VOTOMS Ep. 17: Reunion

Ypsilon, the Snapping Turtle pilot, attacks Chirico. Chirico dodges the attack and fires back at Ypsilon as they both slide down the hill. Ypsilon fires again and hits the Marshydog‘s torso, forcing Chirico to eject at the base of the hill. Ypsilon attacks again, but Chirico escapes into the forest. Nearby, the Assemble soldiers use flamethrowers to set every hut in Gonmu village on fire. Kan Yu orders everyone to pull out, but Potaria and the other pilots point out that Chirico hasn’t returned yet. Kan Yu says that Chirico is crazy and probably isn’t coming back. Potaria says he will begin searching against orders, and Kan Yu pulls a gun on him and threatens to execute him. At the Fantom Club, Gotho tells Coconna and Vanilla that Chirico didn’t return from the mission. Vanilla thinks that Chirico’s alive, but Gotho doesn’t think he can survive without an AT. Coconna yells at Kiderra, Potaria and Shako for sitting around drinking while Chirico is missing. Kiderra says they didn’t leave him behind by choice, and he doesn’t think a Red Shoulder would die easily. At the ancient palace, Fyana and Kanjelman duel at balancing using lances. She makes an attack, but he dodges and knocks the lance out of her hands. Ypsilon returns and reports to Borough that Assemble attacked Gonmu village and destroyed it. Borough orders him to reinforce Galamo village, and Ypsilon mentions that he fought Chirico. Borough tells Ypsilon that as a Perfect Soldier he has nothing to fear from Chirico. Ypsilon mentions that Fyana still has memories of Chirico, and Borough says they’ll erase them. Fyana comes into the room to inform Ypsilon that Kanjelman has invited them to dinner. At dinner, Kanjelman explains that his father and brother abandoned the beliefs of Van Nu to industrialize Kummen. Because of that, Kanjelman started a holy war to save the Holy Kingdom of Kummen. Kanjelman has great faith in Ypsilon and Fyana’s abilities as Perfect Soldiers. In the forest, Chirico approaches the palace and is attacked by automated sentry robots. He destroys several of them until gun runs out of ammo. Several sentry robots close in on Chirico and surround him.

Chirico is escorted into the courtyard, which is filled with angry villagers. Kanjelman, Borough, Fyana and Ypsilon watch Chirico from a balcony. Kanjelman wonders how to deal with Chirico, and the crowd wants to kill him. Fyana says that Chirico should rot in the dungeon for the suffering he’s caused. Ypsilon suggests that a balancing duel would be worthy for a warrior like Chirico. Chirico is given a lance with a scythe end, and Ypsilon tells him that balancing is a traditional and holy martial art in Kummen. Ypsilon furiously attacks Chirico and taunts him when he’s knocked down. He tells Chirico that he fought well in an AT, but a true warrior must excel in all forms of combat. Chirico goes on the offensive himself, but Ypsilon knocks him in the chest with the dull end of the lance. Ypsilon prepares to make the killing blow, but Fyana interrupts and says she will kill Chirico herself. Ypsilon gives Fyana his lance, and she stabs Chirico in the shoulder. She says she can’t kill an unarmed opponent, and Ypsilon orders that Chirico be locked up in the dungeon for execution the next day. That night, Fyana sneaks to the dungeon but is spotted by Ypsilon and Monica. Fyana knocks out the guard and opens Chirico’s cell. She tells him she’s glad to see him despite how it occurred. He tells her to come with him and says he’ll find jijirium somehow. She says she can’t and takes him to the armory where the Standing Turtles are stored. He asks her again to come with him, but several soldiers spot them and begin shooting. Chirico jumps into the cockpit while Fyana gives him some covering fire. A few Standing Turtles attack, and Chirico fires at them and escapes into the forest. He ambushes the Standing Turtles when they reach the forest, but his AT is damaged and he is forced to abandon it. He runs to the riverbank and finds Monica waiting for him with a boat. She tells him it’s payback for earlier and asks him to tell Potaria that she hasn’t forgotten the time they had together as children. Chirico travels down the river and is happy that Fyana hasn’t forgotten him.