The scent of life emanates from the soft piles of fallen leaves.
Speak to me, insects.
I need your help.
Are you ready for this?
Yes.
I'll eat them alive.
I'm getting nervous.
Gohin, do you have any experience eating...
No, I don't.
Pandas don't need any extra protein, for one.
The more lifelike an insect looks,
the less people want to eat it.
They can't stand the feelings of guilt that come with it, see.
Consuming another life...
This sucks.
This is pure arrogance, isn't it?
Look how earnestly they're living.
Why do I think it's okay for me to eat them just because they're bugs?
Huh?
A bit late for that kind of talk.
You've always been too arrogant for words.
You crush anyone you don't like despite being a mere virgin boy,
you force your own beliefs on people,
and you just won't give up on chasing that rabbit girl around.
I guess I sound pretty cringey when you say it out loud...
But you're fine like that.
Huh?
Your carnivore fighting spirit burns the brightest for others.
Yeah. I don't have a choice.
Please forgive me.
Tell me...
The meaning of taking someone's life...
Here I go.
It's more rubbery than I'd expected...
Is this... the outer skin?
Oh god, the legs are moving on my tongue.
Bitterness and saltiness...
The scent of vegetation and dirt...
The smell of the wind...
Concentrated, intricate...
So this is...
the taste of life!
Hold it!
You mean to spit me out?
A moth?!
Do you realize that because of you, I'll never have a chance to grow out of my larval stage?
I-I'm sorry!
I must have looked down on you.
I was so obsessed with getting stronger that I discriminated against certain kinds of life.
Please berate me as you see fit!
I'll accept any punishment!
I know that what I've done can never be forgiven.
Look down on, discriminate, punishment, forgiveness...
Such words bear no meaning to us insects.
Unlike you, we have no desire.
Only one thing matters:
Respect toward life.
Respect toward life...
To eat is to understand and to honor,
to take unto yourself a unique, irreplaceable soul.
Tears?
We don't cry.
I wish I could've been born an insect.
Being born as a dumb wolf,
I'm possessed by worldly desires.
It's painful to live.
Insects don't have it so easy either.
Oh... Yes, of course, you're right.
I'm sorry.
I have appreciated this time.
Strong creature, it is time for us to part.
Live passionately,
with me as your flesh and blood.
Hey, you up?
Wh-What did I...
You gobbled down the insects and then passed out on the spot.
Well? Think you'll get hooked?
No, I... I'm not doing this again.
I think I had a weird dream,
but I feel like someone taught me something.
Well, have a look at yourself in the mirror.
Ain't looking too shabby.
Oh, my fur...
What's wrong?
Well...
I want to go and show Louis my resolve.
But they'll recognize me like this, right?
Guess we have no choice.
Salt tastes salty.
Sugar tastes sweet.
Vinegar is sour.
My sense of taste is coming back.
Riz, I'm starving!
I'm feeling good about my cooking today. Get your expectations up!
Hey, about Riz...
Huh?
Is it just me or has he bulked up over the past week?
He's taking his pills, isn't he?
I'm sure he is.
He should have plenty of medicine left.
He's probably just growing.
What's wrong? Are you okay?
I can feel my soul throbbing.
I'll take you on as my very purest self,
Legosi.
It tastes great!
Boss.
Between a head with horns and a head with a mane,
which do you think is worth more when stuffed?
What?
Underground organizations like ours like to decorate their lairs with trophies, right?
For example, the head of an enemy boss.
A head this small wouldn't make much of a decoration.
I'm not joking.
If an organization that's scared of us tries to go after you...
If that happens,
take the hit for me, Ibuki.
If I die, word on the street will just be that the gang ate their boss.
Don't want to waste the wave we're riding, right?
Of course!
I'll gladly sacrifice myself for you, Boss.
I need to hit the can.
Bartender!
Could I have two whisky on the rocks?
Hey, I don't like strong drinks.
Huh? Oh...
Okay, some kind of sweet cocktail, then.
Don't mock me.
Plum wine with hot water.
So he really is a lightweight.
He's finally started to open up a bit to me.
Huh? What's her deal?
Keep your voice down, wouldn't you, darling?
Well, I have my reasons for this...
But first off, let me just point out that I'm Legosi.
Obviously, I guess.
It's a pretty poorly-made outfit, isn't it?
This goddamn wolf.
Will he continue to rampage until someone kills him?!
Some big female has set her sights on the boss.
Well, I managed to see him...
But this is bad.
I can feel Louis' intense rage from here.
What's he trying to do with that ridiculous outfit?!
Maybe I should teach this dumbass a lesson.
The boss is an eighteen-year-old male.
I'm not one to butt in on his private life, but honestly...
That female's pretty ugly.
What am I supposed to do here?
Ibuki.
Yes, Boss?
Leave us.
A-All right.
Wow, he's really open-minded.
Nothing less from our boss.
Louis! Thank you so much!
Just shut up.
Cut to the chase.
Huh?
You know who did it, don't you?
Isn't that why you're here?
W-Well... It turned out to be Riz.
I see... That brown bear...
So he went along as if nothing happened, with that goddamn mascot face of his.
Yes, exactly! Can you believe it?
That's why I'm going to duel him.
What? No, just hand him over to the police.
This is a fight between me and him.
Louis.
I want you to be there to witness it.
I refuse.
Huh?
I don't care how you live your life.
And you shouldn't involve yourself with me anymore.
I won't ask you to return from the underground again.
I just want the person I admire to be there.
To witness how I live.
Well... that or maybe how I die.
I only got this far thanks to you.
If this is where I die, I want you to see me off.
I mean, come on.
That face is just unfair.
You're laughing! I can see you laughing!
Who wouldn't?
I'll take that as a yes!
New Year's Eve, 11 PM, below the Gasra overpass.
I'll be waiting, darling!
Hey, hold it! I'm not going!
Sheesh.
Boss.
Where did that big female go?
I turned her down.
Well... I think that was the right choice.
He seriously thought I'd go?
What a nitwit.
I knew I could smell you, Pina.
I hear today's the day.
Pretty much.
Are you coming to cheer me on?
Nope.
Then what do you need?
If Legosi wins, I might not get another chance to see you,
so I thought I'd ask, for future reference.
It's not every day you come across a carnivore who's eaten his friend.
Did you always plan on eating Tem?
Or did you do it on impulse?
Good question.
I'd rather not talk about that.
Pina.
Filming in secret
is a crime, you know.
Come, kill me then!
I feel no fear of thee!
When you said that...
You meant it, didn't you?
You think this is gonna leave a scar?
A change to someone's facial features is a sign of a turning point in their life.
Win or lose,
this fight will probably change your life drastically.
Life and death are both cruel.
You're the one and only carnivore to attain strength
by learning about the pain of both carnivores and herbivores.
Believe in yourself.
Gohin.
Thank you so much.
Now that I think about it, I've always spent New Year's Eve with Jack.
If I die today, Jack might be sad.
He might even cry.
The guys in room 701,
and everyone in the drama club...
I...
I've made so many precious friends this past year.
I don't even want to think about Haru being sad.
If I survive into the new year,
I want to hear your voice.
Boss.
It's a full moon.
A full moon, huh...
Is that a good or bad omen?
A good one, of course!
We'll kill all those hoodlums in the blink of an eye.
You call this the blink of an eye?
Oh, yeah... It's completely my fault that you got hurt, Boss.
I'm sorry.
What? That's just creepy.
That's mean.
Do that again and I'm shooting you.
The Leo Group has changed.
Carnivores become stronger when they have something to protect.
No one would've ever thought that.
Their strong bodies make them broad-minded and caring.
The way they starve for meat always puts a pained expression on their faces.
I love carnivores.
I can't believe I'm only just realizing that.
Perhaps I've loved them this whole time.
All because of him... Because of that moron...
Ibuki, I'm...
...quitting the Leo Group.
What? You're quitting?
What are you talking about, Boss?
There's somewhere I need to go.
Right now.
Someone I care about might die!
Why does that mean leaving the group?
I have to!
I don't deserve to witness his resolve as someone who ran away to the dark market.
Is that guy more important to you than the Leo Group?
They're incomparable.
But I have to go.
He's trying to face
the very thing I ran away from.
He's a blindingly bright man.
Boss!
Are you planning on going to help your friend on a whim, just to come back afterwards?
You know what you're saying, don't you?
Yes.
Ibuki, I never realized how big you are.
You were always bending down for me, weren't you?
How would you like to go for a quick drive?
Sorry to keep you waiting.
It's fine.
You're right on time.
You're as stuffy as always, huh?
Well, you know... I'm the one who suggested it.
Louis isn't here...
So, when are we starting?
Huh?
I brought the trip gong,
but there's no point if you don't notice.
Gong?
A switch to turn your calm into rage.
I have to flip it,
or we won't be able to have a real fight.
The smell of blood...
A whole Dall bighorn
certainly filled me up.
Come on.
Let's do this.
To be honest, I thought if I just threatened him a bit, he'd cave and take it back,
but he didn't even bat an eye.
Boss, I know no beast as strong as you.
I can't imagine anyone but you as the boss now.
A strong beast?
From a lion's mouth, that just sounds like you're making fun of me.
A lion's strength is just a weapon.
Until I met you, I'd use that weapon even to hurt myself.
Ibuki.
Play your role as the king of the beasts.
This is the true happiness of a carnivore.
I continued to act as tough as I could,
grew big from the fearful gazes of others,
until I was reduced to a large, dark mass that I couldn't even control myself.
But then you appeared with a bizarre look in your eyes.
I couldn't believe it.
I've really been in a constant state of disbelief.
My time with you has been the most pleasant in all my 35 years of life.
Interspecies harmony, I suppose?
But...
Life out under the sun isn't for me.
I belong somewhere pitch black like this tunnel,
where you could end up dead at any moment.