Duel is the thirteenth episode of Gundam Build Divers.
Contents
Synopsis
The battle against the Mass-Divers is over, and thanks to the Coalition of Volunteers, the Break Decals have been eradicated from GBN. At a victory celebration in Avalon's Force Nest, the Divers praise each other's efforts. However, Riku and the Build Divers members are nowhere to be seen [1].
Plot
At force Avalon's Force Nest, Kyoya raises a toast to the Coalition of Volunteer’s effort in saving GBN from collapse. Rommel announces that while the mastermind had escaped, there have been no other attacks by Mass-Divers, thus it is considered a victory. Kyoya finishes off by asks everyone to enjoy themselves until they log out. As everyone mingles, Rommel notes the guests of honor, force Build Divers, aren't around. Kyoya says they had other plans, which Rommel notes as a shame, as he wanted to know how Riku pulled off those special wings. He's surprised when Kyoya tells him that even Riku himself didn't know. Kyoya guesses it might have been a one-time deal due to the unstable condition of the GBN’s Main Program. He then reveals the administration is analyzing the log data of the battle, and working on a patch to nullify the Break Decals.
At the Build Divers' Force Nest, the team is worried - Ayame has gone dark. Riku thinks back to earlier, where he begged Ayame to stay and not worry about what happened. However, she still can't forgive herself for her actions and departs. Momoka recounts that she was forced into becoming a spy for the mastermind, and Yukio mentions that they were her friends. However, Koichi understands Ayame's pain as he had a similar experience before. Sometime later, Kyoya meet with Riku, and apologizes for not contacting as he was busy cleaning up after the Mass-Diver incident. He tells Riku that while they didn't uncover the mastermind's identity, they did get the Break Decal distribution routes and the list of those who bought them, and a future patch will stop the Break Decals for good. Kyoya notes that the information was from an anonymous leak, and suspects it is from Ayame. He also informs Riku that Ayame logs in occasionally with notification to her force turned off.
A concerned Riku asks if Ayame will be kicked out, and that if she’s punished, the Build Divers are also willing to be punished as she is one of their teammates. Kyoya tells him no one will be punished, as there’s no record of Break Decal use left in GBN log data. However, things won’t be back to normal, as those who were involved with the Break Decals will have a scar in their hearts. The question now is how the others will accept them. Riku ponders this and believes his team needs to let Ayame know how much they care for her, so that she can return with a smile. Kyoya agrees and thinks they should create an environment that lets players return to GBN freely. That night, Riku explains the plan to Sarah, and suggests they collect furniture accessories and cute stuffed animals to surprise Ayame when she comes back. Sarah approves, and just as Riku is about to log out, a stranger approaches, asking for him.
In the real world, Riku thinks about the encounter: the stranger was a messenger hired by the mastermind. The mastermind is willing to return the SD Gunpla Ayame seeks if Riku contacts and meets him at a certain address. However, there are three conditions - no one should know of this, come alone, and bring the Gundam 00 Diver Ace. When Riku asks why, the man replies that he should ask the mastermind when they meet. Thinking back to Ayame's desire to get back the Gunpla, Riku decides to go along with it. The next day, Momoka is upset as it is long past the meeting time and Riku isn’t here. Yukio then notes that Riku is ignoring his messages. Unable to keep the secret anymore, Sarah apologizes and tells them what happened. In the Gundam Base, Yukio and Momoka informs Koichi and Nanami, who are concerned over Riku’s actions. Meanwhile, Riku ignores Yukio's phone calls and races ahead.
Riku arrives at an abandoned warehouse, upon entering, he looks around and an object covered by a large cloth catches his attention. A person then walks up to him, and reveals that it's the GPD, a system for playing Gunpla Battle with real models. As he removes the cloth activates the machine, he reveals that in this system, Gunpla gets real damage and if shot down will be irreparably crippled. He describes it as a true battle. After a slight unease, Riku demands the return of Ayame's Gunpla. The man is willing to comply, but wants Riku to fight him first. Riku wants to know the reason for this, and the man reveals that he suffered a humiliating defeat at Riku’s hands in GBN, and finds it unbelievable that Riku is on the same team as someone who, like him, had interfered with GBN’s Main Program. Riku is confused by the accusation, but the man thinks he is playing dumb. Reluctantly, Riku agrees to the duel. The man asks for Riku's name and gives his own: Tsukasa Shiba.
While Yukio's calls to Riku are still being blocked, in GBN, Sarah is worried over Riku and the 00 Diver Ace's well-being. Tsukasa explains that GPD has the same controls as GBN, except the player places his Gunpla on the launch pad. He gives Riku time to adjust to the GPD before their duel starts. Riku did as told, and spends some time flying the 00 Diver Ace around the battlefield, before landing in front of the wreckage of a crashed Angel Halo. Tsukasa remarks that Riku’s experience in GBN is showing, and wonders if the warm-up was necessary. His Gunpla, the Gundam Astray No-Name, then approaches the 00 Diver Ace, and Tsukasa briefed Riku about its history. On Tsukasa’s urging, Riku makes the first move, slashing with a Super GN Sword II, before firing a beam shot from another. The beam bounces off the defense mode of the Astray No-Name's No-Name Rifle, and Riku realizes it has Beam coating, which Tsukasa declares as a must have skill in GPD. Tsukasa unleashes several heavy strikes with his beam saber, putting Riku on the defensive. He then deploys the No-Name Rifle’s shooting mode and fires at the 00 Diver Ace, which barely blocks the shot with the Super GN Sword IIs. The Astray No-Name closes in and slashes 00 Diver Ace's chest, with Tsukasa taunting Riku to not panic over such minor damage.
The No-Name Rifle changes into a large claw and the Astray No-Name use it to pull out a large heat saber stuck in the ground, and Riku responds by having 00 Diver Ace draws both of the GN Diver Swords. Tsukasa then throws the large heat saber, pinning the 00 Diver Ace’s left arm to a pillar-like structure. To avoid another blow from the large claw, Riku tears his Gunpla away from the pinned arm. In GBN, Sarah sensed Riku’s in danger, and back at the warehouse, Tsukasa thinks Riku should have understood what the essence of Gunpla Battle is, and why GBN is a fraud that have lost sight of Gunpla Battle’s true nature. Riku realizes why Tsukasa tried to use the Break Decals to destroy GBN, and speaks up in defence of GBN. Riku’s 00 Diver Ace counters the Astray No-Name’s attacks as Tsukasa decries GBN players as frauds who don’t love Gunpla. After Riku deflected a shot from the No-Name Rifle’s shooting mode, surprising Tsukasa, he closes in and slices off one of Astray No-Name’s head antennas. Riku angrily tells Tsukasa to take back his accusations, but he merely grunts and then activates the Astray No-Name's N.I.T.R.O. System. At that moment, Sarah managed to contact Riku through his Diver Gear, and apologizes for being unable to be by his side while he's in trouble. Elsewhere, Yukio’s Diver Gear received 00 Diver Ace’s coordinates, and he, Momoka and Koichi rushed over to the location indicated. Riku reassures Sarah that she and everyone had already been a great help, thus, he would never give up and swears to get back Ayame’s Gunpla.
Riku pleads for 00 Diver Ace to fight with him till the end, while Tsukasa could care less for the GBN ‘reared’ Gunpla. The Astray No-Name splits its No-Name Rifle into several DRAGOONs remote weaponry and rams them into 00 Diver Ace. While being hit, Riku notes that his Gunpla wasn't just built by him, but by everyone he's ever met and thus he won’t lose. Activating Trans-Am System, Riku goes on the offensive, leading to an intense aerial battle that ended when both Gunpla crash back down with a thunderous thud. As the dust clears, the two Gunpla are heavily damaged. Riku apologizes to 00 Diver Ace for the damages, while Tsukasa declares victory is his and rushes towards Riku’s Gunpla. Refusing to give up, Riku pushes the 00 Diver Ace forward, causing its Diver Ace Unit to explode, and then the two Gunpla slice off each other’s right forearm. Tsukasa then strikes with the beam saber in the Astray No-Name’s left arm, while Riku pulls out a GN Beam Saber using the 00 Diver Ace’s right forearm stub. Tsukasa smiles as he decapitated the 00 Diver Ace, but the game did not end. Riku tells Tsukasa he sensed his love of Gunpla and Gunpla Battle, and wants him to stop using it as an excuse to hurt and deny others their love of the two as well. A horrified Tsukasa then realized that Riku had plugged 00 Diver Ace’s GN Beam Saber into the Astray No-Name’s torso. A crying Riku wants this to be the last time Tsukasa hurt others because of Gunpla, and says it would also be his last. Then, in a roar of anguish, he extends the blade of the GN Beam Saber through the top of the Astray No-Name’s head, winning the duel.
As Yukio, Momoka and Koichi arrive at the warehouse, they're shocked and saddened to see Riku kneeing on the ground, cradling the damaged 00 Diver Ace tearfully. As Yukio and Momoka promise to help repair the Gunpla, Koichi catches Tsukasa leaving and runs after him. Realizing his old friend was the mastermind behind the Mass-Divers, Koichi wanted to know why, and Tsukasa replied he of all people should know. Koichi asks if he hates GBN, with Tsukasa replying that he wishes it would disappear. Koichi labels that as pointless, and walks towards Tsukasa remarking that they could not go back to the past. Tsukasa tackles Koichi to the ground, roaring that he knows that, but he refused to keep quiet like Koichi had. Tsukasa back downed when Koichi pointed out that he was crying, and then walked away. Looking at Tsukasa’s back, Koichi explains that he also tried to forget everything but Riku and his friends restored his love for Gunpla and anguishly asks if Tsukasa felt the same, but he doesn't answer, leaving Koichi in the rain.
Later in GBN, Ayame visited the Le Chat Noir's Force Nest, and was surprised to meet Kozy and Su, who revealed they had gotten back Kozy's SD Gunpla thanks to Ayame. Initially, Ayame was confused about what happened, but she quickly realized this was the work of Riku and friends. Kozy and Su were glad to know Ayame had found new teammates. As Riku and the others set off to fix the 00 Diver Ace, Ayame removes her mask, and tearfully declares to Kozy and Su that Riku and friends are very dear teammates and smiles brightly.
Stats
Characters
- Riku Mikami
- Momoka Yashiro
- Yukio Hidaka
- Koichi Nanase
- Sarah
- Ayame
- Kyoya Kujo
- Rommel
- Tsukasa Shiba
- Nanami Nanase
Mecha
Quotes
Music
- Opening: Diver's High by Sky-Hi
- Ending: Ashita e by Iris
Notes & Trivia
- This episode marks the first animated appearance of Zen, a character from the Gundam Build Divers Break side story.
