God Eater (Anime)/Episode 9: Soma Schicksal

Synopsis
The episode begins with Lenka facing the news that he does not have long to live. According to Sakaki, Lenka’s heightened compatibility rate is caused by his God Arc’s Oracle cells invading his body, and that, should he wield his God Arc further, his compatibility rate will rise even higher, hastening his impending death. Should Lenka refrain from using his God Arc, Sakaki explains, he will have another three years to live at most. Sakaki then explains how Bias and Bias Factor work, stating that, no matter Lenka’s choice, he cannot leave Fenrir, but, should he choose to continue fighting, Sakaki will restore Lenka’s God Arc.

We are subsequently treated to a flashback of Soma’s childhood, as we see him becoming the first God Eater and others—namely, Lindow and Tsubaki—following in his wake. Soma awakens from his dream as the scene shifts to Johannes’ office. He speaks to someone on the intercom, requesting reinforcements to be dispatched to intercept Lindow at Aegis.

A further flashback to the Aragami outbreak opens with a news report showcasing the ruins all over the world as soldiers attempt in vain to fight off the Aragami, which are formally named here. Meanwhile, Johannes, Sakaki, and Aisha are meeting in a room overlooking the destruction, with Johannes lamenting his own research practices as the three of them notice a building tipped with anti-Oracle cell lights, harkening back to their own experiments. From here, the term “Bias Factor” is coined. Johannes wonders if the Bias cell can be used as a weapon, stating the immediate resumption of their research.

Meanwhile, Tsubaki has gathered all the Far East Branch’s God Eaters for a meeting detailing the deployment of Operation Meteorite. She outlines strategies for placement of five different devices around the Branch, with Sakuya, Tatsumi, Brendan, Gina, and Lenka being announced as the leaders of the device placement teams and Soma ordered into Lenka’s unit.

Later, in Licca’s lab, Lenka and Sakaki survey the damage to Lenka’s God Arc, with Sakaki questioning Lenka’s resolve and restating the risks of using it in battle. Lenka then inquires about Soma’s “grim reaper” nickname, with Sakaki telling Lenka to look it up if he wants to know more. Upon doing so, Lenka finds that Soma’s surname is Schicksal, the same as Director Johannes.

The scene then shifts to another flashback of soldiers attempting to fight the Aragami, with anti-Aragami weapons being rendered useless by the Aragami’s evolving Bias. On the news, more and more countries are signing contracts of protection with Fenrir. Sakaki then reveals his latest invention to Johannes and Aisha—the God Arc, a living Aragami formed into an anti-Aragami weapon. He states the need for further research into safe utilization; however, Aisha has the idea to infuse the Bias Factor into a human being. While Sakaki is hesitant, Aisha states that infusing it into a developing embryo could make the resulting child adapt to the Bias Factor naturally. She then nominates herself as a test subject, announcing her pregnancy in the process.

Meanwhile, back in the present day, Soma meets with Johannes in an elevator as the two discuss the upcoming mission briefly. While Lenka gazes out a window, Lindow appears, back from his infiltration, claiming that he was on a “date.”  Lindow remarks on Lenka’s mission with Soma, telling Lenka to keep an eye on him. As Lindow walks off, Lenka looks down at his tablet and notices an addendum on the information on the Managarm project, stating that Aisha died in childbirth.

Later, Tsubaki outlines further details of the placement of the Aragami guidance devices with Lenka, before being called to train new recruits. Lenka asks why she stepped down as a God Eater, as she responds by saying that, had he seen an Aragami being born, he would have no hope that the Aragami could ever be exterminated, while simultaneously explaining that she still has faith that the next generation will be able to end this.

On a helicopter, Lenka goes over the operation with Soma and three new recruits, one of whom states his unease at working with Soma, who replies that, if they don’t want to die, they should stay away from him. As the helicopter lands and the device deployment begins, Lenka surveys the area as a number of Ogretails converge on their location. Soma, however, eliminates them all in one hit with a mighty Charge Crush wave.

As the last defensive point is set around the guiding device, Lenka and Soma prepare to depart, but halt upon seeing the Aragami being born in the immediate vicinity of the guiding device. Lenka thinks back on Tsubaki’s words as he and Soma look upon the newly-born Chi-Yous attempting to bypass, then forcibly move, the barrier. Gradually, the Chi-Yous move the barrier more and more, as Soma descends from the helicopter to fight them. Lenka then orders the helicopter to descend so they can retrieve the guiding device; however, Soma tells them to stay in the air as he fights the Chi-Yous alone.

The Aragami waste no time in knocking him to the ground and surrounding him as he thinks back on the circumstances of his birth, as the scene shifts to another flashback to Aisha’s announcement of her own pregnancy. Sakaki congratulates her and Johannes, but Johannes expresses his reluctance at following through with Aisha’s plan. Aisha, however, insists on going through with it, expressing her desire to make her child into a beacon of hope for the future.

Back at the guiding device, Soma faces down the Chi-Yous as Lenka turns up the beacon to draw the Chi-Yous to him. As they turn their attention to him, he tells Soma to use his Charge Crush to eliminate the Chi-Yous all at once while they’re occupied. As the barrier begins to fail and Soma hesitates, Lenka reaffirms that Soma has every right to exist as his own person, as a beacon of hope rather than a harbinger of death. Hearing these words, Soma lets loose his Charge Crush, tearing the Chi-Yous apart as Lenka forces the wave back with his God Arc’s shield. Soma thinks Lenka has been killed, but Lenka radios him and tells him once again that he is not a grim reaper before passing out.

Upon his awakening, Soma confronts him about having viewed Soma’s file as Lenka reaffirms his own resolve while considering his own impending mortality. Soma then explains the futility of the Aegis plan, stating that the Aragami can never be truly destroyed. Lenka, however, implores Soma to pass his own hope for the future onto the next generation. As he struggles to rise, Soma offers him his hand.

A further flashback sees Aisha explaining to Johannes the name she has chosen for her child—Soma. The flashback then fades back to the present, as Johannes has a phone conversation with Oguruma and Alisa about Lenka’s actions at the dam in the forest from earlier. Meanwhile, Lenka tells Sakaki to restore his God Arc, stating his intentions to keep on fighting.

Lindow is then seen looking over photos he took while on Aegis, one of which shows the incubating Nova. Meanwhile, Oguruma displays an image of the Dyaus Pita to Alisa, as he reiterates that it was the Aragami that devoured her parents, before displaying an image of Lindow and explaining that “this is your enemy.”

As the episode ends, Sakaki finishes restoring Lenka’s God Arc, with Licca expressing surprise at its new form. Johannes is seen in his office as he thinks on the hope that Aisha left for the world’s tomorrow. Finally, Lenka can be seen gazing at Aegis out a window.

Characters Shown
Lenka Utsugi

Paylor Sakaki

Soma Schicksal

Tsubaki Amamiya

Lindow Amamiya

Johannes von Schicksal

Aisha Gauche

Sakuya Tachibana

Kota Fujiki

Kanon Daiba

Various new recruits

Daigo Oguruma

Alisa Amiella

Licca Kusunoki

Insert Song
「SUNDAY」 by GHOST ORACLE DRIVE