Shizuku stands before the tank containing her sempai, Shinomiya Tamiko. They always thought that the kämpfer who lost just disappeared, but apparently they were taken to this facility, but Shizuku guesses that there have been more kämpfer that there are in the facility, so they may be temporary held here before being taken elsewhere… maybe not even on Earth. Shizuku remembers the inscription, We are here: it may have been referring to the kämpfer who lost. Somehow, it makes Natsuru really not want to lose… after all, to end up like this in a tank isn’t very pleasing

Anyway, now the question is what to do with Tamiko, but Shizuku, doing a great effort, says they can’t just carry her around and fight, so she suggests continuing. I have to admire Shizuku for that, always trying to remain calm when we’ve seen enough glimpses that she has feelings like any other girl.

As they decide to proceed upstairs to try to find an exit, Akane is still busy reading some files she found. Natsuru thinks it looks a little unnatural for “wild dog” Akane to be reading. But Akane wants to talk to Natsuru (doing her best to ignore his really rude What, are you going to raep me?): apparently, the files contain the history of the entrails animals, something similar to the stories that Kaede told them, but it also contains data that is relevant to her… actually, to the non-kämpfer Akane, so she won’t tell him right now, she wants her other self to tell Natsuru.

After some funny antics where Shizuku hints that she knows what Natsuru and Akane almost did earlier, with Akane really getting pissed off and promising to, and I quote, take the virginity of Natsuru’s behind (Allow me to say that I believe that has been Natsuru’s destiny from the very beginning), they hear sounds… someone is coming. The ceiling collapsed and among the debris emerges white kämpfer Yamakawa Ryouka. It’s one against three (Mikoto is guarding the rear in case reinforcements come), so Shizuku tells them to remain calm. Ryouka seems ridiculously desperate, attempting to defeat Shizuku, Natsuru and Akane all by herself. Shizuku asks her if someone is pressuring her, or blackmailing her… maybe Kaede? Ryouka’s reply: Don’t say those things about Kaede-sama! It wasn’t clear with Rika because the cute loli seems to have the hots for Kaede, but it does look like as if the white kämpfer were to some extent brainwashed and not acting of her own free will

Shizuku has no difficulty using the chains to which her short swords are attached to make Ryouka fall, and they disarm her. However, Ryouka isn’t really willing to cooperate (they want to know where Kaede is), and before they can persuade her, a shadow falls from the hole in the ceiling… Kaede Sakura herself. Cold as ice, she tells Ryouka that she has no use for her anymore, and shoots her… Suffer for a while. At the time of writing this I’ve already read half the novel, so I know I can’t be too quick to blame Sakura since it’s hinted that this isn’t the original, normal Kaede, but well, it makes you want to hate her, doesn’t it? Ryouka, fortunately, seems to be alive. I guess for people who are into other anime genres this is an everyday occurrence, but damn I really hate such acts of cruelty.

Kaede Shizuku is horrified.

What? You also get rid of members of the school council who aren’t useful, don’t you?

I don’t shoot them

A fight ensues, and although Kaede is indeed powerful, our heroes, the way good harems should be like, have developed great teamwork. But suddenly, Kaede stops, holding her gun, as if she had lost all her will to fight. Everyone is confused but Shizuku who tells Natsuru to take her gun, which he does, fearful. But Kaede seems to suddenly remember about the fight, but it’s too late. Shizuku tangles the chain of her short sword around her ankle. It’s over… or is it? Kaede is holding a knife, and behind her is Tamiko’s tank. If Shizuku and company don’t surrender, she will drive the knife into her. Kaede only needs Shizuku and Natsuru, the rest are unnecessary. She gives Shizuku 10 seconds to decide, but suddenly Kaede seems to become disoriented

Natsuru-san…? And Shizuku-chan? What’s happening?

Meanwhile, we should know that the plush toys are on their way to find their masters. For being plush toys, they seem to know more about what’s going on, romance-wise, than the protagonists themselves (especially Natsuru, lol!) We also learn that although they are aware that they can’t really fight, they want to do something for their masters, so Natsuru’s suspicions that they weren’t really their allies are probably unfounded. Whoever created them, they are loyal to the kämpfer they serve, and in fact they don’t seem to know more than they told them. And precisely because they want to know more, the Electrocuted Lynx, Shizuku’s toy, remembers that the kaichou took the Burned Lion plush toy with her, and although it seems to be dead or at least sleeping, they make the Seppuku Rabbit carry him (they argue that it is a man’s job to do that, although the rabbit retorts that, as far as he knows, the plush toys have no gender).

Of course, this procession of plush toys must have some meaning, especially when the Electrocuted Lynx mentions that Shizuku didn’t bring the Burned Lion for no reason, since that’s not Shizuku’s style (the Lynx seems to really admire Shizuku, calling her with the suffix -sama) Apart from this, Kaede becoming disoriented is basically what Rika described and it could mean that she’s been possessed or controlled, and sometimes her old self, her true self emerges. Rika says that it’s been happening more and more often lately, so that could mean that, whatever is behind the kämpfer thingy, is losing its powers. And even if we know this, there are many things that, I suppose, will have to be revealed before the end.