Episode 18

## Guide

**The Truth Is** (本当は,, *Hontō wa*?) is the seventh episode of the second cour and the eighteenth overall episode of the 86 -Eighty Six- anime adaptation, originally broadcasted on November 20, 2021.

## Synopsis

"The Morpho elimination." Fifteen members of the Nordlicht Squadron, including Shin, have been selected for a desperate mission to break through Legion controlled territory alone. The children of the Eighty-Six, after having arrived in the Federacy and continued to fight on the front lines, were assigned to a mission with nearly no chance of survival. Frederica couldn't help but be furious at a mission with no regard for their lives...

## Plot

As Nordlicht prepares for their mission, Grethe successfully petitions to allow the use of the prototype ground effect airplane "Nachzehrer" to be used as the unit's transport, rather than relying on much slower and more vulnerable helicopters. Grethe also volunteers to be the Nachzehrer's pilot, being the last remaining person with any experience flying it. Frederica unsuccessfully tries to convince Shin not to go on the mission, fearing that he will die or become a monster like Kiriya. Zimerman, powerless to stop the operation, expresses his wish to see that Shin and his friends return home alive no matter the cost, and privately swears to himself he will destroy the world if they don't. The Federacy and its allies then commence an all out assault on the Legion as a distraction, opening a hole in the Legion's defensive perimeter allowing the Nachzehrer to launch and head for the Morpho. During the flight, Shin hears the Black Sheep's voices and smiles.

## Appearances

### Characters

**The Trial Unit**

* **Shinei Nouzen**
* **Raiden Shuga**
* **Theoto Rikka**
* **Anju Emma**
* **Kurena Kukumila**
* **Brent Bernholdt**
* **Frederica Rosenfort**
* **Grethe Wenzel**
* **Pizza Girl**

**The Federacy**

* **Ernst Zimmerman**
* **Richard Altner**
* **Willem Ehrenfried**

### Mechanics

**Felswinzel Military Industries**

* **M4A3 Vánagandr**
* **155 mm Howitzer**
* **Úlfheðinn**

**WHM**

* **XM2 Reginleif**
* **Fido**
* **XC-1 Nachzehrer**

**Giadian Empire Legion**

* **Ameise**
* **Grauwolf**
* **Löwe**
* **Eintagsfliege**

### Locations

**Federal Republic of Giad**

* **Wolfsland - Western Front**

### Soundtracks

 4:38 – 6:12
 7:20 – 8:56
 9:19 – 10:00
 12:00 – 13:48
 14:48 – 16:13
 17:04 – 19:22
 19:23 – 21:18
 21:55 – 23:34

## Adaptation Notes

* In the conversation between Grethe and Richard, Grethe shows a dog tag and ring that aren't shown in the novel.
* In the light novel, the confrontation between Shin and Frederica takes place before the introduction of the XC-1 Nachzehrer.
* The description of the preparation and attack on the Legions is much more detailed in the light novel, going so far as to focus on anonymous soldiers who are on the various fronts of combat, as a way of showing the impact and the need to overcome the first phase of the First Great Offensive.
* The scene of Grethe looking at her ring during the climax of the first phase of the First Great Offensive is original from the anime.
* The last scene, where we see Shin's smile, is anime original, as a way to subliminally show his mental state and link with the battle of the next episode.

## References

1. ↑ STORY | TV Anime "86-Eighty Six-" Official Website.
2. ↑ List of 86 episodes - Wikipedia