the area from inside his Berserga WP. Zeno’s men appear at the top of the valley and start pushing large boulders down the side of the canyon. Shako tries to catch one boulder, and another one hits the baby basket and sends it falling down to the valley floor. Zeno proclaims that the Child of God is dead, thus maintaining three millennia of Quentian law. Coconna and the others arrive at the temple located below Gomor Tower, and Coconna wonders what’s taking so long. A priest emerges from inside the temple, and Shako enters with Tedaya and an escort. The priest asks where the Child of God is, and Shako answers that it isn’t there. The priest becomes angry and asks if they’re deceiving him, but Tedaya says he’s just waiting for the person he entrusted it to. Chirico then appears in a Scopedog and speeds through the temple down to the arena floor. The high priest is angered that someone has entered holy ground in an AT, and Chirico dismounts with the baby in a basket. Zeno is shocked, and Tedaya asks the priest to test if the baby is the Child of God. The priest takes the basket and walks to the center of the arena, where he places the basket on the ground. The temple vibrates as several doors open and Berserga Praetorios emerge. The Berserga Praetorios then form a ring around the priest and basket, but one of them walks up to the baby and places its foot over the basket. The crowd is shocked, and the priest proclaims that if the baby is the Child of God, it’ll survive a threat to its life. He says there has to be someone among them who would save the baby. He asks if someone will do it, and when no one steps forward, he gives the order to kill the baby. The Berserga Praetorio begins to lower its foot, but Chirico shouts out for it to stop. Chirico walks into the ring and says he’ll take the child back. The priest then declares that the baby is a true Child of God, but he still gives the order to kill it. Chirico reacts quickly enough to swipe the basket and run away. He returns to his Scopedog as the Berserga Praetorios begin to march. They try to pen him in, and their large shields block his machine gun fire. Shako appears in his Berserga WP, and Chirico warns him that he’ll have to fight his own people, but Shako is ok with that. Chirico tries to arm punch a Berserga Praetorio and jumps over it into the center of the arena. Rochina watches and wonders what Chirico will do now since he killed God. He thinks that if the baby survives, it’s proof of another abnormal survivor like Chirico. But if it doesn’t, it means Chirico is just an average pilot. Several Berserga Praetorios surround Chirico and Shako and slam their pile bankers into the ground. The floor then crumbles away, causing Chirico and Shako to fall into darkness.