09 Millions Knives – Versaphile.com

Airdate: March 4, 2023
Source: Crunchyroll
Transcribers: Versaphile and Schakerin
Subtitle Files: JPN -> ENG Full Subs | English Dub Full Subs | English Dub Forced Subs (on-screen text + lyrics only) – TBD

Table of Contents

Summary

A teenage Millions Knives has formed an alliance with a younger William Conrad, the leader of the plant research group called the Sinners. Engineers at a plant carrier for the city of JuLai overworks their plants, triggering a Last Run to extract their remaining energy. Vash and Knives are reunited, and Knives asks Vash to work with him to save all plants from humanity. But Vash is horrified by Knives’ violence. When Luida finds them, Knives attacks her, and the stress accidentally activates Vash’s gate, a black hole that sucks in everything around it. Knives closes the gate by cutting off Vash’s arm. In the present, after the Humpback is saved, Vash and his friends find themselves on SEEDS03. Meryl and Roberto learn about Luida’s plan to save No Man’s Land, then end up captured by Zazie the Beast and taken to JuLai.

Piano Memory

JPN -> ENG Subtitles

English Dub

An ornate, golden room. Teenage Millions Knives is playing the piano, playing a slow, melancholy melody.

He fades into a happier Child Millions Knives, playing the same melody on the piano on SEEDS05. Child Vash the Stampede walks up, and sits down beside Knives, nudges him over to make room on the piano bench. Vash begins to play a different melody, discordant, the same one that Knives played when he arrived at Jeneora Rock. Child Knives seems annoyed, while Vash plays enthusiastically. Vash smiles and laughs. The two of them settle in to playing together, joining their two melodies.

They fade back into Teenage Knives, alone, playing their duet by himself.

The Last Run

JPN -> ENG Subtitles	English Dub
As Teenage Millions Knives plays, Younger William Conrad enters the room.
Younger William Conrad: I got what you asked for. What are you trying to do?	Younger William Conrad: I got what you asked me to. Do you care to fill me in?
Teenage Millions Knives smirks privately. Alarms start blaring and Knives stops playing.
Younger William Conrad: What’s that?	Younger William Conrad: What the…?
Teenage Millions Knives scowls angrily. The TOMBI Opening Credits sequence plays. A huge plant room, lit in dim red. Knives and Young William Conrad walk out onto the catwalk that runs through the enclosure. Knives and Conrad gasp with dismay as they see that all of the plants in the room are glowing a dark red color.
Teenage Millions Knives: What is this? Younger William Conrad: We’ve hit the production limit. They put too great a load on the plants. It cut them off from the higher dimension. They can’t maintain their bodies. They’re already in the terminal stage…	Teenage Millions Knives: What’s going on? Younger William Conrad: We’ve hit the production limit. The load put on the plants… it’s too great. They’ve been cut off from the Higher Dimension. They can’t maintain their physical forms. Their condition is… terminal.
Teenage Millions Knives walks up to a dying plant. It is open, withered, and distressed. He places a hand on the glass, his expression somber and angry. Two researchers approach out of frame.
Researcher A: What are you doing? This area is off-limits. Younger William Conrad: What are you doing?! Why did you continue to overload them beyond the threshold? As if they’re disposable?!	Researcher A: This area is off limits. What are you doing here? Younger William Conrad: What are we doing?! Why did you overload them beyond their threshold! They’re not disposable!
Researcher A has a gun and is pointing it at Younger William Conrad.
Researcher A: Isn’t it obvious? To speed up the reconstruction. Researcher B: It’s the only way we can hope to prosper on this planet. Researcher A: Now leave. Their Last Run will start soon. Teenage Millions Knives: Last Run?	Researcher A: We’re attempting to accelerate reconstruction. Researcher B: It’s the only way mankind can hope to survive on this planet. Researcher A: Get out of here. Their Last Run will start soon. Teenage Millions Knives: Last Run…?
Younger William Conrad turns to Teenage Millions Knives.
Younger William Conrad: Let’s go. Teenage Millions Knives: Heal them. Younger William Conrad: Hm? Teenage Millions Knives: Heal them now, Doctor! Younger William Conrad: It’s too late…	Younger William Conrad: Let’s go. Teenage Millions Knives: Heal them. Younger William Conrad: Hm? Teenage Millions Knives: You heard me, heal them now! Younger William Conrad: It’s… too late.
There is a harsh noise. The dying plants all light up bright red at once. They writhe in agony, then die.
Researcher A: This is it. The Last Run… When you force a plant that’s reached its production limit to go out of control, it uses up all of its remaining energy. One final harvest.	Researcher A: It’s beginning. The Last Run. We brought the Plants to their production limit, then pushed them a hair further. Their remaining energy will be used for one final harvest.
Outside the facility, the city of JuLai glows with light and power from the surge of the Last Run. Inside the facility, Teenage Millions Knives places his hands back on the plant container. He watches in horror as the Plant inside dies and the water becomes murky. He gasps and sobs, backs away and falls to his knees.
Younger William Conrad: I’m sorry. Please forgive us… Forgive us humans.	Younger William Conrad: I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Please forgive… my kind.

I Am Millions Knives

JPN -> ENG Subtitles	English Dub
Teenage Millions Knives is on his knees, crying, as Teenage Vash the Stampede approaches. Vash looks stunned and confused.
Teenage Vash the Stampede: Nai…	Teenage Vash the Stampede: Kni…
Teenage Millions Knives turns to Teenage Vash the Stampede, shocked. Knives stands, removes his hood, and takes a deep breath. He looks at Vash and scowls.
Teenage Vash the Stampede: I knew you were alive. Teenage Millions Knives: Vash, you must have heard them. Their screams. Now you know. This is the true nature of humanity.	Teenage Vash the Stampede: I knew you were alive. Teenage Millions Knives: Vash! You heard them crying out, didn’t you?! You heard their screams. I tried to tell you, this is humanity’s true nature!
Researcher A chuckles dismissively.
Researcher A: They’re born to serve us humans. I’m sure they were happy to be useful. Now, we’re busy here. I’ll have to ask you outsiders to leave.	Researcher A: These plants were born to serve us humans. I’m sure they were just happy to be useful. Go on, kid. If you can’t tell, we’re busy here. I have to ask you outsiders to leave.
Three more researchers appear, all armed. The five researchers surround Teenage Millions Knives.
Researcher E: Hurry it up. Younger William Conrad: Stop! Don’t touch him! Teenage Millions Knives: Didn’t you hear them? Their dying cries?! If so, there’s no need for words…	Researcher E: Move it! Younger William Conrad: I beg you! Don’t touch the boy! Teenage Millions Knives: You listened to their cries of agony! You watched as they writhed in pain! You must have… And so, there’s no more need for words.
With a blue glow, Teenage Millions Knives manifests serrated blades on the backs of his hands. There are two on each hand, Wolverine-style.
Teenage Millions Knives: Just let me hear your screams. Researcher C: Shit!	Teenage Millions Knives: I only wanna hear your screams… Researcher C: Shit!
Teenage Millions Knives pulls free of the three researchers. He stabs the middle one in the eyes before immediately turning on his heel and cutting down the researcher on the left with a swipe across the chest. He manifests another blade which sticks out from the toe of his boot. He uses the foot blade to slice the right arm off the guard on the right. The arm drops to the floor, gun still in its grasp. Researcher A and B gasp and stumble backwards.
Teenage Vash the Stampede: Stop this, Nai!	Teenage Vash the Stampede: Kni! Please, stop!
The bodies of the researchers litter the bloodied floor around Teenage Millions Knives. Knives turns to Teenage Vash the Stampede.
Teenage Millions Knives: Nai, huh? I haven’t heard that name in a long time. I now represent my myriad of brethren spread across the planet. I shall cut down humanity in their stead. I am Millions Knives.	Teenage Millions Knives: Millions Knives: Kni, huh? Been a while since I heard that name. I’ve become much more. I represent my myriad of brethren across the planet that shall cut down the humans that stand in their way. Meet Millions Knives, brother.
Title card: #09 Millions Knives

A Fitting Arm For A Human Lover

JPN -> ENG Subtitles	English Dub
Younger Luida rides a toma through the desert at sunset. She heads towards the plant facility. Inside the facility, Teenage Vash the Stampede and Teenage Millions Knives face each other.
Teenage Vash the Stampede: Why? Why did you kill them? Rem sacrificed herself to save these people! Teenage Millions Knives: That’s right. If it weren’t for her meddling, every ship other than the plant carriers would’ve been rubble. After all the work I did to swap out the navigation data for every single ship…	Teenage Vash the Stampede: Why…? Why did you kill them? Rem sacrificed her life to save all those people! Teenage Millions Knives: Oh, please. If it weren’t for Rem’s obnoxious meddling, every ship besides the plant carriers would have turned to ash. I swapped out the navigation data. Do you know how long that takes for every single ship?
Four more researchers, all armed with handguns, run up to the group.
Researcher A: Get them! Researcher F: Don’t move! Teenage Millions Knives: Vash… Let’s build a paradise together. Free our brethren from the foul humans. Teenage Vash the Stampede: Plants can’t survive without humans to take care of them. Remember what Rem said? Outside of human control, plants use up all their energy in one burst and die. Teenage Millions Knives: (sighs) So you bought into that nonsense… No matter how comfortable, chains are still chains. But we’re different. You and I have our own will, and we walk freely. This is power!	Researcher A: Hurry up, get the kids! Researcher F: Stay right there! Teenage Millions Knives: Vash, join me and we shall build a paradise! Forget humanity– let’s free our brethren from the foul humans! Teenage Vash the Stampede: You can’t… Rem told us plants can’t survive without humans! You remember, don’t you? When plants don’t have humans to take care of them, they use up all their energy in one burst and die! Teenage Millions Knives: (sighs) Can’t say I’m shocked you bought into that lie. No matter how comfortable they might be, chains are chains. That’s why they need us. We are free-will. We are evolution. My brother, we are power!
Millions Knives turns and charges at the researchers behind him. He slashes the nearest researcher across the chest with the knife on his boot, then stabs the researcher next to him in the chest with the knives on his hand. The next two researchers are killed the same way, first with the boot knife, then with the hand knives. Researcher B turns to flee and Millions Knives slashes him across the back. Researcher A raises his gun.
Researcher A: We had to do this to survive–	Researcher A: Please…! We had no choice–!
Teenage Millions Knives slashes him across the chest with both sets of hand knives at once. Teenage Vash the Stampede looks on in horror. Knives picks up Researcher A’s dropped pistol and chuckles.
Teenage Millions Knives: An evil weapon of the Sinners, taking lives easily from afar with the twitch of a finger… A fitting arm for a human-lover like you.	Teenage Millions Knives: With the twitch of a finger, the sinners can take a life from afar. In their weaponry, their cowardice is tangible. Should serve as a fitting arm for a human-lover like you.
Teenage Millions Knives forcefully shoves the pistol into Teenage Vash the Stampede’s hands.
Teenage Millions Knives: The plants are the ones who need power. I have what we need. Now all you and I need to do is proceed. Teenage Vash the Stampede: What are you planning?	Teenage Millions Knives: Our kind will face destruction and find deliverance. I’m ready to be the savior that they need. All we must do now is begin… Teenage Vash the Stampede: What are you planning?

The Drain Gate

JPN -> ENG Subtitles	English Dub
Younger Luida Leitner: Vash!	Younger Luida Leitner: Vash!
Teenage Vash the Stampede and Teenage Millions Knives turn to see Younger Luida Leitner approaching.
Younger William Conrad: Luida! Teenage Vash the Stampede: What are you doing here? Younger Luida Leitner: I came to get you. Let’s go home together.	Younger William Conrad: Luida?! Teenage Vash the Stampede: What are you doing here? Younger Luida Leitner: I came to get you. I’m taking you home.
Teenage Vash the Stampede gasps in surprise. Teenage Millions Knives walks up to him with a determined look.
Teenage Millions Knives: What a great opportunity. Take aim, Vash. Kill her as your first step. Younger Luida Leitner: Everyone’s waiting for you. Vash!	Teenage Millions Knives: Ugh… Excellent. Show me what you can do. Let her be the first casualty in our crusade. Younger Luida Leitner: We all miss you. Come home.
Teenage Vash the Stampede stares in horror at the gun he’s holding in both hands.
Teenage Millions Knives: What’s wrong? Do it already.	Teenage Millions Knives: What’s wrong? Do it already.
Teenage Millions Knives sighs in disgust, tsks, and takes the gun from Teenage Vash the Stampede’s hands.
Teenage Millions Knives: You really can’t do anything without me.	Teenage Millions Knives: All this time and you’re still just as useless without me.
Teenage Millions Knives advances towards Younger Luida Leitner, gun drawn. Teenage Vash the Stampede* looks away and down, paralyzed. Luida backs away.*
Teenage Vash the Stampede: Nai!	Teenage Vash the Stampede: Kni!
Teenage Vash the Stampede charges at Teenage Millions Knives, growling. Vash tackles Knives to the ground. They start to fight.
Teenage Vash the Stampede: Until the bitter end, all I did was let Rem protect me! Because of that, I lost her! So I won’t let you take anyone else away from me! Teenage Millions Knives: Vash!	Teenage Vash the Stampede: I was useless. Until the second she died I let Rem protect me! I never protected her, and now she’s gone! I won’t let that happen again! You don’t get to take anyone else away from me! Teenage Millions Knives: Vash!!
Teenage Millions Knives screams and throws Teenage Vash the Stampede* off of him. Knives throws Vash into the railing of the catwalk and Vash hits his head. Vash is knocked out*.
Teenage Millions Knives: You witch… How many times?	Teenage Millions Knives: How predictable. Shoulda known.
Teenage Millions Knives advances on Younger Luida Leitner. He grabs her by the throat and lifts her in the air, strangling her.
Teenage Millions Knives: How many times will you steal him from me?	Teenage Millions Knives: Must you rip my brother from me time and again, you witch?!
Teenage Vash the Stampede regaining consciousness. He struggles to his feet.
Teenage Vash the Stampede: Stop… Stop this.	Teenage Vash the Stampede: Stop… please… Stop, Kni…
A small black hole appears in the middle of Teenage Vash the Stampede’s left forearm: his gate. The gate glows with purple light and creates a sucking vortex. Vash raises his arm in surprise and gasps.
Younger William Conrad: Wh-What’s that?! Teenage Vash the Stampede: What… is this?	Younger William Conrad: Huh…? What’s the boy doing?! Teenage Vash the Stampede: Is this me…? But how…?
Bumper/Eyecatch: A map, labeled SEVEN CITIES UNION MAP. A red dot marks the location of SEEDS03 over The Great Sand Ocean. Teenage Vash the Stampede’s gate is growing larger and stronger. Teenage Millions Knives drops Younger Luida Leitner and turns to Teenage Vash the Stampede.
Teenage Millions Knives: You fool! Younger William Conrad: Is that… a gate?	Teenage Millions Knives: You fool! Younger William Conrad: What is this?! A Gate?!
Younger William Conrad is pulled towards the gate in Teenage Vash the Stampede’s arm, but manages to hang on to the railing. The dead bodies littering the catwalk are sucked into the gate, to Vash’s horror. Teenage Millions Knives manifests two blades on his hand. Knives uses the gate’s pull to draw him to Vash, then slices off his arm at mid-bicep. The gate sucks the arm in and collapses in on itself. Knives lands on the catwalk with a tumble. Vash collapses and Younger Luida Leitner rushes to his side.
Younger Luida Leitner: Vash! Teenage Millions Knives: Don’t touch him!	Younger Luida Leitner: I’m here! Teenage Millions Knives: Stay away from him!
Teenage Millions Knives crawling towards them, furious.
Teenage Millions Knives: Don’t touch Vash!	Teenage Millions Knives: Don’t lay a hand on my brother!
Teenage Vash the Stampede shakily raises the gun dropped near Younger Luida Leitner and aims it at Teenage Millions Knives. Knives chuckles unstably and stands.
Teenage Millions Knives: Just wait for a short while… A mere century or so. I promise I’ll build a world of plants.	Teenage Millions Knives: Just be patient, for in a century or so, I will have built an entire world of Plants.
Teenage Millions Knives and William Conrad leave. Teenage Vash the Stampede passes out. Younger Luida Leitner leans over Vash.
Younger Luida Leitner: Vash! Vash! Vash!	Younger Luida Leitner: Oh no… Stay with me! Please, Vash!

150 Years

JPN -> ENG Subtitles	English Dub
A closeup of the palm of Vash the Stampede’s prosthetic hand. Vash is in his room on SEEDS03. His coat is off and there are cracks in his prosthetic. He clenches his prosthetic fist. The door opens and he looks up in surprise as Brad walks inside.
Brad: Hey, Vash. Heard you busted your arm again. Vash the Stampede: Brad… Brad: Every time you come back, you’ve messed up my masterpiece.	Brad: There he is. Heard you busted your arm again. Vash the Stampede: Brad. Brad: Ugh, every time I see your mug, you’ve slaughtered my masterpiece.
Vash the Stampede rubs the back of his neck, embarrassed.
Vash the Stampede: I, uh… don’t have anything to say for myself. Brad: Come on. Show it to me.	Vash the Stampede: I, eheh, you got me. Brad: C’mon, show me the damage.
Brad kneels down in front of Vash, and Vash holds out his prosthetic arm to Brad.
Vash the Stampede: You never change, Brad.	Vash the Stampede: Right. You’re the same as always, huh?
Brad inspects Vash the Stampede’s prosthetic arm.
Brad: Look who’s talking. Forever young… I’m jealous.	Brad: Look who’s talkin’. I’m just old, us humans don’t get the fountain of youth.
Vash the Stampede winces and gasps in pain as Brad works on his prosthetic.
Brad: Come on. Stay still.	Brad: Boo-hoo. You big baby.
Luida Leitner appears in the doorway.
Luida Leitner: Welcome back. Vash the Stampede: I’m home.	Luida Leitner: Welcome home, Vash. Vash the Stampede: Home, right…
Vash the Stampede gives Luida Leitner a soft smile as she approaches him.
Vash the Stampede: What about the others? Luida Leitner: They’re safe. Everyone from the Sand Steamer, the orphanage, and your friends. Vash the Stampede: My friends?	Vash the Stampede: The others? Luida Leitner: They’re all safe. Everyone from the Humpback and the orphanage, and your friends, too. Vash the Stampede: That’s good to hear.
Meryl Stryfe enters with Roberto De Niro and Nicholas D. Wolfwood close behind her.
Meryl Stryfe: Vash! Roberto De Niro: Sheesh. Nicholas D. Wolfwood: Who said anything about being friends? Vash the Stampede: Thank you. You’re the reason we managed to stop the ship. Nicholas D. Wolfwood: Who’d’ve thought there was a spaceship hiding here in the sandstorm, though?	Meryl Stryfe: You’re okay! Roberto De Niro: Well I’m not. Nicholas D. Wolfwood: Don’t associate me with him. Vash the Stampede: I’m impressed! We actually stopped the ship, all thanks to you! Nicholas D. Wolfwood: Enough flattery, can we talk about the spaceship hiding in the sandstorm?
The exterior of SEEDS03 is surrounded by a sandstorm. A flock of worm-birds flies towards it. Their wings glow green in the murky air.
Roberto De Niro: Think of it as a form of camouflage. Meryl Stryfe: You folks really saved us.	Roberto De Niro: Damn smart camouflage. Meryl Stryfe: Thank you for saving us.
Brad stands up. Meryl Stryfe, Roberto De Niro, Nicholas D. Wolfwood walk into the room.
Meryl Stryfe: Have you two known Vash for a long time? Brad: Yeah, you could say that. About 150 years, I guess. Meryl Stryfe: What?! Roberto De Niro: A century and a half?! Luida Leitner: Cold sleep. Brad: We don’t age during that time.	Meryl Stryfe: Thank you for saving us. You all seem close, have you two known Vash for a long time now? Brad: For a little while. ‘Bout a hundred fifty years. Meryl Stryfe: Huh?! Roberto De Niro: You don’t look that old. Luida Leitner: We have cold sleep to thank. Brad: When we’re under we don’t age a minute, can’t ya tell?
A view of the SEEDS03 cryochamber. The space is huge and contains countless cryo pods. A closeup shows the sleeping humans inside the pods.
Luida Leitner: We have to maintain this ship for as long as possible. To that end, many of the passengers are still asleep.	Luida Leitner: As long as we’re around, we can continue to maintain the ship and its passengers. Speaking of passengers, you’ll see that many of them are still asleep.
Nicholas D. Wolfwood sets down the Punisher.
Nicholas D. Wolfwood: Oh. So it’s not eternal life. Luida Leitner: Of course not. We’re only human. Although we have a little help from technology. Meryl Stryfe: And from plants?	Nicholas D. Wolfwood: Got it. So it’s not eternal life. Luida Leitner: Not at all, we’re only human. We just have a little help from technology. Meryl Stryfe: Hm. The plants, they’re helping you out too, right?
Meryl Stryfe is visibly concerned about the plants. Roberto De Niro gives a hum of concern and looks at Meryl. Brad and Luida Leitner exchange meaningful looks.
Luida Leitner: Let me show you something.	Luida Leitner: There’s something you should see.

Flora

JPN -> ENG Subtitles	English Dub
Mechanical doors hiss open revealing Luida Leitner, Meryl Stryfe, and Roberto De Niro.
Meryl Stryfe: Wow!	Meryl Stryfe: Woah!
Meryl Stryfe laughs in amazement as they step out into a large domed garden with an artificial sky.
Meryl Stryfe: Incredible… What is this place? So much beautiful green!	Meryl Stryfe: No way! This place is incredible! Everything’s so beautiful and green!
Meryl Stryfe trots into the garden and twirls around.
Roberto De Niro: Well, color me surprised. Meryl Stryfe: Roberto! Come here, come here!	Roberto De Niro: Can’t say I was expecting this… Meryl Stryfe: Come here! You’ve gotta check this out!
Meryl Stryfe trips over her own feet and falls flat on her face.
Roberto De Niro: Now, now… Meryl Stryfe: Ouch…	Roberto De Niro: Newb down… Meryl Stryfe: That’s gonna bruise…
Meryl Stryfe notices a patch of blue flowers.
Meryl Stryfe: What are these? Luida Leitner: These are flora. Meryl Stryfe: Flora?	Meryl Stryfe: What are these? Luida Leitner: In my field we call them “flora”. Meryl Stryfe: What’s that mean?
A variety of blue flora are growing in the garden.
Luida Leitner: They grow using photosynthesis and multiply. They’re a life-form that is neither human nor Worm. Meryl Stryfe: They’re alive? Luida Leitner: They’re made of not just water, but nutrients as well. Meryl Stryfe: So if we just make more of these… Roberto De Niro: Is it that simple? This dome must be supported by plants. And not just one or two. Luida Leitner: But the flora can lessen the load on the plants. Given time, we can spread the greenery across the entire planet. Roberto De Niro: Yeah? And how long is that going to take? Decades? Centuries? Luida Leitner: No matter how long it takes, I want to follow the right path. I don’t want to justify wrongdoing just to survive.	Luida Leitner: They use photosynthesis to grow and multiply. They’re a special sort of lifeform that’s neither human nor worm. Meryl Stryfe: These things are living? Luida Leitner: Yes, but they don’t eat like we do. They use water and sunlight to create nutrients. Meryl Stryfe: So… if we make some more… Roberto De Niro: Can’t be that simple. Like all things, your fancy dome is powered by Plants, huh? I know we’re not talking one or two. Luida Leitner: You see, the flora we’re growing will ultimately lessen their load. If you give us enough time, I promise we’ll have this planet covered in greenery. Roberto De Niro: About how long will that take? Years? Maybe a millenium if we’re lucky? Luida Leitner: How long is irrelevant– all that matters is that I’m following the right path. I don’t feel comfortable justifying wrongdoing for my own survival.
Roberto De Niro walks away.
Roberto De Niro: You sound like Vash. The right path? Jeez… There’s no place for niceties on this planet. I don’t care for your way of thinking.	Roberto De Niro: Hah! Now I see where Vash got it from. “The right path,” jeez. Dog eat dog, lady. There’s no room for your shining morality on this planet. To be frank, I’m sick of hearing it.
Roberto De Niro taps a cigarette out of his pack and places it between his lips.
Roberto De Niro: But you’re free to go your own way. And I’ll go mine. I just hope we’re headed for the same goal.	Roberto De Niro: That said, you’re free to take your path and I’m free to take mine. All I can hope now is that we’re headed for the same destination.
Roberto De Niro pulls out his lighter and flicks it open.
Luida Leitner: There’s one thing I need to tell you. Roberto De Niro: What? Luida Leitner: No smoking on the ship.	Luida Leitner: There’s something I need to tell you… Roberto De Niro: What now? Luida Leitner: There’s no smoking on the ship.
Roberto De Niro coughs violently.
Meryl Stryfe: (sighs) Right after he sounded so cool for once… Roberto De Niro: Meryl! Go find somewhere I can smoke! Meryl Stryfe: Yeah, yeah. Or you could do it yourself–	Meryl Stryfe: (sighs) One cool monologue and he blows it immediately… Roberto De Niro: Come on, Meryl! Go find somewhere I can smoke! Meryl Stryfe: Yeah, yeah… ‘cause that’s in my job de– hm?
Meryl Stryfe squeals and runs up to Roberto’s side.
Meryl Stryfe: Roberto! Did you just call me “Meryl”? You finally said my name! Roberto De Niro: Huh? Did I? Meryl Stryfe: You did! Roberto De Niro: I don’t believe it.	Meryl Stryfe: Hold on! Did you just refer to me as ‘Meryl’ and not ‘newbie’ for the very first time since we met?! Roberto De Niro: Huh, I dunno, did I? Meryl Stryfe: You so did! Roberto De Niro: I’m not buyin’ it.
Luida Leitner smiles softly as she watches them squabble.
Meryl Stryfe: What do you mean? You just said it! Roberto De Niro: Didn’t happen. Meryl Stryfe: Come on! Say it again! Roberto De Niro: Didn’t happen! Didn’t happen! Didn’t happen!	Meryl Stryfe: What do you mean you’re not buying it?! You said it! Roberto De Niro: I did not. Meryl Stryfe: Seriously?! Roberto De Niro: Did not. Meryl Stryfe: Did too! Roberto De Niro: Did not. Meryl Stryfe: Did too! Roberto De Niro: Did not. Meryl Stryfe: Did too!! Roberto De Niro: Did not. Meryl Stryfe: Did too!!

A Way To Save Them All

JPN -> ENG Subtitles	English Dub
Vash the Stampede’s room. Vash sits on his bed, Nicholas D. Wolfwood leans on the wall next to the Punisher in the corner, and Brad sits at the small table.
Nicholas D. Wolfwood: Okay, Needle-noggin… I got something to ask you. Vash the Stampede: Hm? Nicholas D. Wolfwood: You don’t, by any chance, think you can make up with Millions Knives, do you?	Nicholas D. Wolfwood: Needle noggin… Riddle me this for a moment, will ya? Vash the Stampede: Huh? Nicholas D. Wolfwood: When you get to Knives, you aren’t stupid enough to think you two can just talk this thing out, are ya?
Vash the Stampede sits in silence, looking away.
Nicholas D. Wolfwood: C’mon, Needle-noggin… Vash the Stampede: I won’t kill. I will never kill anyone again. I’ll find a way to save them all… The humans, the plants, and Nai.	Nicholas D. Wolfwood: Jeez, Blondie. Vash the Stampede: I won’t kill him. I’ll never kill. Ever again. I’ll figure out a way to save everyone. Humans. The plants. Kni, too.
Nicholas D. Wolfwood scoffs in disbelief.
Nicholas D. Wolfwood: More empty words. I swear to you the day will come when you have to pick between them. Brad: You’re just like how I used to be. Nicholas D. Wolfwood: Huh? Brad: Trying to bite Vash’s head off, thinking everything’s all black and white. I was like that as a young one. Nicholas D. Wolfwood: Big talk, old man. Brad: Vash is tough. You’ll learn that yourself if you hang around.	Nicholas D. Wolfwood: An empty promise is just a lie. The day’s gonna come when you have to pick a side. I hope you pick right. Brad: I used to be like you. Nicholas D. Wolfwood: Huh? Brad: Thinking it’s black and white. Thinking that Vash is as full of crap as any one of us. Ask him yourself, you sound just like me. Nicholas D. Wolfwood: Alright, grandpa. Sure. Brad: Vash is a tough kid. Hang around him long enough, and you’ll see.

Kidnapped

JPN -> ENG Subtitles	English Dub
Luida staggers into the room, groaning.
Vash the Stampede: Luida! Luida Leitner: A swarm of Worms…	Vash the Stampede: What’s wrong?! Luida Leitner: The worms were here.
In the garden, the dome now has a series of cracks in the glass. Glass shards rain down.
Vash the Stampede: Is this… Luida Leitner: Look.	Vash the Stampede: Worms, huh? Luida Leitner: Up there.
A series of large holographic computer screens appear in the dome showing various images of worms of different sizes and Zazie the Beast. One image shows Zazie the Beast flying away with Meryl Stryfe under one arm.
Nicholas D. Wolfwood: It’s Zazie. No doubt about it.	Nicholas D. Wolfwood: That’s Zazie, no doubt about it.

Earth

JPN -> ENG Subtitles	English Dub
An unconscious Meryl Stryfe wakes up, groaning. She and Roberto are lying on a round platform in an industrial room. Meryl sits up.
Meryl Stryfe: Where are we?	Meryl Stryfe: What the heck…? Where are we?
Meryl Stryfe shakes Roberto De Niro.
Meryl Stryfe: Roberto! Wake up, Roberto!	Meryl Stryfe: Wake up. You gotta be okay, wake up!
Roberto De Niro groans and sits up.
Roberto De Niro: Hm? It’s night already? Meryl Stryfe: Are you okay? Roberto De Niro: Hey there, newbie. You good?	Roberto De Niro: Rough night… Meryl Stryfe: Not hurt, are you? Roberto De Niro: Oh. Hey, newbie. You good?
Meryl Stryfe sighs in dismay.
Roberto De Niro: So… where are we? Meryl Stryfe: I don’t know. Roberto De Niro: A smoking area, maybe? (chuckles) Meryl Stryfe: Keep dreaming.	Roberto De Niro: So. Where the hell are we? Meryl Stryfe: No clue. Roberto De Niro: You think that they’ll let me smoke here? (chuckles) Meryl Stryfe: Priorities, huh?
Zazie the Beast approaches from a dark corridor. They are wearing their mask.
Zazie the Beast: Welcome to the third of the seven cities. This is JuLai, a crashed plant carrier. Meryl Stryfe: You there… Have we met? Zazie the Beast: Oh, right, you haven’t seen me in this outfit before. Roberto De Niro: Did Knives send you? Meryl Stryfe: Huh? Zazie the Beast: Let’s talk about something more interesting. This planet you call Noman’s Land now stands at a crossroads. So I want to find out… Who do we Worms side with? You humans? Or the plants?	Zazie the Beast: Welcome to the third of the Seven Cities. July, nestled within a crashed Plant carrier. Meryl Stryfe: Hold on… have we met? Zazie the Beast: Ah, no! I guess you’ve never seen me in this outfit. Roberto De Niro: So, did Knives send you here? Meryl Stryfe: Huh? Zazie the Beast: We have more interesting things to discuss. The planet you call No Man’s Land stands at a crossroads. So I’m trying to find out, from your point of view, who should we worms side with? You humans? Or the plants?
Roberto De Niro draws and fires his Derringer at Zazie the Beast, who bursts into dozens of smaller worms. They re-form behind Roberto and Meryl Stryfe.
Zazie the Beast: It’s no use. Roberto De Niro: Zazie the Beast: This body is just a conduit. Roberto De Niro: Who are you to make such a grand judgment? Zazie the Beast: This is our planet. We were here long before you came. Besides, you’re repeat offenders.	Zazie the Beast: Nice try. Roberto De Niro: Huh? Zazie the Beast: But this body thing is more for you than it is for me. Roberto De Niro: You’re some big shot? Think you get to choose who wins this war? Zazie the Beast: If the planet’s anyone’s, it’s ours. We were here way before you guys… And, you are repeat offenders…
In the desert, Vash the Stampede and Nicholas D. Wolfwood are riding their toma at a gallop. Wolfwood struggles to hold onto the Punisher while staying upright in his saddle. Vash stares forward, determined and angry.
Meryl Stryfe: Repeat offenders? Zazie the Beast: You humans messed up your home planet, Earth, right? That’s why you sent colony ships to this new planet. Meryl Stryfe: What? That can’t be… Zazie the Beast: It’s true.	Meryl Stryfe: Are we? Zazie the Beast: Your home planet is Earth, right? I hear you humans all but burned it to the ground. That’s why you sent colony ships to this new planet. Meryl Stryfe: No way… It can’t be. Zazie the Beast: Oh, but it can…
Zazie the Beast uses thousands of tiny, spherical worms to construct a miniature diorama of Earth in their hands, then make it float and expand in the air.
Zazie the Beast: Earth used to be a lush place of bountiful resources. It was full of life, and not just human. But… You humans gobbled it all up.	Zazie the Beast: Earth used to be a lush planet, with beauty and bountiful resources. It was teeming with life, and not just human. But too bad! Mankind got a little too greedy. Then poof.
Fish and birds swim and fly around the miniature Earth.
Zazie the Beast: It was full of life, and not just human. But…	Zazie the Beast: It was teeming with life, and not just human. But too bad!
The miniature Earth turns red and the animals dissolve.
Zazie the Beast: You humans gobbled it all up.	Zazie the Beast: Mankind got a little too greedy. Then poof!
Zazie the Beast brings down the red miniature Earth. It implodes and dissolves, particles blowing away.
Meryl Stryfe: That’s a lie. Zazie the Beast: Why do you think the colony ships crashed? Those twins did it. Meryl Stryfe: Twins? Roberto De Niro: That’s crazy talk. Meryl Stryfe: Do you mean Vash? What has he been doing in the century and a half since the crash? Zazie the Beast: (giggles) Maybe for plants, a century and a half is nothing.	Meryl Stryfe: …You’re lying. That’s impossible. Zazie the Beast: Colony ships don’t just fall out of the sky. The twins crashed them to stop you. Meryl Stryfe: Slow down, who? Roberto De Niro: That’s insanity. Meryl Stryfe: You’re saying… it was Vash and his brother? Then they’ve just been hanging out for a century and a half? Real likely. Zazie the Beast: (giggles) They’re not like you! Centuries are mere seconds to plants.
The grates on the walls rise, revealing a storage area filled with hundreds of red plants.
Meryl Stryfe: These are… Zazie the Beast: Knives brought them here from all over. Roberto De Niro: Knives did?	Meryl Stryfe: These are… Zazie the Beast: Knives has got quite the collection, huh? Roberto De Niro: Yeah, but why?

Humans Or Plants?

JPN -> ENG Subtitles	English Dub
William Conrad: What are you doing?	William Conrad: What are you doing?
William Conrad walks in to the room.
Zazie the Beast: Whoops, he’s discovered us. William Conrad: So it’s you, the Beast. Why did you bring them here? Zazie the Beast: I don’t take orders from you. Knives accepted me as a guest. Meryl Stryfe: Please tell me! Why collect the red plants? William Conrad: You don’t need to know. Zazie the Beast: (giggling) I’ll tell you. But you have to tell me in return… Who will benefit this planet more? Humans? Or plants?	Zazie the Beast: Huh? Uh oh, daddy’s home. William Conrad: The Beast, of course. Why did you bring them here? Zazie the Beast: I don’t take orders from you. I’m a guest of Knives– I can do whatever I please. Meryl Stryfe: I have to know! What good are the red plants to you?! William Conrad: That’s highly confidential. Zazie the Beast: (giggling) Oh, I can tell you that. But you have to tell me something. Are humans going to do more for my planet? Or are plants?
Zazie the Beast leans forward menacingly. Their mask opens to reveal glowing green, concentric eyes.
Zazie the Beast: Which do you think?	Zazie the Beast: Well? Who should I let live?
The Stars α (Ending Credits) sequence plays.

End Credits Concept Art

Concept art by Tajima Koji, at the end of "Millions Knives". Plant engineers observe readouts in a SEEDS plant room lit with healthy blue light. — Concept art by Tajima Koji, at the end of “Millions Knives”. Plant engineers observe readouts in a SEEDS plant room lit with healthy blue light.