As Ichika and Houki begin their operation, the others notice how happy Houki looks, which prompts Chifuyu to tell Ichika to watch over her carefully. As Ichika and Houki engages in battle with the Silver Gospel and is about to corner it, Ichika notices an illegal fishing boat in the area and breaks off formation to protect it. Houki is angry at Ichika for ruining the plan but he scolds her for disregarding the boat's safety, which is something she never does. However, the Silver Gospel launches a surprise attack on them, which forces Ichika to shield himself to protect Houki. As the critically injured Ichika is admitted, Houki blames herself on what happened and wants to quit being an IS pilot but Cecilia, Lingyin, Charlotte, and Laura manages to convince her otherwise. Together, they decide to defy Chifuyu's orders to stand by and go after the Silver Gospel themselves.
