The Turning Wheel

The Turning Wheel (謀略の夜明け) is the fifth episode of ALDNOAH.ZERO Second Cour, it first aired in Japan on February 7, 2015.

Synopsis
The Earth forces now have Count Mazuurek as a captive. With such a high-value prisoner, what will this mean for the relations between the Earth and Mars? And with the Deucalion back on Earth, what is the next move?

Plot
Act One Count Barouhcruz asks Count Marylcian if there's been any contact with Count Mazuurek. There has been none, but his Landing Castle is still functioning, so they know he is at least alive as his Castle's Aldnoah drive is still functioning.

Count Marylcian postulates that he is either lying low and waiting for an opening or being taken prisoner by the Terrans, as Barouhcruz adds. Either way, Count Mazuurek's return appears hopeless, so Count Marylcian proposes they take the course of action to stop the Earthborn from running loose once and for all. On the Deucalion, docked at Aden, Count Mazuurek, handcuffed and frightened, is taken to the brig and thrown into a cell, Rayet Areash looks down the brig with disgust at the Martian prisoner.

On the bridge of the Deucalion, XO Mizusaki reports to Capt. Magbaredge that resupplying and inspection operations are on schedule with no reported delays. As for Kataphaktoi repairs, they work in concert with the base's repair depot to get back on schedule. Capt. Magbaredge appreciates the efforts and tells them to continue working, she then asks about their Mars Knight guest. XO Mizusaki says there's no word, and that he appears to be the silent type. Capt. Magbaredge uses her comment to give her more dating advice. She asks the status of the replacement crew.

XO Mizusaki says they are already aboard, and the station shifts have been revised. She checks her tablet and says most of them are members of their previous crew; Warrant Officer Kaizuka, Lt. Marito (which startles Capt. Magbaredge) and Dr. Yagarai, who is now serving as an official medical officer with the rank of ensign. XO Mizusaki also reports that there's been a request from Ensign Kaizuka (whom Capt. Magbaredge refers to as "Junior") to interrogate the Mars Knight. He wants to use his analytical engine.

In the infirmary, Dr. Yagarai checks up on Inaho, asking if he programmed his eye himself. Inaho modestly says all he did was customize the firmware that was already running. Dr. Yagarai asks Inaho how it feels as the area his cybernetic eye is tied to has expanded. Inaho can feel no difference. Dr. Yagarai tells him not to extend it any further. By the time he's notice something is off, it'll already be too late. Inaho says he won't and that he's aware of the risks. Yuki enters the infirmary to see her brother.

Yuki and Inaho go off to another section of the Deucalion, where she asks him why he decided to serve aboard it. Inaho is confused, Yuki believes there's no reason for him to fight and that he should have packed up and left once his injuries were healed. Inaho says it's the same for her, but Yuki says it is not for she is a soldier.

Inaho retorts that there was no reason for her to become a soldier, so it is the same. Yuki aggressively shouts that it is not. She softly says the regrets every day that she made him into a soldier. When she saw him that day, unconscious and covered in blood, she asked herself, "Why didn't I stop you?". Inaho's left hand twitches. Yuki says she became a soldier because she wanted to protect him and the world he lives in. Inaho apologizes and explains that he can't stand around doing nothing. Yuki asks if his reasons are because of the Princess and says that girl is not the Princess Asseylum he used to know. She is now an enemy that's trying to conquer Earth. But Inaho tells her that that person is a fake and that the real one is still alive somewhere.

Yuki asks how he could possibly know that. Inaho says that's what his left eye determined. Judging from the situation, Inaho thinks she's being held against her will, and thus he wants to rescue Asseylum. Yuki asks if that's his reason. Inaho notes that Asseylum was shot right in front of him; he was hurt, and she was shot trying to help him. That is why he has to save her.

Capt. Magbaredge meets Lt. Marito in the hangar, asking for the condition of the KG-7 Areions. Lt. Marito explains that when they ran diagnostics, the sub-frames were warped by the gravity waves, so it looks like most are going to need an overhaul. Capt. Magbaredge tells Lt. Marito that she heard he quit drinking. Lt. Marito complains that his primary physician is a real nag. Capt. Magbaredge jokingly says a toast must is out of the question, but Lt. Marito says there's always room for toasts. Capt. Magbaredge says he is unbelievable, Lt. Marito retorts that is is doctor's orders, medicinal. Capt. Magbaredge smiles and sighs.

Count Mazuurek lies on the bed in the brig of the Deucalion while Inaho interrogates him. The UFE had given Count Mazuurek a full body search. He never imagined he would be subjected to such primitive questioning. Inaho says it checked if he had a poison tooth (the Terrans expect the Vers to be loyal to the point that they would commit suicide if captured). Coun Mazuurek agrees that Vers using the feudal system is anachronistic from the Terrans' point of view. Inaho says if it's a problem, they should change it themselves.

Count Mazuurek believes Inaho's suggestion for a coup is typical for someone born into a complacent land and compares Terrans to pigs, who are about to die. Inaho says he knows quite a bit, not about Earth society, but because he knows what pigs even are, he points out Princess Asseylum had never seen birds before. Count Mazuurek is surprised Inaho knows Asseylum. Inaho explains she spent time aboard the ship, which leads Count Mazuurek to believe Inaho is one of the people who sought "exploit," her Inaho says it was cooperation.

As Inaho finally gets round to questioning, Count Mazuurek pseudo-rhetorically asks Inaho if he looks like a man who would sell out his country. Inaho goes along with the guise while analyzing Count Mazuurek using his cybernetic eye. Inaho asks him if he's sworn loyalty to Princess Asseylum.

In a restaurant at the port, Nina, Rayet, and Inko have lunch. While Nina digs in, Rayet hasn't even touched her plate. Inko reminds Rayet that if she doesn't eat, she won't have any energy if they go into battle. Rayet says she is not hungry. Inko says that with fasting diets, the weight starts coming off at one's boobs. Rayet says she's never gone on a diet before, which shocks Nina and Inko, who want to know how she keeps her figure.

Kaoru Mizusaki, who is off duty, arrives at the table, wondering the same thing. She thought it would be nice to eat somewhere besides the ship while they're in port. Nina says they don't get out eat out very often. Inko wonders where Inaho is; she was going to ask him to join them for lunch, but she hasn't seen him. According to Kaoru, Ensign Kaizuka is interrogating the Mars Knight at the moment, Rayet twitches. Rayet heads away from the table. Kaoru is disappointed that she didn't tell them the secret to her figure.

Inaho has told Count Mazuurek that the Princess Asseylum Vers currently has at their moonbase is an imposter. Count Mazuurek asks him where the real one is. He hypothesizes that she is being held prisoner somewhere or a reason she cannot show herself. Inaho supposes both are possible.

Count Mazuurek asks if Inaho's left eye saw through that. Inaho says it is an analytical engine to which Count Mazuurek laughs at the notion that Count Mazuurek (referring to himself in the third person) would believe such a preposterous tale. Inaho says that they've retrieved his Kataphraktos. Count Mazuurek says that its Aldnoah Drive was knocked offline by the force of the explosion. So it will never work again. Inaho asks if he powered it down himself, out of fear that the Terrans would steal it. Count Mazuurek continues to say that it stopped working after the explosion. Inaho sees right through the lie and repeats his point that Princess Asseylum is an imposter.

At the moonbase, in Princess Asseylum's chamber, Slaine Troyard teaches Eddelrittuo about his limited knowledge of the different species of birds using holographic projections. He shows her how birds fly and mention that some (such as the penguin) are flightless. Slaine suggests that Princess Asseylum may find it sad that some birds cannot fly even though they have wings. Eddelrittuo says that the Princess is a kindhearted person.

Slaine continues with the lesson, explaining that the penguin's inability to fly does not trouble them. Some birds are kept in cages, which intrigues Eddelrittuo. As he touches the tank Princess Asseylum is in, Slaine says it's because they are so very beautiful. Act Two Inaho tells Count Mazuurek that Princess Asseylum was shot in front of him. Shot by Count Saazbaum, who then left with Slaine Troyard. They took Princess m, who was on the verge of death, with them. Count Mazuurek finds this news preposterous because Count Saazbaum was celebrated as the hero who rescued Princess Asseylum. Rayet approaches Count Mazuurek's cell, she informs him that Count Saazbaum is no hero, being the mastermind behind the plot to assassinate her and that "Those bastards" (the Orbital Knights) tricked her father and used him as much as they could and then killed him like some lowly insect.

Count Mazuurek asks if she is Vers-born, she grunts, and he tells her that her father would have died sooner or later. She should consider it a blessing that he wasn't branded a traitor and lynched. Rayet grabs the bars of his cell and aggressively asks if he means that her father deserved to be killed. Inaho tells Rayet to go, but she is not done with him, so Inaho grabs her by the arm and drags her away from the brig, but at the entrance, Inaho lets go as told. Rayet believes Inaho must think that she's an idiot. That she will always be bounded by the past. Always be a prisoner to it. She believes Inaho believes she is just like the other Martians because all she can do is blame others, hate them, envy them, and fight them, a stupid Martian. Inaho asserts that she is different, but she denies it and begins to cry. She hates Martians and hates herself most of all.

On the moonbase, a Martian soldier tells Harklight that Count Marylcian has repeatedly been calling, saying that he wishes to be put through to Princess Asseylum. Harklight asks what does Count Slaine says, but there is no sign of him. Princess Lemrina arrives, wondering about all the commotion. The Martian soldier appears surprised, so Harklight tells him to leave. Princess Lemrina grins, rhetorically asking why they can't have their discussion with her in the room. Harklight explains that knowledge of her existence is limited, even there at the moonbase. Therefore he asks her to avoid public areas. Princess Lemrina asks if she may speak to Count Marylcian, which startles Harklight. She asks him to patch Count Marylcian to the throne room

Princess Lemrina disguises herself as Princess Asseylum and speaks to Count Marylcian. He complements her gracefulness and requests forgiveness for the unannounced disturbance. The Princess says it is a pleasure to see him and asks what he wants to discuss with her because it must be urgent indeed for him to contact her without first obtaining Sir Troyard's permission.

Count Marylcian giggles, rhetorically asking why one can't speak to her in private. She says that Count Troyard is somewhat overprotective to keep her under guard. He then rephrases his words, comparing Count Troyard to a knight who wishes to protect his Princess in her ivory tower. He bows to apologize for any offense received from that comment comparing her to a bird in a cage.

The Princess, being a Martian, is not aware of the expression used on Earth to describe one who has been deprived of her freedom, which Count Marylcian explains. The Princess appears alert.

The siren rings across the Deucalion and the port. On the bridge, XO Mizusaki tells Capt. Magbaredge that there have been reports that the prisoner has escaped. Thus, she orders XO Mizusaki to put the ship on alert and to inform all duty stations. The lights shine from guard towers. POWs in their cells watch as prison guards rush past their cells, trying to find Count Mazuurek, who is hiding behind some shipping containers.

A gun cocks behind him. It is Rayet. In her bedroom, Inko puts on her pilot suit, bothered by the late-night alarms. Inko goes to Rayet's bunk to but finds that nothing is there except for folded up bed sheets. Rayet tells Mazuurek to come with her. Coming out of an alley, a black armored truck pulls over in front of them, it is Inaho. Count Mazuurek escapes the port with Rayet and Inaho.

Count Mazuurek wonders about Inaho's actions. Inaho wants him to go back to his Landing Castle and find out where the real Princess Asseylum is. As Rayet, in the back seat, continues to point her gun at Count Mazuurek, he wonders why Inaho chose him to return; it is because he wants the same thing as Princess Asseylum. Inaho does not believe that he ever had any desire to attack Earth.

Count Mazuurek wonders if it was the left eye that told Inaho that, but, as said, Inaho can tell that much without even using his left eye. Inaho knows Count Mazuurek's familiarity with Earth and that his interest in Earth goes beyond its value as an invasion target. Count Mazuurek confirms that Inaho can see everything. Inaho then makes a request to Count Mazuurek; to find out what Slaine Troyard's objective is.

Arriving in the remoteness of the Yemenese desert, Inaho tells Count Mazuurek to keep going north to reach the Martian Landing Castle and that he'll have to walk from there. Rayet throws Count Mazuurek, a bag containing food and water and states that they can't die of thirst before he gets away, but she adds that she wouldn't mind if he did.

Inaho instructs Count Mazuurek that, if it comes down to it, to keep Princess Asseylum safe. Before he goes, Count Mazuurek requests to know Inaho's name and states his own; Mazuurek, member of the Vers Empire Orbital Knights' 37 Clans. Inaho highlights that there is a type of folk music on Earth with a similar name. Count Mazuurek states that as he researched his name's meaning, he became fascinated with Earth.

He finally learns the name of Inaho Kaizuka and Inaho shakes his hand, requesting him to take good care of Princess Asseylum.

Returning to the port in their truck. Rayet, who is driving, asks Inaho why she was asked to help because she could've killed that Martian, just like that time with Princess Asseylum. Inaho responds that in the end, Rayet didn't actually kill her. Rayet believes that she failed to kill her. Thus, Inaho tells her she is different, and she responds with, "I am not". Tired of it, Rayet tells Inaho to stop, but Inaho asserts that Rayet was not the same person Rayet was then.

Over the radio, Warrant Officer Kaizuka asks Inko her status. She replies that there is nothing to report. She is told to stay on alert. She appears worried as she looks at footage of Inaho and Rayet, helping the prisoner escape on the monitor in the cockpit of her KG-7 Areion and wonders about Inaho's actions.

Castle Barouhcruz and Castle Marylcian approach the Moon Base. Count Troyard demands Harklight to tell him who gave the Landing Castles authorization to dock; it was Princess Lemrina who explains that Count Marylcian requested a personal audience with Princess Asseylum and so she gave permission, as Princess Asseylum. Instead, a Princess of Vers.

Princess Lemrina leaves Count Troyard without giving an answer as to why she gave Count Maylcian permission, mentioning that it would be poor manners to keep their visitors waiting.

Count Barouhcruz and Count Marylcian leave Castle Marylcian in their Kataphraktoi; Octantis and Herschel respectively, arrive in one of the Moon Base's hangars. They meet Harklight, Count Troyard, The Princess, and Eddelrittuo, all standing in front of the Tharsis.

Count Marylcian jumps out of his cockpit and kneels out of respect for the Princess, Count Barouhcruz steps out and also kneels. The Princess bows to express her gratitude towards the two Orbit Knights for bolstering their Orbit defenses. Under normal circumstances, she expects that they would wish to go down to Earth and expand their domains. Count Marylcian says he shall leave the conquest of Earth in the hands of their like-minded brethren and that Her Highness needn't worry.

But they do have something of even greater importance to discuss; Count Marylcian requests to become the Princess's guard even though that is Count Troyard's job. Count Marylcian does not see Count Troyard, a Terran, worthy of the role and begins to taunt him.

After claiming Count Troyard does not deserve his title because he doesn't even own a Landing Castle, Count Marylcian leaps down from the Torso of the Herschel, owing to the moon's low gravitational field strength, claims Count Troyard is not qualified to protect the moonbase. He challenges Count Troyard to a duel to determine who gets the right to protect the Princess. Count Barouhcruz, The Princess, and Harklight all gasp.

Quotes
"Count Marylcian taunts Count Troyard"

- Count Marylcian: With the previous Count Saazbaum dead, who will succeed to the post of the Royal Guard, who is charged with safeguarding the moonbase and Your Highness?

Count Troyard: You needn't worry about that. I shall take over those duties without delay.

Count Marylcian: Princess Asseylum, I have come to beg you to consider fiving me the honor of serving at your side.

Count Troyard: But Count Marylcian, I have--

Count Marylcian: I will thank you to keep your comments to yourself, Terran! This is a fortess that flies the flag of the Vers Empire. If that post were bestowed upon the previous, Count Saazbaum, a man of great merit who rescued Her Higness, I would be disappointed but would nonetheless approve. Yet you, who remain Earthborn even if you are his adopted son, thin you can inherit that post under the cover of all this turmoil?! The very act of one of low blood, setting foot inside the castle where a member of the Vers imperial family dwells cannot be tolerated! One who does not possess a Landing Castle is unfit to call himself count. You are not qualified to protect this place, not in the least!

Count Troyard: What are you suggesting, then?

Count Marylcian: That we determin which is more fit to protect Her Highness, my Herschel or your Tharsis. Count Troyard, I hereby challenge you to a duel!

Songs

 * &Z (OP)


 * GENESIS (ED)

Trivia

 * This Episode aired on Inaho Kaizuka's birthday.
 * "The Turning Wheel" is a reference to Phillip K. Dick's science fiction novel of the same name, which is set in a post-apocalyptic future where global civilization is governed by a hierarchical, religious society.