Original subtitles

Causes of death are many and varied.

Old age, suicide, illness...

But the cause of death that scares people the most in this day and age...

is death by fire.

So this is the place that's going to be my castle?

The Rookie Fire Soldier Games?

It's a contest where all the rookies who joined this year

compete against each other with their abilities, and it's coming up.

You and the other new recruit who will be arriving today

will be the ones to represent us.

Today? There's a new recruit?

That's right.

Captain,

will there be anyone other than us, rookies, at this contest?

Yes. I'll be coming to cheer you on.

There may be other crew members who knew about that fire.

Hey, Devil.

What the hell are you doing here, you damn knight?

I'm here to slay a devil.

What was that, you onion-headed bastard? Let's take this outside!

SPECIAL FIRE CATHEDRAL 8, ROOFTOP

ALCOHOL

Here, Sputter.

You really are something else, Maki.

You are freely controlling flames at will like that.

I wouldn't say that. I'm only a Second Generation,

so unlike a Third Generation like Shinra, I need a fire starter to create my flames.

That's hot!

Today's the day I'm going to settle this!

I'm going to show you the difference between our fire powers.

Actually, who are you?

My name is Arthur Boyle, the Knight King.

THIRD GENERATION PYROKINETIC SECOND CLASS FIRE SOLDIER, ARTHUR BOYLE

Are you the princesses of this castle?

-What? -Princesses?

You must be the Third Generation Fire Soldier joining us today.

Shinra, do you know him?

Yes. We were at the Academy together.

I told him that knights were wussier than heroes,

so midway through, he tacked "King" onto "Knight."

Sneaky, am I right?

Okay.

He tries to act tight-lipped and cool, but he's just an idiot.

He's too stupid to come up with anything to say.

And yet...

-And yet what? -And yet what?

Somehow, he's still popular.

Yes. That seems right.

I'm the one with the stronger will though!

That's because knights are way cooler.

-What? -Kings. Knight Kings.

Shinra.

You're cool too.

Show me that awkward smile of yours, Devil.

What did you say?

What are you doing?

Lieutenant Hinawa! Arthur, the new recruit,

and Shinra have apparently known each other since the Academy.

Sputter!

Fire Soldiers do not play with fire.

Yes, sir.

So you're Arthur?

Yes. Nice working with you.

Hey, he's a lieutenant.

Everyone is equal before the round table. Don't sweat it.

Is that something for a subordinate to say?

Latom.

Whatever.

The Rookie Fire Soldier Games are coming up soon,

and I want to see what you've got.

Use your abilities as hard as you like.

Maki, take these two on.

Who, me?

Is there anyone else here named "Maki"?

I beg your pardon!

Shinra will lead off.

Are we really supposed to fight?

You don't have to hold back.

Is Maki going to be all right?

Those two are both Third Generation.

That won't be a problem.

Maki is an ex-soldier.

She knows how to destroy a man.

Well, let's hurry up and get started.

Shinra!

I thought I was going to die!

Isn't Maki overdoing it a little?

Contrary to his appearance,

Shinra is fairly capable of rational decision-making.

However, being a Third Generation pyrokinetic makes him overconfident.

You won't get me like you did with him.

Excalibur!

It didn't go out!

So it's a plasma cutter.

My Excalibur can't be dampened as easily as Shinra's flames.

But a knight can't very well harm a princess either.

You're forgetting your knightly manners.

Knights kneel in the presence of princesses, remember?

You'll answer to me for your rudeness toward Lieutenant Hinawa.

Why, you! So you're not a princess, but an ogre?

Who are you calling gorilla cyclops?

I never said that! Can't you even understand human speech, you ogre?

Leave it to the flame-manipulating Third Generation

to throw fuel into a fire.

Don't forget about me!

How come you've got such an ogre-like look on your face?

Not you too, Shinra.

If I can't snuff out your flames...

What's this flared-up business, now?

What?

Excalibur too?

Make that Ex-Sputter-bur.

Ex-Sputter-bur?

"Devil" and "Knight" indeed.

If we follow their pattern,

then I guess that makes Maki a "Witch," doesn't it?

Sputter! Flare!

Come forth, Bo!

"Bo"?

"Bo"?

Would you like to keep going?

What choice do we have? Arthur, if you say you're out then...

Shinra, if you're going to give up, then I guess that's that.

Bo!

IPPUDO RAMEN

-I can definitely eat faster than him! -I can definitely eat faster than him!

Make sure to chew before you swallow.

CHEW

GULP

Sir, top off their noodles. Make it extra-firm, please.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!

-Thank you for the food! -Thank you for the food!

It was delicious, Captain.

Hey, mind your tone.

Yes, I'm glad to hear it.

That restaurant serves good food.

Captain Obi sure is nice. Does anything ever make him mad?

What's the matter, Shinra?

Nothing at all, sir.

Okay.

Training right after eating isn't good for you,

so I guess there's no choice but to do some office work.

Why is it no good?

I mean, he's already taken up with that idiot.

SPECIAL FIRE CATHEDRAL 8, SHOOTING RANGE

So this is the Type 7?

The Type 7 Firefighting Ax.

When you pull the trigger, a Sacred Spike shoots out of the ax's end.

I don't need one of those.

I have Excalibur here.

A plasma cutter,

an ultra-hot, ultra-dense blade,

consisting of plasma created from your own flames

and emitted from the hilt of a sword.

It's true, with pyrokinetic abilities, you might not need the Type 7.

Every time I head out, I have to equip over 30 kilos of gear,

and maintenance takes time too.

It sure would help us if we could hurry up and get an engineer.

Take some pressure off the Lieutenant.

I don't really mind, actually.

An Infernal has appeared in Taito-ku, Iriya District, sir!

This one's a fire in a detached house.

It's conceivable that we'll have to put them to rest in close quarters.

Shinra.

This may also place limits on your ability.

Take the Type 7.

Keep your weapons hidden inside your turnout coats.

Under no circumstances display them publicly.

This is a quiet fire scene.

Papa and Mama...

Why? I'm going to be next.

Apparently, her mother also Infernalized two years ago.

And now, it's her father?

That's rough.

Captain Obi?

Let's do this one nicely and gently for her.

I hear there have been a lot of strange incidents at fire scenes lately.

Stay on your toes.

Everyone, prepare to move in!

-Roger! -Roger!

Shinra, Arthur, step over here.

Didn't I tell you not to display your weapons in public?

Why not? There's no such rule in the Fire Soldiers' regulations.

They didn't say anything at the Training Academy either.

Excalibur is my pride.

Why should I keep it hidden?

Our duty as Fire Soldiers is to fight Infernals and put them to rest.

Infernals were once human.

While we may call it "putting them to rest."

But what we are really doing is...

There are those among the Fire Soldiers

who consider themselves part of a sacred ministry

and seek out joy in engaging Infernals in combat.

But what about the feelings of the survivors they leave behind?

Those who are being put to rest when we fight are somebody's dear relatives.

Never show your weapons in front of their relatives!

If you can't do that, then I don't want you in my unit.

Yes, sir.

He's right. If I'm not there for those that are left behind,

then I'm not a true hero.

The flames have changed! Did the Infernal inside do that?

The fire is sneering at us! It's hard to believe that an Infernal,

with no self-awareness, could be doing this.

We're moving in!

-Yes, sir! -Yes, sir!

Infernal located.

He's just sitting there quietly.

Why is this happening?

Captain,

let me be the one to put him to rest.

Hang on a second. That Infernal still hasn't done anything yet.

Don't be a dumbass!

That man is sitting there while enduring the tremendous pain of those flames.

We have to get him out of his misery quickly.

1706.

Moving to put the Infernal to rest.

We cannot allow you to suffer any more pain than this.

Sister, the prayer.

Right.

Flames are the breaths of souls.

And smoke is the souls' release.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

This soul...

Return to the raging flames.

Latom.

-Latom. -Latom.

Is that painful?

Yes, for me.

That's how it should be for you now.

The most terrifying thing about this job is getting accustomed to it.

What was that?

It's collapsing! Everybody out!

Captain!

I don't know who is behind this, but I train every day.

This is taking things too far!

There's something funny afoot in the Special Fire Force.

This is just a little joke.

Captain, are you hurt?

I'm fine.

Could a malicious third party have targeted us?

I don't know.

But there's no way I'll ever permit anyone to disturb a fire scene

that is still full of memories for the survivors.

I swear I'll catch them.

Though we must head back for now.

I'm also going to burn someday.

Dad, Mom.

Mikako.

Your father valiantly faced the flames and won.

Your father and your mother must have been protecting you from the flames.

That's what I believe.

Dad, Mom.

I'm sorry I couldn't do anything.

This is about all any of us can do,

which is exactly why we're here for survivors, as much as possible,

and charge into a sea of flames.

Go to sleep, Devil.

There's nothing there that the likes of you can see. You're wasting your time.

Sometimes you see things by closing your eyes.

What are you saying?

If you don't know, then go to sleep, Devil.

You don't mean...

You...

Just showing a little compassion as a knight.

What?

King. A Knight King.

Hey.

What?

Don't talk to me just because you can't sleep.

You may be a devil, but it'd be no good to kill you in your sleep.

Just be grateful I'm a knight and go to sleep.

What?

I am King. A Knight King.

Now I know you're doing it on purpose.

I...

We have to put a stop to this Spontaneous Human Combustion

as soon as possible.

TO BE CONTINUED

NEXT EPISODE