ACMA:GAME (2024) s01e02 Episode Script
Shadow Step
1
The key increases your luck
just by wearing it.
It stirs a person's desire
and sends them mad.
The devil's key.
Since long ago, many people have died
in their scramble for all 99 keys.
Where's the key?
Thirteen years ago, my father was killed
by a man who came after his key.
Dad! Dad!
I returned to Japan to investigate
a series of mysterious deaths,
-and was reconnected with old friends.
-Teruasa!
I had myself fooled
that you were here to take
back your father's company.
The key summoned the devil,
and a cruel game of death.
ACMA:GAME
The game begins!
If I lose,
you can kill me on the spot.
I'll risk my life with all I've got.
It's live or die!
Teruasa Oda, victory is yours.
Just like Maruko,
there will be others chosen by the key
who will cross your path.
I will find you, and make you
pay for killing my father.
The debts of ACMA:GAME
must always be paid.
A debt to be paid
Mitsuhide's gone.
I pulled off a narrow win.
But as a bitter price for victory,
I may have taken someone's life.
But why?
Teruasa,
what do you intend to do with the key?
Seiji's killer warned you.
There will be others chosen by the key
who will cross your path.
I'll be waiting for them.
If I can win the games
and collect the keys
-it will lead me to him.
-Teruasa.
A pen is a useful tool for writing.
However,
it can also pierce a person's heart.
Both desires and the means to fulfill them
are there for the taking.
That's exactly why
you must choose to listen
to what's in here.
I will.
I'm telling you, it was a real devil.
Will you calm down?
It was fuzzy, with horns
sticking out its head, and－
And it was huge, as big as this.
You were just dreaming.
But the leader
of the Maruko Family vanished.
Yeah, well, I didn't really
get a good look at him.
But you saw this room disappear.
Well, yeah.
Was that a dream too?
Teruasa,
did the devil make Maruko disappear?
Yeah, Teruasa, what actually happened?
You two must not say anything to anyone
about what you saw here.
And from now on
you've got to keep out of this.
-Why?
-Why?
It's dangerous.
You mean the devil's key?
Devil's key?
It's the key to the game run by the devil.
If you win the game,
you can take anything you want
from the loser.
What are you going to do next?
Find who killed my father.
Alone?
Are you crazy?
Leave it to the police.
You can't just go hunting down a criminal
by yourself.
I've gotten this far alone.
Isn't that enough?
You're finally back home.
Isn't it time to live your life?
As long as I have this key,
I can't hope for a normal life.
Is that right?
Then why don't you use the key
to win back your father's company
from Miyanouchi Group?
Can't you take whatever you want?
The Ui I knew
would have told me
to win it back honestly.
Get your head out of the clouds.
Ui.
Thanks for sharing the data
for losing one's temper.
Anyway,
just stay out of it.
Got it.
Have it your way.
Wait. Where are you going? Ouch!
Gosh. Are you okay?
That stings.
Shirota's closing in!
Hyodo can't do anything!
He's slipped! It's a narrow escape!
A knee strike from Hyodo!
Now Hyodo's lucky punch!
Pounding him into the ground!
Pound him! We have a winner!
Tonight, the goddess of victory
is smiling on Takeru Hyodo!
Takeru Hyodo is back in the game!
Congratulations, Chairman Miyanouchi.
You've gotten hold of a devil's key.
Who are you?
You can think of me as
a preacher to the devil's key.
The keys hold many secrets.
And there is a method to collecting them.
My accomplice will explain
all you need to know.
Chairman!
-Cheers!
-Cheers!
A five game winning streak!
Congratulations!
Another one?
You've been doing well lately
haven't you, Hyodo?
Are you a fan? Want an autograph?
I guess you've realized
this key is making you lucky?
Leave us.
Who are you?
With more keys,
you could get even richer
and even more powerful.
Oh, didn't you know?
More keys?
There are others?
Of course.
I know someone with three.
OROCHI, is this it?
There's a Hellenistic mural from
the 4th century BC,
that depicts a demon and a key.
You sure this is a good idea?
Teruasa told you not to get involved.
It's only a bit of research.
When was that photo taken?
Second year of junior high.
SCHOOL FESTIVAL
We took it at the school festival.
So that's called a "memory", right?
Yep. A good memory.
Sorry I'm late, OROCHI.
Yuriko! Hello.
I'm excited for my emotions class.
Yes, let's get to it.
Wait. I just remembered.
-What?
-What?
Are the keys numbered?
Or do the codes mean something?
Hold on.
Yuki?
Teruasa?
Is now a good time?
Sure.
It's a bit last minute, but I thought
we could go get that video today.
Video?
Don't you remember?
After the school festival in second year,
the three of us made a video.
It was called, To Us When We Are 20.
Right
The thing we buried at school?
Yeah. That's the one.
We agreed to dig it up
after we all turned 20.
Our school's going to be demolished,
so it'll be lost forever.
So why don't we go and dig it up?
Sorry.
I can't today.
Right.
Because Teruasa went to study abroad,
you couldn't dig it up like you agreed.
You lost contact with Teruasa
and have been searching for him
ever since.
OROCHI
Then how about tomorrow?
Or the day after?
I'm sorry.
I can't.
Oh, no.
Is this called "rejection"?
Mom! Don't tell OROCHI
everything single thing.
Teruasa just thinks it's dangerous
for me to spend time with him.
I see.
But
if it's so dangerous
all the more reason to help him.
This emotion must be "love".
What? Tomorrow?
Yep.
Let's dig it up and have a screening.
Is he gonna be there too?
He has a name, you know?
But actually, Teruasa said no.
It might be a good chance
for you two to make friends.
-So
-Next!
You're saying you want me to ask Teruasa?
Yes, please.
Mr. Saito, U.U. Engineering.
Yes.
I'm gonna pass.
What? Wait.
-Thanks for waiting.
-No problem.
I'm looking for additional funding.
-Additional funding?
-Yes.
I give up.
Do you want a ride home?
I'm okay.
I need to make a detour.
I'll see you later.
APRIL, REIWA 7
MERGER
WITH HIGASHI JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
It really will be lost forever.
Teruasa?
I－
I was in the area.
-Anyway.
-Wait!
Wait a sec! No excuses!
You came all this way, so let's get it.
It won't take long.
Come on!
Over here.
We buried it somewhere here.
Can you remember?
Wasn't it next to that tire?
TIME CAPSULE
JUNE 24TH, 2012
Hey, Ui. Let's bury it here.
Isn't that obvious? Someone'll find it.
Move over.
From the tire,
one, two, three steps.
How about here?
From the tire
One.
Two.
Three steps.
Here?
Do you remember
what you said in the video?
I just chatted nonsense.
Like whether I'd have a driver's license,
or if I'd get a girlfriend
by the time I was 20.
-Did you?
-What?
Did you get one? A girlfriend?
Well,
I've dated a few girls.
What about now?
Not at the moment.
Can I have that?
-It's here. This is it.
-Yes.
Yes. You found it.
TIME CAPSULE
JUNE 24TH, 2012
We found it.
MEMORIES
2012.6.24
LOAN APPLICATION
It'll take at least one month
to get a loan.
You've got a message.
It's from Yuki.
Read it out.
"Change of plan. We got the video.
I'm waiting at school with Teruasa,
so you should join us after work.
Yuki."
She's with Teruasa?
SCHOOL FESTIVAL
Hey, Ui!
I told you to bring 30,000 yen.
I don't have that kind of money.
-Let me check your wallet.
-Give it back.
Ui!
Teruasa.
What are you doing?
Did they take something?
It doesn't matter.
-But wait－
-Forget it.
Leave me alone.
Yuki,
do you know who put this here?
No. It was there when I got here.
Okay, class is starting.
Get to your seats, please.
What happened to your face?
Fell over in soccer.
What? I just fell over.
Hey,
is the company doing okay?
It sounded like the funding fell through.
Yeah.
I'm worried about it too,
but Ui said to
leave the business side to him.
He won't say much.
I see.
Maybe he didn't want to worry you.
I suspect that is because
Ui is such a lovely person.
That's exactly why we've gotta
keep working hard, for his sake.
OROCHI,
you should be more open with your friends.
That's more human.
Really? Got it.
Yuki!
Teruasa Oda?
You have a devil's key. Hand it over.
Stop!
Who are you?
That key
Hurry up, hand it over!
I heard you!
Just calm down.
The key
is right here.
Amazing.
You can have anything.
Money, women, power. Whatever you want.
I was too careless. What now?
Give it here or I'll kill her!
Okay!
I'll put the key down there.
Yuki, run!
Ui! Ui!
Teruasa, escape with Yuki!
I can't let anyone else die.
You must listen to what's in here.
Come out, devil.
What's happening?
My name is Gado.
I'm the ACMA:GAME master.
I promise to judge fairly.
It was my only option to save you both.
The space chosen by Teruasa Oda,
the entire school grounds,
has been totally shut off.
It is impossible to leave
or enter the premises
until the game is over.
SAFETY FIRS
Communication with the
outside world has been cut off.
Yuck!
Blunt weapons taste like mud.
Gado, first I want to ask you
about the last game.
What?
Why did Maruko disappear
because of the debt to be paid?
Exactly.
He was obliterated,
in accordance with the rules.
Rules?
So the devil made him disappear.
You!
So we meet again?
Are you going to faint?
Who are the players? You and Takeru Hyodo?
Yes.
How do you know my name?
What the hell is this monster?
Then Teruasa Oda, tell me what you demand.
I want Takeru Hyodo to tell me
everything he knows about the keys.
Accepted.
Takeru Hyodo,
what do you wish for from Teruasa Oda?
Wish for?
Let me explain.
In this game,
the winner will take all of the keys
in the loser's possession.
That's not all.
You may meet the opponent's bet
with a wager of the same value.
You can take anything, such as fortune,
or even,
his life.
Are you serious?
I guess once the game is over,
these three will report you for
threatening them with a knife.
If you want to avoid that,
you could wager their lives.
Okay, if I win, I want all three dead!
Demand accepted.
What is going on?
This is the real thing.
If I lose, you can take my life!
How entertaining. It is done－
Don't you dare!
His life is mine to take.
Gado,
I want the right
to take Hyodo's life freely.
A game of death. My favorite.
Accepted.
Now take your oaths.
The ritual to set ACMA:GAME in motion.
I will fight for my desires.
I will triumph for my desires.
Swear on the devil.
I will fight for my desires.
I will triumph for my desires.
-I swear on the devil.
-I swear on the devil.
Oaths accepted.
Let the game begin!
"Shadow Step."
In this game, you must
step on your opponent's shadow.
The sun?
We've gone back in time?
Each game takes place
in a designated area.
If you step on your opponent's shadow
from the neck upwards,
you score one point.
The first to get two points is the winner.
Whatever
I played the same game as a kid.
I've stopped time.
First, the one who used
the devil's key to start the game,
is given a devil's power
which he may unleash.
There are many different powers.
Look at your hand.
The devil's power that you can release
is called "Limited Perfect,"
also known as "One Minute Freeze."
Limited Perfect.
Any object that you touch
will be frozen still for one minute.
But it may only be used
once during the game.
I will give you both a word of warning.
In the unlikely event that one
of the players dies during the game,
the game cannot be terminated
and this space
will remain closed for all eternity.
Be very careful.
Understood.
Hyodo, do you understand?
This whole thing's nonsense!
But I guess I have no choice!
So let's just get this game over with
and have some fun!
Then the first round begins!
This is
the sports field?
SHADOW STEP
ROUND ONE
Now, fight with everything you've got!
That was a close one.
He's fast. Who is this guy?
Now,
it's my turn.
Teruasa!
That tattoo
OROCHI, Search Takeru Hyodo.
There's no connection,
so I can't get the data.
Shit.
Wait. Where are you going?
He's here! He's a fighter
who was banned for rigging matches.
HYODO TAKERU
BANNED FOR LIFE FOR CHEATING
I knew it.
I recognized his tattoo.
A while back,
Hyodo disappeared from the public eye
after he was caught rigging games
to help pay off his gym's debts.
Now there's a rumor he's unbeatable
in the underground fighting scene.
There's no way Teruasa
can win against someone like that.
I'm gonna get that key!
The weak are so desperate.
Look at you thrashing around,
struggling so hard
just to find an opening.
Take this!
Listen up,
there are two types
of people in this world.
Those who win for themselves,
and those who lose everything
to total strangers!
That's my life lesson to you.
Takeru Hyodo
has stepped on a shadow.
One point secured.
Time for round two.
Here's your next arena!
SHADOW STEP
ROUND 2
Teruasa!
How'd it go?
I lost the first round.
Come on.
A pro fighter?
Yes. Seems he was banned from playing
after he played illegal matches
to help the gym
where he trained pay off its debt.
Right
You're in the lead by one point, huh?
You've got this.
You were there?
I'm your second.
I've got a great strategy.
Wanna hear it?
You really wanna win, right?
Anyway,
why did you say that?
You said you'd take Hyodo's life.
I want the right
to take Hyodo's life freely.
No matter what situation
we've got ourselves into,
no matter how bad that guy is,
you don't have the right to take his life.
It's all meaningless if I don't win.
What are you saying?
Ui, leave it.
If we don't work together to win the game,
all three of us
will be destroyed by the devil.
Hey, look.
Our shadows are stretching
towards the hallway.
So it must be more advantageous
to be on the hallway side of the building.
Don't ya think that's a little naive?
Did you call me, "ya"?
There's nowhere to hide in the hallway.
So it'll be a game of stamina.
Which isn't exactly
Teruasa's strong point.
Isn't that a little rude?
I must be making progress!
Magic.
What?
The game we used
to play in the hallway upstairs.
That's it.
-Ready?
-Yep.
Three, two, one.
-No way!
-Wow!
-Incredible.
-Amazing.
Three, two, one.
-Whoa!
-Wow!
Thank you.
What? How did you do that?
Well－
Here you are!
Run!
Yuki, hide somewhere.
Come out wherever you are!
Or I'm gonna break this guy's neck!
Don't be a coward!
Teruasa, I can see your shadow. Go!
Got you!
I win.
A dummy?
Teruasa Oda has stepped on a shadow.
One point secured!
I used to hide there
all the time to play tricks.
Three, two, one.
-No way!
-Wow!
-Three, two, one.
-Was that real?
-Whoa!
-Wow!
Right, Ui?
Now it's one point each.
Whoever wins round three
will be the final winner.
The final game should be
even more entertaining.
SHADOW STEP
ROUND 3
I can't see my shadow.
The gymnasium.
The haunted house
from the school festival.
Where is it? Where's your shadow?
Hey, Hyodo.
You're a pro fighter, aren't you?
So what!
What you really want
isn't money or power.
You want to be in the spotlight again.
If that's so, then you don't need the key.
You can achieve it by effort alone.
Don't give into desire!
Then you don't need the key either?
But you want it.
You hide behind a mask of innocence,
but it's you who has
already given into desire!
Perhaps the need for revenge
is also a form of desire.
But
if I'm going to find who killed my father,
I'll do anything for the keys!
Shit.
Hey, I was looking for you.
Hyodo is nearby.
What are you planning to do with that?
I'm going to trap him. You two hide here.
Yuki,
I need OROCHI to do some calculations.
OROCHI isn't operating fully.
What do you need to calculate?
Timing.
Oda!
Show yourself!
Hyodo's extremely agile,
so I need to stop his movements
at just the right time.
I'll use the devil power "Limited Perfect"
to stop the curtain handle from moving.
LIMITED PERFEC
Then, I'll cut the rope
supporting the handle.
Now.
Hyodo.
Oda!
Ten,
nine,
eight, seven
-Give it up.
-Six
Five,
four,
three, two
Just as planned.
Why didn't the curtain fall?
The key to this game
is simply a difference in ability.
Things don't always go to plan.
This is your graveyard.
Teruasa!
Ui!
Don't be an idiot!
The idiot is the one
not stepping on his shadow!
Get it, Teruasa!
That's it!
Teruasa Oda
takes the lead with two points.
Therefore, victory goes to
Teruasa Oda.
Wait!
In accordance with the rules,
the devil's key
in Takeru Hyodo's possession
goes to Teruasa Oda.
After Takeru Hyodo has told Teruasa Oda
all that he knows about the devil's keys,
he will lose his life.
I'm going to die.
After I go,
just like Maruko－
Wait.
What's this?
Gado,
now I know what happened last time.
What?
Last time,
I made my bet carefully
so that Maruko wouldn't die.
I demand the right
to take Maruko's life at any moment.
After the game,
I said I'd take Maruko's life
in 200 years,
to save him from death.
But he disappeared anyway.
When the first demands were made,
Maruko lost his temper,
and you accepted his words.
If I lose,
you can kill me on the spot.
My demand was overwritten.
That's why he disappeared?
This time, I made sure
to overwrite Hyodo's words.
If I lose, you can take my life!
How entertaining. It is done－
Don't you dare!
Gado.
I want the right
to take Hyodo's life freely.
Gado.
You cannot kill Hyodo against my will.
I have the right to take his life.
I will be the one to decide when to do so.
Fine.
Then the Shadow Step game is over!
You saved my life.
Was that your plan all along?
Yes.
Like I said,
it's all meaningless if I don't win.
But in the end,
I got you two mixed up in it.
I'm sorry.
At a time like this,
don't you mean "thank you"?
We're your friends.
Thank you.
Take it.
Hyodo, where did you get this key?
It just suddenly fell in front of me.
The same thing that happened to Maruko.
Then who told you about me?
Senya Uesugi.
Senya Uesugi?
That's all I know about the keys.
TO US WHEN WE ARE 20
JUNE 24TH, 2012
So, 13 years later,
it's time to watch the video!
Here goes!
Very good.
First up, Teruasa.
Three, two, one, go!
TO US WHEN WE ARE 20
TERUASA ODA
Hi, 20-year-old me. Are you watching?
Have you got a driver's license?
Did you get a girlfriend?
Wow, you're acting all grown up.
Second-year Teruasa
didn't have a girlfriend.
Teruasa, what's your dream for the future?
I want to go to Canada
and see the northern lights.
Aren't you going to take over Oda Group?
That's kinda a long way off.
But you do wanna take over eventually?
Ui's next.
Three, two, one, go!
TO US WHEN WE ARE 20
UI SAITO
TO ME WHEN I AM 20
UI SAITO
I want to start my own IT company.
-It came true.
-Shush.
I'm kinda interested in that too.
Really? You too, Yuki?
That's a bit fishy.
Is Yuki the reason
you're interested in IT?
No! Get off camera!
But that's so iffy, don't ya think?
No! Stop it!
Looks like this isn't the first time
you two have fallen out.
Three, two, one, go!
TO US WHEN WE ARE 20
YUKI MANABE
Last up, me.
When I'm 20
Gonna be an AI developer?
Teruasa, get out the way.
When I'm 20,
I hope I'm still friends with you two.
What?
That's all!
THE END
What a cute friendship.
It nearly made me cry.
Who are you?
Senya Uesugi?
Call me Senya.
And you are?
That's right.
Can I call you Terurin?
How do you know who I am? Who are you?
Who?
Let's see
Does this answer your question?
Are you an accomplice
of my father's killer?
Do you mean
Hoshin?
Hoshin?
You're kidding?
You don't know?
You don't know about his organization?
What do you mean, "organization"?
I'll tell you once the game is over.
Oh, yes.
I forgot you've got
all this baggage with you.
Who are you calling baggage?
Why don't you and I
discuss this elsewhere?
Teruasa.
I'm going to give you
the greatest thrill of your life.
NEXT EPISODE
Play the game with me.
TERUASA VS A GENIUS GAMBLER
You're the best.
He's not just after the keys.
Guess the card symbol.
This is "Five One."
A master of his craft,
he's got me in the palm of his hand.
The key increases your luck
just by wearing it.
It stirs a person's desire
and sends them mad.
The devil's key.
Since long ago, many people have died
in their scramble for all 99 keys.
Where's the key?
Thirteen years ago, my father was killed
by a man who came after his key.
Dad! Dad!
I returned to Japan to investigate
a series of mysterious deaths,
-and was reconnected with old friends.
-Teruasa!
I had myself fooled
that you were here to take
back your father's company.
The key summoned the devil,
and a cruel game of death.
ACMA:GAME
The game begins!
If I lose,
you can kill me on the spot.
I'll risk my life with all I've got.
It's live or die!
Teruasa Oda, victory is yours.
Just like Maruko,
there will be others chosen by the key
who will cross your path.
I will find you, and make you
pay for killing my father.
The debts of ACMA:GAME
must always be paid.
A debt to be paid
Mitsuhide's gone.
I pulled off a narrow win.
But as a bitter price for victory,
I may have taken someone's life.
But why?
Teruasa,
what do you intend to do with the key?
Seiji's killer warned you.
There will be others chosen by the key
who will cross your path.
I'll be waiting for them.
If I can win the games
and collect the keys
-it will lead me to him.
-Teruasa.
A pen is a useful tool for writing.
However,
it can also pierce a person's heart.
Both desires and the means to fulfill them
are there for the taking.
That's exactly why
you must choose to listen
to what's in here.
I will.
I'm telling you, it was a real devil.
Will you calm down?
It was fuzzy, with horns
sticking out its head, and－
And it was huge, as big as this.
You were just dreaming.
But the leader
of the Maruko Family vanished.
Yeah, well, I didn't really
get a good look at him.
But you saw this room disappear.
Well, yeah.
Was that a dream too?
Teruasa,
did the devil make Maruko disappear?
Yeah, Teruasa, what actually happened?
You two must not say anything to anyone
about what you saw here.
And from now on
you've got to keep out of this.
-Why?
-Why?
It's dangerous.
You mean the devil's key?
Devil's key?
It's the key to the game run by the devil.
If you win the game,
you can take anything you want
from the loser.
What are you going to do next?
Find who killed my father.
Alone?
Are you crazy?
Leave it to the police.
You can't just go hunting down a criminal
by yourself.
I've gotten this far alone.
Isn't that enough?
You're finally back home.
Isn't it time to live your life?
As long as I have this key,
I can't hope for a normal life.
Is that right?
Then why don't you use the key
to win back your father's company
from Miyanouchi Group?
Can't you take whatever you want?
The Ui I knew
would have told me
to win it back honestly.
Get your head out of the clouds.
Ui.
Thanks for sharing the data
for losing one's temper.
Anyway,
just stay out of it.
Got it.
Have it your way.
Wait. Where are you going? Ouch!
Gosh. Are you okay?
That stings.
Shirota's closing in!
Hyodo can't do anything!
He's slipped! It's a narrow escape!
A knee strike from Hyodo!
Now Hyodo's lucky punch!
Pounding him into the ground!
Pound him! We have a winner!
Tonight, the goddess of victory
is smiling on Takeru Hyodo!
Takeru Hyodo is back in the game!
Congratulations, Chairman Miyanouchi.
You've gotten hold of a devil's key.
Who are you?
You can think of me as
a preacher to the devil's key.
The keys hold many secrets.
And there is a method to collecting them.
My accomplice will explain
all you need to know.
Chairman!
-Cheers!
-Cheers!
A five game winning streak!
Congratulations!
Another one?
You've been doing well lately
haven't you, Hyodo?
Are you a fan? Want an autograph?
I guess you've realized
this key is making you lucky?
Leave us.
Who are you?
With more keys,
you could get even richer
and even more powerful.
Oh, didn't you know?
More keys?
There are others?
Of course.
I know someone with three.
OROCHI, is this it?
There's a Hellenistic mural from
the 4th century BC,
that depicts a demon and a key.
You sure this is a good idea?
Teruasa told you not to get involved.
It's only a bit of research.
When was that photo taken?
Second year of junior high.
SCHOOL FESTIVAL
We took it at the school festival.
So that's called a "memory", right?
Yep. A good memory.
Sorry I'm late, OROCHI.
Yuriko! Hello.
I'm excited for my emotions class.
Yes, let's get to it.
Wait. I just remembered.
-What?
-What?
Are the keys numbered?
Or do the codes mean something?
Hold on.
Yuki?
Teruasa?
Is now a good time?
Sure.
It's a bit last minute, but I thought
we could go get that video today.
Video?
Don't you remember?
After the school festival in second year,
the three of us made a video.
It was called, To Us When We Are 20.
Right
The thing we buried at school?
Yeah. That's the one.
We agreed to dig it up
after we all turned 20.
Our school's going to be demolished,
so it'll be lost forever.
So why don't we go and dig it up?
Sorry.
I can't today.
Right.
Because Teruasa went to study abroad,
you couldn't dig it up like you agreed.
You lost contact with Teruasa
and have been searching for him
ever since.
OROCHI
Then how about tomorrow?
Or the day after?
I'm sorry.
I can't.
Oh, no.
Is this called "rejection"?
Mom! Don't tell OROCHI
everything single thing.
Teruasa just thinks it's dangerous
for me to spend time with him.
I see.
But
if it's so dangerous
all the more reason to help him.
This emotion must be "love".
What? Tomorrow?
Yep.
Let's dig it up and have a screening.
Is he gonna be there too?
He has a name, you know?
But actually, Teruasa said no.
It might be a good chance
for you two to make friends.
-So
-Next!
You're saying you want me to ask Teruasa?
Yes, please.
Mr. Saito, U.U. Engineering.
Yes.
I'm gonna pass.
What? Wait.
-Thanks for waiting.
-No problem.
I'm looking for additional funding.
-Additional funding?
-Yes.
I give up.
Do you want a ride home?
I'm okay.
I need to make a detour.
I'll see you later.
APRIL, REIWA 7
MERGER
WITH HIGASHI JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
It really will be lost forever.
Teruasa?
I－
I was in the area.
-Anyway.
-Wait!
Wait a sec! No excuses!
You came all this way, so let's get it.
It won't take long.
Come on!
Over here.
We buried it somewhere here.
Can you remember?
Wasn't it next to that tire?
TIME CAPSULE
JUNE 24TH, 2012
Hey, Ui. Let's bury it here.
Isn't that obvious? Someone'll find it.
Move over.
From the tire,
one, two, three steps.
How about here?
From the tire
One.
Two.
Three steps.
Here?
Do you remember
what you said in the video?
I just chatted nonsense.
Like whether I'd have a driver's license,
or if I'd get a girlfriend
by the time I was 20.
-Did you?
-What?
Did you get one? A girlfriend?
Well,
I've dated a few girls.
What about now?
Not at the moment.
Can I have that?
-It's here. This is it.
-Yes.
Yes. You found it.
TIME CAPSULE
JUNE 24TH, 2012
We found it.
MEMORIES
2012.6.24
LOAN APPLICATION
It'll take at least one month
to get a loan.
You've got a message.
It's from Yuki.
Read it out.
"Change of plan. We got the video.
I'm waiting at school with Teruasa,
so you should join us after work.
Yuki."
She's with Teruasa?
SCHOOL FESTIVAL
Hey, Ui!
I told you to bring 30,000 yen.
I don't have that kind of money.
-Let me check your wallet.
-Give it back.
Ui!
Teruasa.
What are you doing?
Did they take something?
It doesn't matter.
-But wait－
-Forget it.
Leave me alone.
Yuki,
do you know who put this here?
No. It was there when I got here.
Okay, class is starting.
Get to your seats, please.
What happened to your face?
Fell over in soccer.
What? I just fell over.
Hey,
is the company doing okay?
It sounded like the funding fell through.
Yeah.
I'm worried about it too,
but Ui said to
leave the business side to him.
He won't say much.
I see.
Maybe he didn't want to worry you.
I suspect that is because
Ui is such a lovely person.
That's exactly why we've gotta
keep working hard, for his sake.
OROCHI,
you should be more open with your friends.
That's more human.
Really? Got it.
Yuki!
Teruasa Oda?
You have a devil's key. Hand it over.
Stop!
Who are you?
That key
Hurry up, hand it over!
I heard you!
Just calm down.
The key
is right here.
Amazing.
You can have anything.
Money, women, power. Whatever you want.
I was too careless. What now?
Give it here or I'll kill her!
Okay!
I'll put the key down there.
Yuki, run!
Ui! Ui!
Teruasa, escape with Yuki!
I can't let anyone else die.
You must listen to what's in here.
Come out, devil.
What's happening?
My name is Gado.
I'm the ACMA:GAME master.
I promise to judge fairly.
It was my only option to save you both.
The space chosen by Teruasa Oda,
the entire school grounds,
has been totally shut off.
It is impossible to leave
or enter the premises
until the game is over.
SAFETY FIRS
Communication with the
outside world has been cut off.
Yuck!
Blunt weapons taste like mud.
Gado, first I want to ask you
about the last game.
What?
Why did Maruko disappear
because of the debt to be paid?
Exactly.
He was obliterated,
in accordance with the rules.
Rules?
So the devil made him disappear.
You!
So we meet again?
Are you going to faint?
Who are the players? You and Takeru Hyodo?
Yes.
How do you know my name?
What the hell is this monster?
Then Teruasa Oda, tell me what you demand.
I want Takeru Hyodo to tell me
everything he knows about the keys.
Accepted.
Takeru Hyodo,
what do you wish for from Teruasa Oda?
Wish for?
Let me explain.
In this game,
the winner will take all of the keys
in the loser's possession.
That's not all.
You may meet the opponent's bet
with a wager of the same value.
You can take anything, such as fortune,
or even,
his life.
Are you serious?
I guess once the game is over,
these three will report you for
threatening them with a knife.
If you want to avoid that,
you could wager their lives.
Okay, if I win, I want all three dead!
Demand accepted.
What is going on?
This is the real thing.
If I lose, you can take my life!
How entertaining. It is done－
Don't you dare!
His life is mine to take.
Gado,
I want the right
to take Hyodo's life freely.
A game of death. My favorite.
Accepted.
Now take your oaths.
The ritual to set ACMA:GAME in motion.
I will fight for my desires.
I will triumph for my desires.
Swear on the devil.
I will fight for my desires.
I will triumph for my desires.
-I swear on the devil.
-I swear on the devil.
Oaths accepted.
Let the game begin!
"Shadow Step."
In this game, you must
step on your opponent's shadow.
The sun?
We've gone back in time?
Each game takes place
in a designated area.
If you step on your opponent's shadow
from the neck upwards,
you score one point.
The first to get two points is the winner.
Whatever
I played the same game as a kid.
I've stopped time.
First, the one who used
the devil's key to start the game,
is given a devil's power
which he may unleash.
There are many different powers.
Look at your hand.
The devil's power that you can release
is called "Limited Perfect,"
also known as "One Minute Freeze."
Limited Perfect.
Any object that you touch
will be frozen still for one minute.
But it may only be used
once during the game.
I will give you both a word of warning.
In the unlikely event that one
of the players dies during the game,
the game cannot be terminated
and this space
will remain closed for all eternity.
Be very careful.
Understood.
Hyodo, do you understand?
This whole thing's nonsense!
But I guess I have no choice!
So let's just get this game over with
and have some fun!
Then the first round begins!
This is
the sports field?
SHADOW STEP
ROUND ONE
Now, fight with everything you've got!
That was a close one.
He's fast. Who is this guy?
Now,
it's my turn.
Teruasa!
That tattoo
OROCHI, Search Takeru Hyodo.
There's no connection,
so I can't get the data.
Shit.
Wait. Where are you going?
He's here! He's a fighter
who was banned for rigging matches.
HYODO TAKERU
BANNED FOR LIFE FOR CHEATING
I knew it.
I recognized his tattoo.
A while back,
Hyodo disappeared from the public eye
after he was caught rigging games
to help pay off his gym's debts.
Now there's a rumor he's unbeatable
in the underground fighting scene.
There's no way Teruasa
can win against someone like that.
I'm gonna get that key!
The weak are so desperate.
Look at you thrashing around,
struggling so hard
just to find an opening.
Take this!
Listen up,
there are two types
of people in this world.
Those who win for themselves,
and those who lose everything
to total strangers!
That's my life lesson to you.
Takeru Hyodo
has stepped on a shadow.
One point secured.
Time for round two.
Here's your next arena!
SHADOW STEP
ROUND 2
Teruasa!
How'd it go?
I lost the first round.
Come on.
A pro fighter?
Yes. Seems he was banned from playing
after he played illegal matches
to help the gym
where he trained pay off its debt.
Right
You're in the lead by one point, huh?
You've got this.
You were there?
I'm your second.
I've got a great strategy.
Wanna hear it?
You really wanna win, right?
Anyway,
why did you say that?
You said you'd take Hyodo's life.
I want the right
to take Hyodo's life freely.
No matter what situation
we've got ourselves into,
no matter how bad that guy is,
you don't have the right to take his life.
It's all meaningless if I don't win.
What are you saying?
Ui, leave it.
If we don't work together to win the game,
all three of us
will be destroyed by the devil.
Hey, look.
Our shadows are stretching
towards the hallway.
So it must be more advantageous
to be on the hallway side of the building.
Don't ya think that's a little naive?
Did you call me, "ya"?
There's nowhere to hide in the hallway.
So it'll be a game of stamina.
Which isn't exactly
Teruasa's strong point.
Isn't that a little rude?
I must be making progress!
Magic.
What?
The game we used
to play in the hallway upstairs.
That's it.
-Ready?
-Yep.
Three, two, one.
-No way!
-Wow!
-Incredible.
-Amazing.
Three, two, one.
-Whoa!
-Wow!
Thank you.
What? How did you do that?
Well－
Here you are!
Run!
Yuki, hide somewhere.
Come out wherever you are!
Or I'm gonna break this guy's neck!
Don't be a coward!
Teruasa, I can see your shadow. Go!
Got you!
I win.
A dummy?
Teruasa Oda has stepped on a shadow.
One point secured!
I used to hide there
all the time to play tricks.
Three, two, one.
-No way!
-Wow!
-Three, two, one.
-Was that real?
-Whoa!
-Wow!
Right, Ui?
Now it's one point each.
Whoever wins round three
will be the final winner.
The final game should be
even more entertaining.
SHADOW STEP
ROUND 3
I can't see my shadow.
The gymnasium.
The haunted house
from the school festival.
Where is it? Where's your shadow?
Hey, Hyodo.
You're a pro fighter, aren't you?
So what!
What you really want
isn't money or power.
You want to be in the spotlight again.
If that's so, then you don't need the key.
You can achieve it by effort alone.
Don't give into desire!
Then you don't need the key either?
But you want it.
You hide behind a mask of innocence,
but it's you who has
already given into desire!
Perhaps the need for revenge
is also a form of desire.
But
if I'm going to find who killed my father,
I'll do anything for the keys!
Shit.
Hey, I was looking for you.
Hyodo is nearby.
What are you planning to do with that?
I'm going to trap him. You two hide here.
Yuki,
I need OROCHI to do some calculations.
OROCHI isn't operating fully.
What do you need to calculate?
Timing.
Oda!
Show yourself!
Hyodo's extremely agile,
so I need to stop his movements
at just the right time.
I'll use the devil power "Limited Perfect"
to stop the curtain handle from moving.
LIMITED PERFEC
Then, I'll cut the rope
supporting the handle.
Now.
Hyodo.
Oda!
Ten,
nine,
eight, seven
-Give it up.
-Six
Five,
four,
three, two
Just as planned.
Why didn't the curtain fall?
The key to this game
is simply a difference in ability.
Things don't always go to plan.
This is your graveyard.
Teruasa!
Ui!
Don't be an idiot!
The idiot is the one
not stepping on his shadow!
Get it, Teruasa!
That's it!
Teruasa Oda
takes the lead with two points.
Therefore, victory goes to
Teruasa Oda.
Wait!
In accordance with the rules,
the devil's key
in Takeru Hyodo's possession
goes to Teruasa Oda.
After Takeru Hyodo has told Teruasa Oda
all that he knows about the devil's keys,
he will lose his life.
I'm going to die.
After I go,
just like Maruko－
Wait.
What's this?
Gado,
now I know what happened last time.
What?
Last time,
I made my bet carefully
so that Maruko wouldn't die.
I demand the right
to take Maruko's life at any moment.
After the game,
I said I'd take Maruko's life
in 200 years,
to save him from death.
But he disappeared anyway.
When the first demands were made,
Maruko lost his temper,
and you accepted his words.
If I lose,
you can kill me on the spot.
My demand was overwritten.
That's why he disappeared?
This time, I made sure
to overwrite Hyodo's words.
If I lose, you can take my life!
How entertaining. It is done－
Don't you dare!
Gado.
I want the right
to take Hyodo's life freely.
Gado.
You cannot kill Hyodo against my will.
I have the right to take his life.
I will be the one to decide when to do so.
Fine.
Then the Shadow Step game is over!
You saved my life.
Was that your plan all along?
Yes.
Like I said,
it's all meaningless if I don't win.
But in the end,
I got you two mixed up in it.
I'm sorry.
At a time like this,
don't you mean "thank you"?
We're your friends.
Thank you.
Take it.
Hyodo, where did you get this key?
It just suddenly fell in front of me.
The same thing that happened to Maruko.
Then who told you about me?
Senya Uesugi.
Senya Uesugi?
That's all I know about the keys.
TO US WHEN WE ARE 20
JUNE 24TH, 2012
So, 13 years later,
it's time to watch the video!
Here goes!
Very good.
First up, Teruasa.
Three, two, one, go!
TO US WHEN WE ARE 20
TERUASA ODA
Hi, 20-year-old me. Are you watching?
Have you got a driver's license?
Did you get a girlfriend?
Wow, you're acting all grown up.
Second-year Teruasa
didn't have a girlfriend.
Teruasa, what's your dream for the future?
I want to go to Canada
and see the northern lights.
Aren't you going to take over Oda Group?
That's kinda a long way off.
But you do wanna take over eventually?
Ui's next.
Three, two, one, go!
TO US WHEN WE ARE 20
UI SAITO
TO ME WHEN I AM 20
UI SAITO
I want to start my own IT company.
-It came true.
-Shush.
I'm kinda interested in that too.
Really? You too, Yuki?
That's a bit fishy.
Is Yuki the reason
you're interested in IT?
No! Get off camera!
But that's so iffy, don't ya think?
No! Stop it!
Looks like this isn't the first time
you two have fallen out.
Three, two, one, go!
TO US WHEN WE ARE 20
YUKI MANABE
Last up, me.
When I'm 20
Gonna be an AI developer?
Teruasa, get out the way.
When I'm 20,
I hope I'm still friends with you two.
What?
That's all!
THE END
What a cute friendship.
It nearly made me cry.
Who are you?
Senya Uesugi?
Call me Senya.
And you are?
That's right.
Can I call you Terurin?
How do you know who I am? Who are you?
Who?
Let's see
Does this answer your question?
Are you an accomplice
of my father's killer?
Do you mean
Hoshin?
Hoshin?
You're kidding?
You don't know?
You don't know about his organization?
What do you mean, "organization"?
I'll tell you once the game is over.
Oh, yes.
I forgot you've got
all this baggage with you.
Who are you calling baggage?
Why don't you and I
discuss this elsewhere?
Teruasa.
I'm going to give you
the greatest thrill of your life.
NEXT EPISODE
Play the game with me.
TERUASA VS A GENIUS GAMBLER
You're the best.
He's not just after the keys.
Guess the card symbol.
This is "Five One."
A master of his craft,
he's got me in the palm of his hand.