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.

Amid the effulgent camera flashbulbs galvanized by the fanatical and frenzied volition for the ideal photograph, Akiha has her reservations about the mission objective which Honoka promptly replies with a "Not another word about the ICP!" telekinetic sweep that knocks Akiha on her bottom unaware that she is what Bougainvillea and Mintao are having a briefing complete with an injunction about the Shishido family. While Itsuki is cautioned about Bougainvillea and Mintao, Leopard's web-surfing on her computer incenses Akiha enough to confront the AI and declare her autonomy only to have the mission objective reaffirmed, acquiring the Positron Matrix, before being sent on her way with Imoko. Meanwhile, Itsuki is summoned when a psychotic Nervalist iconoclast decides to wreak havoc only to find that she cannot even defend herself, never mind attacking him. Several members of the Student Council combining efforts with Honoka to stalemate and eventually neutralize the assailant sets the stage for a sequence that explains the common prologue both Honoka and Itsuki share with the Nervalists and the X-QT race, the latter having a near-complete computation crash as she tries to interpret all she has experienced while the ICP deals with the aftermath. Leopard reads Akiha finding the Positron Matrix right when Itsuki arrests her as the perfect opportunity to humble Akiha's recalcitrance by phasing away parts of her Q-TECTOR. Unfortunately, since Itsuki is in the same boat, that forces an armistice as Akiha and Itsuki collaborate to evacuate with some of their dignity and modesty unaware that Honoka has already successfully acquired the mission objective.

While Honoka goes over the specification registry and finds that there are a lot of absent but necessary components, Akiha barging in with a "How dare you debase and subjugate me!" kick to the casing before storming away after reading the aristocratic AI the riot act gives way to Kazane hosting an emergency meeting with the Shishido Trustees regarding the X-QT bounty hunter Aleida wiping out Takane's team and the Nervalists capturing Sakura with the volition of wielding the child genius for their own ends. Her anger at Leopard gone, Akiha sets to her daily school life and appears to be much happier. Honoka approaches Akiha with an entreaty to reconsider her repudiation that suggests that she has no independent human volition as she relays Akiha's inquiry of why Leopard chose her. Sakura introducing herself in earnest through a payload she sent to the Shishido family gives way to Itsuki delivering a "To the colony, or else!" gunpoint nudge that places them before Bougainvillea and Mintao who are charged Itsuki's apprehension. The deus ex machina comes when Leopard manifests himself and Honoka enters the fight to assist Itsuki. After Akiha has Starsylph embarrass Bougainvillea and Mintao before sending the two ninja flying, Leopard and Akiha's mutual interdependence on each other and Itsuki being a trustworthy ally are both confirmed quod erat demonstrandum.

While Leopard amuses himself by conducting a radio show, Kazane is concerned that Takane's reports have stopped flowing and orders that things be played by ear while Honoka shows Akiha and Itsuki the St. Artemis criminal corrections facility on the Moon where a part for Leopard is kept inside a perimeter of alarms before leading the way into the facility where she promptly loses her way. UL quickly locates the group's destination but accidentally instigates a prison riot that brings Bougainvillea and Mintao into the mix. While Akiha tries to swim out of the stampeding prisoners, Itsuki and Honoka encounter Sakura's personal bodyguard that wishes to befriend the pair; a brief but fierce battle gives way to an encounter with the charming and affectionate Sakura. Akiha rejoins the group in time for a video feed depicting Takane as Aleida's prisoner and rushes off to the rescue with Honoka and Itsuki right on her heels. Aleida stalemating Honoka gives way to Leopard's sudden arrival -- and Nerval's awakening from a protracted estivation that has amplified a fierce long-standing vendetta.