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- Kei begins combat training as Gripen's co-pilot, but her performance still leaves something to be desired because she is now too concerned about Kei's health during high-G maneuvers. As Kei leaves for home in the evening, he encounters another Anima, Phantom, who has just newly arrived at Komatsu. The next day, Yashirodōri announces that the Animas have been reorganized into an Independent Mixed Test Unit , meaning a combined fighting team for greater effectiveness against further Xi incursions; but any ideas towards an esprit de corps are hindered by inherent rivalistic tensions between the three girls, so Yashirodōri schedules an immediate training flight for them. However, Phantom uses her special cybernetic interface ability to cheat during the dogfight, which sparks animosity with the rest of the team. (en)
- Upon Yashirodōri's invitation, Kei returns to Komatsu Air Base the next morning to start working with Gripen. Gripen fetches him from their meeting point and begins showing him around, thereby revealing a surprisingly, dreamy human-like but very scatterbrained side. Kei also notices a strong antipathy by the JASDF staff towards the Anima. The next day, Gripen seeks Kei out at his home for a date, in which course she reveals that she suffers from an unknown defect, which leaves her without a clear purpose of existence and frequent breakdowns during her missions. They spend the rest of the day with leisure activities until Gripen inexplicably collapses and is immediately picked up by Yashirodōri's staff for repairs. Yashirodōri tells Kei that Gripen usually breaks down after just three hours, but during this day her activity cycle was substantially extended, and expresses hope that Kei's presence will affect her positively during her test flight in a week's time, because otherwise she will be declared a write-off prototype and scrapped. (en)
- Even though chagrined at the infighting, Yashiodōri gives Kei permission to go through with his plan, knowing that time is of the essence. Using the simulators at Naha Airbase, Kei and Gripen engage in mock combat with Phantom, but she attempts to cheat again. Despite this, Kei outwits Phantom and shoots her down, revealing afterwards that he had expected her to use her hacking routine and developed a matching counter-tactic. Admitting defeat, Phantom sets the condition that during the next day's repeat to destroy the Xi base, Kei must fly while Gripen is to handle the plane's weapon systems, as she knows that Gripen can't handle the stress of combat piloting. The next morning, the attack is renewed, but Eagle is sent off to support an allied strike force, leaving Kei, Gripen, and Phantom on their own. (en)
- Soon after Eagle arrived at Komatsu, she barges in on a date between Kei and Minghua . After he learns from her that Gripen is going to be scrapped on this very day, he frantically rushed back to the air base and seeks her out, assuring her that he cares for her. Just before he can spirit her away from her impending fate, a massive Xi attack force approaches Japan, and with Eagle outnumbered on her own, defeat seems assured. Despite Yashirodōri's willingness to allow Gripen and Kei to defect, Gripen and Kei decide to go up together. Gripen's initial failure to interface with her fighter forces Kei to take the controls, and after he manages to shoot down a Xi fighter, Gripen's confidence is boosted, allowing her to enter the fight by herself. The hostile force is defeated, but in the process Kei somehow manages to interface with the plane's controls just like an Anima can. (en)
- The mission begins with a carrier launch of Gripen and the other Animas. The US sends a large conventional fighter force to split up the Xi groups, after which they are followed by the Brawlers, who show surprising effectiveness and take out a large group of the Xi fighters. The Animas finish the break through to head towards Shanghai, only to be betrayed by a large EPCM burst that confuses the Brawlers and forces them to switch sides, attacking the Animas instead. Gripen is saved by Rhino, and while the two of them have a great deal of damage and end up low on fuel. Without options, they continue on to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, which appears to be covered in the same white fog. Kei notices that this looks similar to the scenes he saw in his dreams. After an unsuccessful search for fuel, Kei, Gripen, and Rhino retire to a hotel room, noting that while empty of people, the terminal is still running on full electricity with food and toiletries available. Kei hears a cracking sound that has him suspicious. Rhino agrees to keep first watch, but ends up keeping all watches and disappears in the morning, leaving a note about going to find fuel. Kei hears the cracking sound repeatedly again, and tries to find it. He opens the door, only to find Rhino, with her hood up, in the hallway. (en)
- When Gripen performs substandard during a test simulation, Kei is allowed to take the controls of a "Daughter" for the first time. As the critical test flight approaches, Yashirodōri finds out that Gripen's brainwaves have synchronized with Kei's upon their first meeting, and that her inner stability depends greatly on his close proximity to her. But during an encounter with antipathic JASDF members, Kei learns that Anima are created using salvaged Xi technology, which incites an emotional conflict in him. At the day of the test flight, however, he receives a message from Gripen explaining that she knows of her Zai origin but has chosen to fight for humanity's sake. Deciding that he cannot abandon her, Kei races to Komatsu to attend her test flight, but Gripen suffers another breakdown and a Zai fighter unexpectedly moves in to attack. But before Gripen is shot down, another Anima - Eagle - intervenes and takes out the enemy. (en)
- Kei experiences a dream where his interfacing with Gripen's memories appear to unlock a very important secret about the reason for Gripen and the Xi's existence. Soon after, he is taken to Atsugi Air Base where he, Gripen, and Yashirodōri meet William Shankle, an American scientist, and the USA's sole Anima, Rhino, a F/A-18E Super Hornet, and learns of an impending mission to retake the continent by using both Anima and specially designed drone fighters. Shankle invites Kei and Gripen to play a simulation to either defeat the Xi or ensure humanity's survival for 10 years. After Kei fails several times, Gripen wins the scenario by ensuring humanity's survival. After the simulation, Yashirodōri explains to Kei that Shankle views Animas as computers and programming, when in fact they are thinking beings whose loyalty and friendship must be won for humanity to succeed. (en)
- Rhino greets Kei cheerfully, explaining that she has found fuel. The cracking sounds increase, and a blue glass appears on the floor. Rhino and Kei go to fill the planes with fuel. After fueling is complete, Kei, now suspicious, asks Rhino how she was able to find fuel when there was none available yesterday. She reveals herself to have had her anima side taken over by the Xi, who have turned her into one of them, and then shoots at Kei, wounding his face and leg. As Kei runs to rescue a dreaming Gripen, the entire airport starts turning to the Xi's blue glass. Kei manages to awaken Gripen from her dream, in which she is dreaming about peace and the order of the Xi. They run, being chased by Rhino who claims to want to simply let them stay in the peace and order of the Xi world forever, saying the human world is too full of noise. Kei and Gripen take off, still being chased by Rhino. Rhino nearly manages to turn Gripen to the Xi through her programming, but Kei uses their relationship to snap her out of it. The two planes engage in a dog fight, which Gripen and Kei win by dropping a missile behind them and using the distraction to shoot Rhino down. Now chased by many Xi fighters, the two are rescued by Eagle, Phantom, and Viper Zero, who dispatch the Xi. Kei then blacks out, awakening in the hospital. Yashirodoori-san reveals that the Americans had placed many restrictions and controls on Rhino's source coding, causing her to lose control of herself when the Xi dissolved those restrictions. It was only the bond between Gripen and Kei that prevented the same,although the Japanese Anima have their own, less restrictive safeguards. Afterwards, Kei tells Gripen he would love to fly with her over China one day. (en)
- Despite the Xi's formidable defenses, Kei, Gripen, and Phantom manage to complete their mission with the unexpected assistance of another Anima, Zero One. Shortly thereafter, Kei encounters a girl who bears an uncanny resemblance to Minghua, leading to some confusion in their relatioonship. As Yashirodōri later informs him, the mystery girl is Viper Zero, whose defective EGG makes her assume the illusionary appearance of any specific person in the eyes of any who see her. But while Kei desperately attempts to mend his relationship with Minghua, yet another Anima - with her own supervisor - makes her appearance. (en)
- An invasion of Shanghai, which entails a massive missile barrage and air superiority action, is being planned as the first step of beating back the Xi. As Kei, who wishes to participate in the mission, tries to sort out his feelings, he is nearly overrun by a truck due to Phantom's actions. Phantom does not want him to take part in the attack lest he gets hurt, as she surmises that the assault will only serve to sacrifice the Japanese Anima in order to both provide live combat data for the new drone fighters and preserve the status quo between Japan and America. Soon the IMTU relocates on board of the USS Gerald R. Ford for the operation. Just before they embark on the perilous mission, Gripen assures Kei that she will stand beside him until the very end. (en)
- As Kei discusses his mounting discontent about Phantom's disdainful, self-opinionated attitude with Yashiodōri and Gripen, he learns more about the uniqueness of each Anima model's personality. Soon afterwards, an emergency arises as the Xi begin establishing a forward base on an island right within the edges of Japan's ADIZ. The Animas are sent out to destroy the base, with Phantom assigned to guide in a missile barrage while Gripen and Eagle provide cover. However, Phantom, thinking herself too valuable to die, hangs back from the action, which leads to Gripen and Eagle being overwhelmed by the base's defenses and forced into retreating. After their return, Kei begins taunting Phantom with a challenge to a match between her and Gripen: If she loses, she will finally subordinate herself; and if she wins, Kei will become her partner. (en)
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