Sound of the Sky

Rio, Filicia and Kureha have trouble keeping their illegal alcohol distillery a secret from both Kanata and Yumina. After giving everyone a special brew of tea, spiked with their home-made alcohol, Filicia suggests a mock battle using water guns that, if Kanata’s team wins, she would be told the truth. Having gotten a little drunk from the alcohol, everyone gets a bit too into character. Kanata’s team gets the upper hand when Noël brings out a Gatling gun, taking down Filicia in the process. However, they soon run out of ammo and Noël and Yumina get knocked out. Kanata eventually stumbles upon the secret distillery and comes up against Rio and defeats her. After recovering from the battle, Kanata promises to keep the distillery a secret, before spending the night with everyone getting drunk. Kureha, being the only one who could not get drunk, is left to recall the horrors the others subjected her to.

When asked by Mishio what her dream is, Kanata is unsure how to answer. Kanata is given a letter sent to Rio from the Roman Emperor, and goes to find Rio so she can sign it. Whilst in town, she runs into Yumina and learns why Mishio asked her. Kanata later learns from Naomi and Maria that Rio might have wondered off somewhere. Kanata later finds Rio at some ruins, who was wondering about the true story behind the Maidens of Fire that Aisha had told them. Rio then explains that outside of Seize, there are a lot of wars going on. Later that night, Rio takes Kanata on a hot air balloon ride, where she tells her her dream of rebuilding the airplane. The next day, as Kanata is picked to play the role of a fire maiden, Kanata decides her dream is to follow Rio on her dream.

A young girl named Kanata Sorami joins the army with the hope of learning to become a good bugler. She is assigned to a place called Seize, which is currently holding a festival where people splash each other with water. She is found by her superior, Rio Kazumiya, who gives her a bath and tells her about the legend of the Fire Maiden. While looking at a bell owned by Rio’s father, an owl steals it, forcing Rio to stop Kanata falling off the balcony trying to get it. As Rio participates in the festival, Kanata decides to search for the bell. She finds it hanging off a ledge, but when she goes to get it she falls into the lake, where she sees the golden skeleton of a winged creature. Stranded at the bottom of a canyon, she plays her bugle where she is responded to by Rio on her trumpet. She takes her to the Time Telling Fortress and plays the trumpet as the sun rises, introducing herself as Kanata’s bugling teacher.

During breakfast, Kanata is introduced to the other members of the 1121st Platoon; Felicia Heideman, Noel Kannagi and Kureha Suminoya. Kureha shows some hostility towards Kanata, but she is assigned to show her around the fort. When Kureha takes Kanata to see the tank of the squadron is kept, which is in the process of being repaired, Kureha expresses her depression because the military often ignores the squadron’s existence. Later that night, Noel and Kanata claim they saw a ghost in the barracks, so Kanata and Kureha are sent to investigate. They learn the place used to be a school. Kureha laments that their platoon is in the middle of nowhere and is generally ignored. The two are surprised by an owl, the same one that stole Rio’s bell, but with Kureha’s help they manage to capture it. They decide to keep it and name it Shuko.

As the others go to pick up some supplies, Kanata spends the afternoon training with Rio. Just then, Kanata comes down with a fever, reminding Rio of when her mother fell ill. Out of medicine, Rio gets help from a priestess named Yumina, who diagnoses her with malaria and treats her. When Kanata wakes up, she explains she was overworking herself since she felt useless. She also mentions to Rio that she always wanted to play "Amazing Grace," having heard from a bugler she met when she was little. Rio then plays Amazing Grace from one of the tanks, explaining that a squad, much like a song, is composed of many different parts.