Original subtitles

Sure you're not pushing yourself too hard?

Episode 12 Kafka Hibino

What are you thinking, anyway?

You're not worried about the old dude?

You went and agreed to go to another unit.

I want to get stronger.

You can do that here, right?

That's how we've done it so far!

Yeah.

I'm sure I could get stronger if I stayed, too.

But...

I want to get stronger as quickly as possible.

So that next time I can protect him, instead of him having to protect me.

Next time? You really think the old dude's coming back?

I've decided to believe.

And when he comes back, I don't want to rue my own weakness.

Well, me too...!

Fine, damn it! I'll train too!

You're the one guy I refuse to lose to!

What are you two arguing about?

Platoon leaders...

Today's the day they decide what they're doing with Hibino.

It's hard to stay focused, thinking about that.

Same for you guys, right?

It'll be fine!

We all wrote that letter asking for clemency together!

And Captain Ashiro was summoned to HQ, too.

The captain was?

Yes.

I'm sure they called her because they have good news.

Mina Ashiro, reporting as ordered.

Director General Shinomiya is currently examining Kaiju No. 8.

Please remain there until he's finished.

Roger.

You are only here as an observer.

A seat has not been prepared for you.

No! You're human, right?

Kafka Hibino!

He's fast.

But he's just an animal. He's not thinking about the opening he leaves after his attack.

An attack that destroys his own body, knowing he can regenerate?

If I try to use human common sense in this fight, I'm going to regret it.

Stop it!

Daddy!

Without No. 2's shield, that would've killed me instantly.

Squadron-Style Combat Technique Number Two:

Force Blast!

That attack expands its striking range by using a sonic boom.

A method No. 2 put to good use.

The core's gone?

He used his body as a decoy and regenerated from his core?

Fighting like this is too much!

I'm not gonna survive this!

Impossible! That shelter's as strong as we could make it!

We just lost the second layer!

In theory, it should survive an attack from a Fortitude 10.0!

We can expect to take some damage.

After all,

we have two numbered Kaiju, No. 2 and No. 8, battling each other across time.

Incredible...

He's facing a numbered Kaiju all on his own!

It's strange, though.

If he was going to kill him, he should've done so

with his first attack while he was still in human form.

Instead, it looks like Isao

is deliberately pushing No. 8 to test him.

I can't imagine why.

Is Daddy giving Kafka Hibino a chance to survive?!

I came to the Defense Force to save lives.

Instead, Kafka Hibino saved mine.

But he...

Your standard for judging someone shouldn't be their background, or what they say.

The way I see it, people ought to be judged by their actions.

Yeah, you're right.

Dad

The only fact that matters is what you do, huh?

No!

No. 8's fortitude is starting to surpass Isao's estimations.

Crap! I have to stop this thing!

Damn it all!

Stop!

I'm going to end up killing him!

Hell no!

I'm not killing Kikoru's dad right in front of her!

...if I find out that you're a Kaiju that's going to harm mankind, I'll kill you.

I'll...

I'll... have to...

But I still want to believe in him!

Don't give in to some Kaiju, Kafka, you idiot!

I... I...!

I...

Application Result

Mr. Kafka Hibino

We regret to inform you that you have not passed the first round of the recently concluded Anti-Kaiju Defense Force selection tests.

This is how it always goes for me.

I always screw up at the most important moment.

Damn it...

I had hope, but I suppose all is lost.

I'll always...

I'll always be waiting.

I...

I... I'm not Kaiju No. 8.

I'm Kafka Hibino.

Put your weapon away,

Narumi.

You kept refusing to signal for backup.

Defense Force First Division Captain Gen Narumi

I thought you were trying to kill yourself.

Don't be stupid.

I'll admit he was more than I expected, though.

Medics, take No. 8 in immediately.

Its core may be damaged.

So, what will you do with him?

Director General Shinomiya has finished his examination.

Lastly, we want to hear what you think as his commanding officer,

Captain Mina Ashiro.

Of course.

You've seen Kafka Hibino up close since the day he joined.

Our reports say you know him from before that, as well.

Yes.

But from the trials to now, I haven't given him any special treatment.

Our records show that she failed Kafka Hibino during the exam.

It was Vice-Captain Hoshina's suggestion that he be selected as a backup.

To be clear, we've almost entirely reached our conclusion.

We simply need your report for the papework.

Which means your testimony will have no influence on Kaiju No. 8's fate.

We don't want you to feel responsible for what happens here.

Understood.

Speak.

I'll leave it to the specialists to decide whether Kafka Hibino is a human or a Kaiju.

Instead, I'll tell you what I know of him as a Defense Force officer.

During the Sagamihara Neutralization Operation,

Officer Kafka Hibino contributed to his unit by discovering the Yoju's reproductive organs.

He's continued to be a hard worker who's saved the lives of his comrades many times.

Especially notable was the battle with No. 10,

where he saved the Third Division from being wiped out by destroying the Yoju bomb.

And so what?

That was only possible because he used his Kaiju power.

The fact that a rookie officer was capable of all that is proof he's a Kaiju!

Yes, that's correct.

His unleashed combat power at the time he joined was 0%.

He only passed the exam as a backup.

He'd failed the Defense Force exam twelve times straight prior to that.

Age-wise, he's also the oldest of any of our recruits.

So he must've used his Kaiju power to cheat!

But he didn't give up.

No matter how many times he failed,

even though his combat power was zero...

Even though his body had turned into a Kaiju...

He never stopped trying to save people.

Out of all the people I know, Kafka Hibino

hates giving up, cares for others more than anyone,

and...

Miiko!

And he has more humanity than anyone.

What is the deciding factor as to whether Kafka Hibino should be trusted as an officer?

I believe it's his heart.

We're not asking your personal opinion!

Stop trying to cover for your subordinate.

We can't trust something as vague and ill-defined as his "heart"!

Thank you, Captain Ashiro.

Return to your post.

We've heard what his commanding officer felt.

Nobody will accuse us of a hasty decision now.

We're ready to dispose of him now.

Your decision, Director General.

No. 8 will...

I hated myself for not being able to do anything.

I told myself I'd make the Kaiju pay for making her cry like that.

So I'd decided that if I was gonna become a Kaiju in both body and mind,

I'd rather die as a human.

I'm... alive?

You're awake?

D-Director General Shinomiya!

Calm down.

I'm not here to hurt you.

I'm so glad...

If anything happened to you,

I could never face Kikoru.

If I'm still alive, does that mean you accept that I'm human?

That I'm a member of the Defense Force?

If what was inside your chest was the frail heart of a human,

you would've died back there.

I'll tell you what the council decided.

You're a Kaiju.

But we'll decide later if you're a threat.

At the moment, most people are opposed to letting you live.

Kaiju No. 8 will fight for us. He will not be converted into weaponry.

I object!

We can't use a living Kaiju in combat!

It's dangerous!

There's no precedent!

I'm not Kaiju No. 8.

I'm Kafka Hibino.

I've decided that he can be controlled.

It's a fact that he's been doing missions with the Third Division for months.

It's not clear if a weapon made from him would be able to produce that much power.

With as many Daikaiju as we're seeing,

we need to use our forces in the most optimal way possible.

But there's no precedent for this.

Precedent?

Precedents are meaningless in the face of this country's defense.

Surely none of you have forgotten the series of disasters involving No. 6 ten years ago.

Over two hundred officers and three captains lost their lives.

Including your wife.

If a swarm of Kaiju emerges with numbers that far exceed our estimates,

this nation could easily be destroyed.

But if we can utilize his incredible power, we might stand a sliver of a chance.

Even so,

we stand opposed.

Kafka Hibino.

He said my name?

Prove your worth if you want to survive.

So they're just leaving me alive so I can be used as a weapon?

I still think of myself as a Defense Force officer.

I'll make you accept me as one too!

Mina Ashiro

Kafka Hibino: Disposal Deferred

But... I can't be entirely happy.

Now I need to get stronger...

Or I won't be able to stop him if I need to.

Is this...

Did the SDF do this?

No, they didn't.

Then this is...

A victory Kafka Hibino won for himself!

H—

Hooray!

You did it, Old Dude!

God was watching out for you, I guess!

I'm so glad, Hibino-san!

It's gonna get noisy around here again.

Hey, Reno, it says the old dude's saved!

I knew.

I told you, right? I was sure he was coming back.

When you get back, I'll be way stronger than I am now, Senpai!

I'm glad it worked out for Hibino-san.

The hard part's just beginning, though.

If people outside the Force knew we had a Kaiju...

Well, it's a secret, right?

They'll find out someday.

I'm sure the brass knows that too.

Then...

Kafka Hibino needs to prove he's useful enough that nobody can refuse his help.

Things are gonna get even harder from now on.

Hey, we're not done talking.

Wake up.

Wait for me, Mina...

Huh? You lost?

Game duration of seven minutes? That's fast!

Nothing I could do!

This "Number 9" guy started playing last week,

and all of a sudden he's top of the pile!

That should do it.

I've figured out mankind's intellectual level.

On an individual basis, it's nothing special.

So their weapon is the ability to accumulate knowledge across generations, then.

What about on your end?

I've more or less figured out the layout of the base.

Now we can move our plan to the next phase.

Yes, goodbye.

Time to bring the Kaiju power that fell into human hands back to our side.