The Girl Who Leapt Through Space

The euphoric homeostasis our protagonist Akiha enjoys while eating her breakfast is shattered when she has explained to her Kazane's marriage volition. Nami's derisive remark and Kazane having created several designs for the wedding gown prompts Akiha to recruit Imoko into her plans to vote with her feet. Galvanized by the prospect of an amplified allowance, Nami gives chase and tries to scare capitulation into Akiha only to find that Imoko has already steered for the space port where Akiha finds that she cannot board the transport due to not having her student card, a minor but unexpected setback that stops the agoraphobic Nami in her tracks. Imoko and Akiha drive to the school with two of Akiha's classmates, one of which secures an escape pod for Akiha which she and Imoko avail after school only to be caught in the midst of a gravity quake, a gravity quake caused by the brain colony Leopard phasing in from hyperspace. Ahika exploring around on Leopard before meeting the AI entity face-to-face sets the stage for a frenzied Othello sequence that introduces Itsuki Kannagi (who tries to arrest both Akiha and Leopard), the QT-Arms Starsylph (which Akiha uses to arrest Leopard's ballistic plummet with Itsuki's guidance), and Honoka Kawai (who seems to have been awaiting Akiha's arrival along with Akiha's other siblings Takane and Sakura.

The hullabaloo from Leopard's antics from the previous episode obfuscates Itsuki's computations of her prologue prior to being recalled by her supervisor along with Akiha having a dream after her classmate Julio rescues her from floating in space. Nami teases Akiha before running into Kazane who (after ordering Nami to her room) offers her apologies for the adverse side effects of her actions. It seems that the Student Council president wants to confront Akiha for her earlier adventure in the escape pod, a volition with which Honoka violently disagrees as she introduces herself in earnest. While Itsuki and Nina compute their next move regarding Leopard with UL, Honoka abducts Akiha and explains that she has an important role to fulfill for Leopard before leading her through equipping and defining the Q-TECTOR as the two set off on their first mission, replacing the magnetic chamber to Leopard's antimatter cannon. While Akiha grapples with the ethics, Honoka simply orders Wygar to destroy whatever precludes their travel path not caring that she brings the ICP into the mix by doing so. Directing that Akiha proceed on ahead, Honoka challenges Itsuki who soundly defeats her before confronting Akiha who is just about to emancipate the Golden Orb for transport, that is, if a clear trajectory can first be entreated of the newly-arrived Nervalist annelid.

Wrapping itself around the Golden Orb, the Nervalist annelid wastes no time initiating its "This stays right here, interlopers!" attack. Honoka capitalizes upon Itsuki's decoy act and successfully wounds the annelid before helping Akiha transport the Golden Orb to Leopard in spite of Itsuki's injunction. Seeing the Nervalist annelid refuse to accept defeat as it orders the whole facility to give chase, Honoka stays behind and directs Akiha on ahead whose computations on interpreting the circumstances quickly takes a back seat to the converging ICP. The Golden Orb now in place, Leopard prepares to discharge his Golden Soul Shout; an effulgent explosion later, Leopard celebrating his victory with a haiku prompts Imoko to savagely remonstrate the AI entity and Akiha to repudiate Leopard much to Honoka's anguish. Meanwhile, Itsuki's decision to take matters into her own hands in spite of being read the riot act inspires the ICP powers-that-be to charge Bougainvillea and Mintao Itsuki's capture, the first attempt thereof blowing up in their face thanks to Itsuki's supervisor Nina. Even with her undercover alias Mutsumi Shimoyama, Itsuki demonstrates several times that she needs to be polished in several areas. Unfortunately, Honoka still sees the entire ICP as her enemy and decides to confront Itsuki by first luring her to the roof for a one-on-one duel. Shocked at the temerity behind Honoka's absolute neutrality injunction considering the damage caused thus far, Akiha intercedes with a "Stop this at once!" smack to both Honoka and Itsuki.