The Children's Echelon

The Children's Echelon (戦場の少年たち) is the third episode of ALDNOAH.ZERO, it first aired in Japan on July 19, 2014.

Synopsis
The Earth Forces are in full retreat after the devastating attack from the Martian Kataphrakts. Inaho and his friends are hunkered down in a local school, preparing a counter-attack.

Plot
Act One Count Saazbaum talks to Sir Trillram from his Landing Castle about the status of their "rat extermination", getting rid of Rayet Areash, the daughter of the leader of Martian agents on Earth that were brutally murdered by Sir Trillram. Meanwhile, Inaho, Inko, and Calm pull the door to the Kataphrakt hangar at their school. Warrant Officer Kaizuka wakes from a hospital bed, greeted by Dr. Yagarai, who tells her to stay in bed and is safe.

Dr. Yagarai tells her that Inaho and his friends have decided to fight using the equipment there, against the Nilokeras.

Lt. Marito meets up with Shigo Kakei at the military base he is stationed at, he is introduced to Captain Darzana Magbaredge of the amphibious assault ship UES Wadatsumi, 4th Fleet Escort Force and her First Officer, Kaoru Mizusaki. Lt. Marito informs them of Warrant Officer Kaizuka, whom Lt. Marito believes is still fighting in the northern district. The only reason their base is secure is that she is holding the enemy off.

Captain Magbaredge tells Lt. Marito that a radio jamming field covers the entire Shinawara area. Plus, that GPS is down, so if they went to rescue her, they wouldn't be able to pinpoint her location data. Lt. Marito hesitates, but Captain Magbaredge asserts that their responsibility is to escort and protect the ferries that are carrying refugees. Lt. Marito retorts that they are still people out there and that his kids' nor names weren't on the passenger manifest. Neither were his students' so Captain Magbaredge finally agrees to put in a request to HQ to form a rescue party and give Lt. Marito one landing craft. However, if he can't put together enough people to crew the vessel, she expects her to let it go.

Back at the school, Warrant Officer Kaizuka bangs violently at the toilet door. Inaho sits stoically while browsing a map app on his phone. He explains to Warrant Officer Kaizuka that for some reason, a Martian is obsessed with trying to kill them so as long as they stick to the school. His attacks won't spread to the city proper or the harbor. Luckily, everyone who lives around the school has been evacuated. He flushes and steps out the door, and informs Warrant Officer Kaizuka about that Okisuke is dead. Inaho quotes what his sister said to him through the phone during the evacuation process to justify his decision to fight.

Warrant Officer Kaizuka volunteers to fight instead. But Inaho believes that as she is injured and that everyone is on edge, she should stay at the school and calm the refugees while he and his friends fight.

From the bridge in Shinawara, where Inaho and his friends hoped to see the Princess, Slaine sits on a bench while contemplating the death of his best friend, the Princess.

Saazbaum and Trillram continue their conversation. Saazbaum is angered that Trillram failed to kill Rayet but lost track of where she may have gone to hide. Trillram's defense is that from the tunnel she fled into, she could only go to one area Shinawara's northern district and that she will eventually grow impatient. But Saazbaum retorts that they do not have the luxury of playing the waiting game. Saazbaum says that as they do not have her location, they can simply blow the entire city up via meteor bombardment.

Still, Trillram reminds Saazbaum that Count Cruhteo's Landing Castle is too close and might view it as an attack. Saazbaum orders Trillram to make sure Rayet doesn't go anywhere while he prepares to destroy Shinawara.

In the hangar, Inaho shows Warrant Officer Kaizuka the data he collected about the Martian Kataphrakt on his phone. They know that it absorbs bullets and other objects too. For example, Calm and Inko launched a flying drone from a tunnel, but the Nilokeras also incorporated it.

Infrared, acoustic detection and lasers are all useless, as Calm adds. There was no echo either according to Inko, so not only does it absorb kinetic energy but also radio waves and lasers, as Inaho concludes. Inaho assumes that the pilot cannot see out either and notices that he gave up chasing them when they went into the tunnel. He deduces that he is using separate cameras that allow him to see, probably in the sky. Due to this, Dr. Yagarai takes the precaution of sealing up the curtains. The moment they go out, he will spot them, so they only have one chance.

As he checks the backup batteries, Calm discusses the upcoming mission with Inko and Inaho. He, Inko, and Inaho are to pilot the Kataphrakts but require two more people for the decoy truck.

Suddenly, Princess Asseylum (still in her disguise) appears and volunteers for the task, Eddelrittuo hesitates. She feels she must undergo this time of crisis, this trial. Inko hits Calm for his two snide comments. Rayet volunteers to ride the truck, to avenge her father's death by the Nilokeras. Inaho vows the leave at first light and drives off the Martian Kataphrakt.

Act Two During cold and dark night, Warrant Officer Kaizuka stares through binoculars on the lookout outside the school. At the same time, Inaho checks up a KG-6 while talking to Inko, who cannot sleep as the student council office is cold. Inaho explains the heat is turned off to minimize any signs of human habitation.

Despite that, Calm is sleeping like a baby, according to Inko. Inaho hopes Calm does not catch a cold to which Inaho laughs as he worries about catching a cold when they could die tomorrow. Inaho says he is not fearless as he believed that they were all going to be rescued, he can't bear to just sit around doing nothing. He assumes that Calm feels the same way. Inko wishes Inaho to not catch a cold, Inaho wishes the same back.

At sunrise, Lt. Marito prepares a mission with Shigo and three students; Nina Klein, Kisaki Matsuribi, and Yutaro Tsumugi to rescue friendly forces and civilians still remaining in Shinawara's northern district. Captain Magbaredge also volunteers, she has delegated their ferry escort duties to XO Mizusaki.

They're to rendezvous with them after the operation is complete. Lt. Marito salutes her, and she says she has taken an interest in him. Nina suddenly hears explosions and points to three red lights in the sky. It's a signal round, as the golden-haired boy explains. Nina says it is in the direction of the school. Lt. Marito realizes it is a signal for "Commencing Attack".

It was Warrant Officer Kaizuka who fired the signal. As planned, Rayet drives the truck with Asseylum, carrying Inaho and his KG-6 Sleipnir. Inko and Calm pilot two KG-6 Sleipnirs following them. A concerned Eddelrittuo stays behind with Warrant Officer Kaizuka. She and Inaho bid each other farewell as he sets out for battle. Trillram's cameras instantly spot the truck with his target, Rayet, behind the wheel. Warrant Officer Yuki tells the refugees in the school that they are moving out and to follow her and Eddelrittuo.

Inko struggles to pilot on the narrow road, continually stepping on cars to which Calm jokes about her piloting class skills. Inko spots the Nilokeras at 10 o'clock. From the truck, Inaho spots through binoculars the flying camera drones Trillram uses to see with and commences the operation.

The KG-6 units fire rockets at the cameras, much to the shock of Trillram. Inaho's plan has worked much to the delight to his classmates, Inko and Calm.

As Yuki guides the refugees out of the school into the tunnel. Inaho continues to fire rockets at the cameras from his truck of the plan. Rayet tells Asseylum the simple steps in using the launcher, and she too takes out a camera. Trillram is highly angered. Dr. Yagarai and Warrant Officer Yuki come out of the tunnel to find Lt. Marito standing atop the U.E. Amphibious Assault Ship UES Wadatsumi, ready to evacuate civilians left in Shinawara.

Unexpectedly, Slaine flies his Sky Carrier into the battle. He is now to be the eyes of the Nilokeras as the cameras have been destroyed. Trillram thus asks Slaine to give him the position of the truck Rayet is driving. Calm fires shots at the Sky Carrier. After several shots exchanged, Calm's KG-6 Sleipnir's airbags deploy. But he and his KG-6 can still move, Slaine's Sky Carrier, on the other hand, has taken severe damage on its left-wing and is about to crash.

As rockets work on the Sky Carrier, Rayet concludes it does not have the defensive capabilities of the Nilokeras. Asseylum draws attention to her identity more as she explains the Vers' tactical transport known as the Sky Carrier.

Rayet pulls the breaks. Asseylum readies her rocket launcher at the Sky Carrier without any knowledge that it is her best friend piloting it. Inaho climbs into the cockpit of his KG-6 on the truck, booting up ASIMOV, checking various specs such as voltage and oil pressure. Rayet attempts to run circles around the Nilokeras, but the windscreen smashes. Rayet tells Asseylum (unaware of her identity) to run for it is her that Trillram is after. Still, Asseylum refuses as it is 54 seconds until their estimated rendezvous time with. Asseylum climbs out of the truck and volunteers to buy them the time. The Wadatsumi approaches.

Asseylum walks straight up to the Nilokeras and condemns Trillram's outrageous behavior and revealing her true identity as his superior. She begins to glow and transforms her hair and clothes out of her disguise. Trillram cannot believe it.

The Wadatsumi approaches with Shigo, Nina, Kisaki, and Yutaro on Captain Magbaredge's bridge. Lt. Marito, who is next to the Captain, gives the order to fire all missiles at the Martian Kataphrakt. Rayet runs up to Princess Asseylum, asking how she can be alive.

Inko fires shots at the Nilokeras, but they are still being absorbed. Inko lowers the aim and fires them rapidly at the suspension bridge the Nilokeras and truck are on. The Nilokeras falls into the water. Calm activates the flying drone, reporting to Inaho where water isn't being absorbed.

Inaho's uses his KG-6 Sleipnir's knife to stab the Nilokeras in one of its weak spots and avenges his friend, Okisuke Mikuni, while explaining to Trillram how he managed to defeat a supposedly invincible barrier.

Inaho's friends and the UFE officers celebrate their victory. While Slaine sees through his binoculars that his best friend is not dead.

After the battle, Slaine discovers that Trillram is still alive. While Trillram was losing, Slaine had been making temporary repairs to his Sky Carrier. Trillram says that they are leaving immediately. Slaine cannot understand how Princess Asseylum can be alive, Trillram is aware of this.

So, he vows to kill her and make sure this time much to the shock of Slaine, it is revealed that Trillram and his clan arranged the assassination (he killed the Vers Agents to keep the secret sealed). Plus, if they let her live, they would be branded as traitors. Learning that Trillram's clan are committing treason, Slaine steals Trillram's gun and repeatedly shoots Trillram

Quotes
"Inaho Kaizuka justifying his decision to fight."

- Okisuke is dead.

Make decisions as circumstances dictate. If you have to, trust your gut and make the call.

Isn’t that what you always tell me, Yuki?

I’m pretty sure that this is one of those times.

"Warrant Officer Yuki Kaizuka volunteers"

- I’ll do it

"Inaho hesitates"

- I can’t let an injured person do this.

"Warrant Officer Kaizuka"

- Nao!

"Inaho"

- Everyone is on edge.

That’s why I want you to keep them safe.

I want you to cheer up and reassure the people who are scared.

That’s something we can’t just do.

"Slaine Troyard sitting amongst the ruins of Shinawara"

- Princess… You wished for peace more than anyone, and yet…

Who would do such a thing?

"Eddelrittuo hesitates when her friend volunteers to drive the truck"

- Princ…

"Calm Craftman when Asseylum and Eddelrittuo enter the hangar"

- A Scadanavian babe…

"Princess Asseylum Vers Allusia"

- I feel it is my duty to undergo this time of crisis, this trial.

"Calm"

- 8th grade syndrome

"Inaho after the team is assembled"

- We carry out the plan tomorrow morning. We leave at first light. We’re going to drive off that Martian Kataphrakt

"Inko Amifumi steps on a car"

- Damn it! This road’s so narrow!

"Calm replies with a joke about how piloting is part of the curriculum and how Inko is so bad at it."

- Don’t worry about it! You won’t have points deducted today!

"Calm nicknames the Nilokeras"

- There you are, pillbug!

"Asseylum draws closer attention to her identity"

- A sky carrier… It’s a Vers tactical transport. I’m given to understand that it has no special equipment or capabilities beyond machine guns and missiles.

"Trillram"

- How pathetic… You are going to beg for your lives?

"Asseylum reveals her true identity"

- Restrain yourself! In the name of Vers Princess Royal, I shall not tolerate this outrageous behavior!

"Calm discovers the Nilokeras’s weak spots."

- Inaho: Calm

"Inaho defeats Trillram"

- Trillram: Impossible!

Songs

 * heavenly blue (OP)
 * BRE@TH//LESS
 * A/Z (ED)