Deca-Dence Episode 4, Transmission, begins with Kaburagi ordering Natsume to return to Deca-dence. She isn’t ready. However, Natsume is determined to battle and save Pipe. As she enters the fray, she is horrified by the violence. Natsume flees to regain her composure. She takes a deep breath and returns to battle. Natsume springs into battle, flying through the magnetic field, piercing Gadoll with spears. She gets noticed by the Gears in the surrounding area. Kurenai compliments her for the fight, and Natsume is understandably pleased to meet her idol. Kurenai welcomes her to The Power.
The largest battle in Deca-Dence history
The next “event” is the “Freezing Cold Snow Battle,” Kaburagi is told that the event is actually “impossible to clear.” Defeating an alpha Gadoll is considered impossible even for S-class Gears. Massive casualties are expected, particularly from A-Class and under. The plot of the story of the event features chosen heroes of which Kaburagi is chosen to be one. Mindy, Mundy, and Mendy are introduced to Natsume. At first glance, these three feel like red shirts. Later, Kaburagi warns Natsume that the upcoming battle isn’t for a Gear of her level. He tells her that “it’s won’t succeed, and peace will never come.” Natsume refuses to give up and Kaburagi sabotages her equipment. However, her motivation hasn’t disappeared and she joins the crew.
The battle begins
Natsume and her squad head out into the blizzard. Natsume isn’t taking the upcoming fight seriously. The S Rankers dominate the battle, as they notice that a lot of lower ranked gears are dying. As Natsume’s squad arrives at the location of the alpha, they witness the results of a massacre. The Gadoll alpha spots them and they charge. The squad quickly notice that the alpha is attacking the tanks. Enraged, Natsume rushes in and is saved by one of the tankers. She takes on the alpha alone, she manages to stab it with a needle. However, the alpha removes the needle and heals. Before it can hit Natsume with her needle, Kaburagi arrives.
He pierces the alpha with two needles, forcing the Gadoll to use a smokescreen shrouding its position. Kaburagi pulls Natsume out of the zone and tells her to abandon her squadmates. Kaburagi’s negativity is once again in contrast with Natsume’s hope. After the tankers sacrifice on her behalf, she’s motivated to “push herself to the limits.” Kaburagi battles the alpha while Natsume escapes with her squad. Kaburagi begins to break his limit but is warned that if he kills the Gadoll it will “affect the storyline.” In a stunning show of skill, Kaburagi kills the alpha. As the fog lifts, the nest is revealed.
The death of Kaburagi
However, a massive Gadoll appears. Kaburagi had made the situation worse by breaking the rules and now must be punished by the system. Meanwhile, the Gadoll displays its powerful pressure beam. Kaburagi notices that the Gadoll is “unfinished.” He charges in and attacks, distracting the Gadoll in the process. The Deca-dence Cannon lands the finishing blow. Just when we expect a peaceful ending, several massive Gadoll arrives. Natsume collapses at the impossible situation they find themselves in. Natsume and Kaburagi switch worldviews, with the former feeling helpless while the later hopes for the future. Finally, Kaburagi meets with Hugin who demands Kaburagi repeat the words “There is no place for bugs in this world.” Instead, Kaburagi says “Bugs are needed.”
Hugin appears to kill Kaburagi with a laser beam. Deca-dence continues to surprise. Kaburagi’s change of heart was predictable, but his apparent demise wasn’t. However, is it real? His Cyborg body wasn’t destroyed. I predict that he hasn’t officially been killed yet. This episode does highlight the differences between the Gears and Tankers. It would seem reasonable that there would be a sense of comradery among them. However, the Gears seem to look down on them so much so that they don’t even value their lives. This dynamic could become toxic. Finally, Natsume has changed her perspective and has become more negative. I doubt this change will be permanent but what will it cost her short term?