Episode 11

For the chapter of the same name, see Chapter 30.

Episode 11
Episode	11
Manga chapters	Chapter 29-Chapter 33
Original air date	June 19, 2012
Story arc	Hill of Doom Arc
Episode Navigation
previous Episode 10	next Episode 12

The Hill of Ruin phase.1 (滅びの丘 phase.1, Horobi no Oka phase.1^?) is the 11th episode of the anime and the first episode of the Hill of Doom Arc.

Valmet goes off on her own to seek revenge against Chan Guoming but is tailed by Jonah. In the meantime, Koko Hekmatyar is targeted by Dominique and his small team of assassins.

Summary

Koko Hekmatyar briefs the team on their latest assignment, selling some guns to the local mafia. She explains that she normally would not do this type of small deal and is only doing so as there is a missile deal coming up next week. As she begins advising them on what to do, Valmet spaces out, which Koko notices. She recalls her time in Africa as a UN peacekeeper when her unit was wiped out by Chan Guoming and his image begins to merge with how Karen Low fought in South Africa, causing her to awaken from her nightmare. She then gets out of bed and picks up her knife.

Valmet accepts Koko's offer.

Valmet remembers that she returned home alone, where she faced an inquiry. Afterwards, Koko appeared and complimented her on holding the rank of major at such a young age. This surprised Valmet and she wondered how Koko had been able to gain access to the base and knew her. Koko confirmed that she knew about the military background of her family, which went back to her grandfather. When asked who she was, Koko offered her two choices: to return to her family and have to settle for a domestic life, as her military career was essentially over, and the key to the world. She questioned what Valmet gave to the country she was functioning as a peacekeeper in and suggested that the key to the world would help her find her answers. The scene alternates between Valmet in the present, who uses her knife to cut her hair to chin length before taking a shower and her acceptance of Koko’s offer. Valmet then goes to Koko’s room where she salutes her while she is asleep.

Elsewhere, Dominique, Grégoire, and Liliane are wrapping up an assignment. Dominique tells Grégoire to stop cutting up one of his victims with bolt cutters who had shot him while Liliane finishes up. As they leave, one of the men Liliane shot but did not kill is finished off by Dominique and cut up Grégoire, who has to be told to stop. While driving away from the scene, Dominique complains that they will not get any money from having wiped out the gang until they get the politician connected to it. He points out that being a hitman is no longer for him. When he was younger it was easier, but he now hates the sight of blood. He suggests opening up a restaurant as Grégoire is a good cook while Liliane would handle the patrons. Dominique adds that their next job will pay and their next target is an arms dealer in Alexandria.

Koko wakes up and looks for Valmet, who gets off a truck she hitched a ride with in the countryside. After consulting a map, she is shocked to discover that Jonah has unexpectedly tagged along without her noticing. The following morning while on the roof, Lehm observes that it looks like Valmet just disappeared. Koko tries to brush this off, but Lehm is amused, which irritates her. He points out that she had always knew that this day would come, but she is upset that Jonah also went missing. The rest of the squad then reports back that they have been unable to find Valmet or reach her and that Jonah too is missing. Koko yells in frustration before marching over to where the squad is gathered in the doorway and launching a kick with both feet that sends the lot of them flying. Lehm remarks that they have had days like this before.

At a small hotel, Valmet tells Jonah to return to Koko but he refuses, which earns him a quick punch in the face. When told that this is for his own good, he replies that this is in Koko’s best interests, which he always acts in accordance with, pointing out that she does not want to go back either. He also notes that the people they fought in South Africa were her enemies and reveals that he knows that she had Schokolade investigate chan without Koko's knowledge. He offers to help Valmet and is told to give her some time to think along with an apology.

Liliane points out Ugo to Grégoire and Dominique.

While in their camper, Dominique and his subordinates discuss their next hit. He complains that he knows why this job pays so well, as it will be very difficult to get to Koko because the quality of her bodyguards is so high. When he suggests that they target each member of the squad individually, Grégoire agrees. Liliane then begins laughing and points out Ugo, who is ex-mafia unlike the others, leading Dominique to decide to target him first.

Outside an oil refinery in the desert, Karen begs Chan to give her a second chance to restore her honour after having been defeated twice by the Hekmatyars. Chan tells her to call it her duty and states that he was directed by the Central Military Commission to let her go. Karen fears that her reasons for serving Chan will be taken away and begs that she be given any task no matter how menial. However Lee pushes her away from Chan, causing her to fall in the mud. When she complains that he is subordinate to her, he counters that he is now a first lieutenant and states that the Taishinhai Company will continue to grow and move on even without her. The responsibility for protecting Chan has also shifted to him. Karen salutes Chan and tells him that she will return the next day.

At an airport café, Schokolade shares what she has learned about Chan with Koko. He is not as old as he looks, as he aged rapidly after stepping on a land mine in 2001 which crippled his right leg. He was singlehandedly responsible for wiping out Valmet’s platoon using an unconventional fighting style by wielding two pistols with knives attached and was very fast. After making his mark in Central Asia, he was assigned to Africa in the 1990s, supposedly as a political sacrifice. The Taishinhai Company focuses on protecting oil refineries, pipelines, and VIPs. They are also involved with setting up local arms manufacturers and supporting local armies and militias. Their goal is to extend Chinese political influence. When Scarecrow investigated Taishinhai’s business practices, he found nothing untoward and now refuses to talk about them. Schokolade finishes by wondering if it as OK to tell Valmet about this, but Koko replies that she had the right to know. Schokolade is relieved and passes on that Valmet had mentioned that Koko had unlocked the door to the world for her.

The squad quickly guns down the mafia.

While on their way to the oil town where the refinery is, Valmet and Jonah are warned by their driver to be wary of the Chinese quarter, which the locals avoid. They opt to stay in the next town and their driver tells them that he could tell that they were soldiers just by looking at them. At night, Koko makes her arms delivery to the local mafia, who try to pay her with cocaine. Stating that she only accepts cash, she opens one of the bags and lets the drug blow away in the wind to the mafia’s shock before taking a pistol and shooting the boss in the head. The rest of the squad then swiftly kills the other men while Ugo protects Koko. The entire incident is witnessed by Dominique through binoculars, who muses that it was goo that he did not bring Liliane and Grégoire along as they would have wanted to jump in. When he observes that Jonah and Valmet are missing, he decides that this might be a good opportunity and radios the two. Grégoire tells Liliane to get ready, who excitedly asks what she should wear. After Grégoire gives his opinion, she holds up a necklace of razors and laughs to herself.

While the squad buries the dead men, Lehm tells Koko that she had agreed that she would smile all the time. She comments that it is not always possible to hold up one’s end of the deal before forming a smile. R wonders what is up with Koko, which Lutz says is typical. When questioned, he asks if R would have wanted to sell the drugs that was their payment and states that Koko di the right thing. She tells Lehm that she realized that something was going on with Valmet and had ordered Jonah to accompany her. This impresses Lehm and he observes that this was a good decision. When Koko starts to mention that she has spent more time with Valmet than her own parents and means more to her than a sister, Lehm cautions her not to say that aloud, as many men fight while worrying about such things, alluding to the squad. It is her job to be insensitive sometimes otherwise they will stop asking such questions. The burial finished, Koko then tells everyone that it is time to go home.

Liliane gets Lutz.

Back at the hotel, Koko quickly downs a glassful of wine before heading into the shower as Lutz and Tojo prepare to start their patrol. Grégoire then cuts the power to the hotel, plunging the building into darkness. As Tojo warns Lehm, Ugo, and R, Liliane, equipped with night vision, begins to execute her part of the plan to get Ugo. She charges down the corridor and dodges a shot fired by Lutz by somersaulting over him and sticking him in the butt with a bayonet affixed to her shotgun. Tojo is about to go after her before Lutz forces him down and Liliane fires, drawing their attention while retreating down the corridor. Koko tries to get an estimate of how many attackers there are and is told that it is just Liliane, but there are likely more. When she checks in with the rest of the squad, they all respond except for Lehm, who has been knocked out, and Ugo, whose neck is about to be cut by Grégoire with his bolt cutters.

Anime and manga differences

Chapter 30

• Valmet has a flashback of her with her right eye bandaged looking up at the Finnish flag.
• Koko mentions that the arms are coming from Yemen.
• In Valmet's dream Karen appears before the scene gives way to Chan's attack on her platoon. She is not shown trying to shoot him or losing her eye.
• Koko's is shown sleeping in an odd position when Valmet wakes up.
• The flashback of Valmet's recruitment by Koko does not occur until the next chapter.
• Dominique's crew is stated to be Cairo for their hit. The politician connected to the gang is mentioned to be French.
• Koko does not notice Valmet's disappearance until morning and tries to call her.

Chapter 31

• Koko has not pulled her tie up after tying it.
• Valmet's flashback of her first meeting with Koko occurs after Koko's discussion with Lehm and the rest of the squad.
• Valmet asks Jonah how he slipped across the border and her punch is not as violent.

Chapter 32

• Chan returns Karen's salute from a different angle.
• The tail emblem of the aircraft taxiing at Alexandra International Airport is different.
• The image of Scarecrow's reaction is not as vivid.
• The image of Valmet smiling is shown juxtaposed between Koko learning about her message.

Chapter 33

• Liliane and Grégoire's respective positions are reversed when they get word from Dominique.
• The burial is shown in less detail. The perspective of Koko gathering the rest of the squad to return is changed.
• Grégoire is not shown when Liliane recalls Dominique's instructions.

Debut appearances

• Dominique
• Grégoire
• Liliane

Organisations

• Dominique's crew

Trivia

• Valmet and Lehm are featured in the shell cartridge during the ending credits for the first time since Episode 9.
• This is the first episode in which Koko kills someone herself.
• Lutz is wounded in the butt for the third time.