Episode 14

"*She puts a curse to drain the life out of stamen, the one who's not human. I can't consider her as one of us anymore. Even if she's considered as the key to save the world, even if as a result that I'm hated by the person that I consider the most important.*"—*Ichigo*
**Punishment and Confession** is the fourteenth episode of *DARLING in the FRANXX*.

## Synopsis

As a result of continuing as Zero Two's partner, Hiro's body undergoes a major mutation. As a result, Hiro temporarily falls into an unconscious state. Ichigo knew that Hiro's mutation was caused by Zero Two and pulled her away from Hiro. In response to the situation, a notice from APE headquarters was issued to return Zero Two to the 9's, who are directly controlled by APE. Hiro and Zero Two wish to talk to each other again, but the time that they cannot meet each other continues...

## Plot

Zero Two and Hiro realize they knew each other as children. Hiro recalls seeing a memory from her in which she would return to the mistletoe tree, hoping to be able to see him again. Hiro asks himself how could he forget something so important before losing consciousness. Zero Two is still crying and she catches Hiro before he collapses and asks if he's her darling from her childhood and is horrified thinking of what she had done. Ichigo suddenly opens the cockpit door and throws her off of him and into Goro. He asks if she's alright as Ichigo tries to revive Hiro. The other FRANXX wait for help. When they return to the docking facility, Hiro is taken for treatment. Zero Two realizes what Hiro meant when he said he wanted to understand her better.

In the control room, Nana notes that Hiro’s yellow blood cell count has gone far beyond what the human body can handle and his saurification could begin at any moment. At the hospital, Zero Two goes down the hallway to talk to Hiro, but is stopped by Ichigo, who has a cast on her broken left arm. She blames Zero Two for Hiro’s hospitalization and says she can't see him again. Goro and Miku tell her to calm down. When Ichigo reveals that Hiro will lose his humanity and Zero Two has been using Hiro the same way as she done with the other stamen she killed after devouring them, the rest of the parasites don't believe her and ask Zero Two. She tells them to shut up and mind their own business before trying to see Hiro again. Ichigo stops her again from seeing him and says that she isn't a member of their team but, for a while, Ichigo believed they had been teammates for real. Zero Two scoffs this. Overcome with anger, a tearful Ichigo vows to never let Zero Two see Hiro again.

Hiro wakes up and is surrounded by his teammates. He asks where Zero Two is and Ichigo says she stopped her. Hiro has strangulation marks on his neck. Ichigo tells him that they will protect him. They all leave, but Hiro stops Mitsuru. Hiro says that he made a promise to him before he got an Elixir Injection. Mitsuru is surprised but tells him it didn't matter, plus it was a long time ago. He says he'd forgotten about it before that. He says that any other stamen would've died long ago. He tells him to listen to Ichigo and stay away from her. Hiro says that he has something to ask her and thanks Mitsuru. After Mitsuru leaves, Hiro says that after that day, his aptitude kept decreasing. Though he felt like he died, she gave him a new life. He thinks it must be because he drank her blood. Zero Two sits in her room, biting her nails.

Hachi announces they must neutralize every klaxosaur inhabiting Gran Crevasse. Nana says that it is a joint operation with the 9's and FRANXX squad from each plantation. He says that Squad 13 is scheduled to be part of the sixth wave. Nana says it will be their most difficult mission and Ichigo raises her hand. She asks that Zero Two be removed from Squad 13 as of that mission and, if not, Squad 13 will not participate in the operation. Nana says that she was set to return to the 9s as of the mission anyway. A stunned Zero Two protests, but the parasites don’t back her up. When Hiro gets up and tries to leave his room, he is stopped by Miku, who was guarding his room. Zero Two is also guarded and prevented from leaving her room by Futoshi and Zorome.

Ichigo comes in to see Hiro and they chat. She gives him an apple. As she peels it, he notices how the red slices are similar to Zero Two’s horns. She tells him that Zero Two is returning to the 9's the next night, which surprises him. She asks if he hates her and says that, even if he does, not to go anywhere. Hiro apologizes and Ichigo cuts her thumb, so Hiro bandages it for her. Zero Two remembers what Ichigo said and thinks that she knew she could never be a human. Ichigo leaves the knife and apple peels. Zero Two breaks out of her room as Ichigo returns. She roughly throws Goro against a window. Ichigo scolds Zero Two and asks if she wants to lie to him again. She says she's wrong and just wants to talk to him. Goro tells Ichigo to let her see him and Kokoro agrees, stating that it's sad to see them apart. Goro says that she can meet him, but they're all going to be there. When they enter the room, it's empty. Hiro had used the knife to make a rope out the curtains. He then tied the knife to it and climbed upstairs, escaping containment. Zero Two becomes enraged and says that they tricked her.

Hiro unknowingly goes to Zero Two's room. He asks through the door if she knew about their past. He opens the door to find the room destroyed with marks all over the walls from her horns and dried blood. He returns to the hospital to find all his teammates unconscious and her strangling Ichigo. Zero Two, with red sparkling eyes and a devious grin and laughing, invites Hiro to "talk lots and lots". Ichigo tells Hiro to run away and Zero Two drops her to the ground. Hiro scolds her for what she has done and calls her a monster. She realizes the damage she'd done to him and believes this is her punishment.

The next morning, Zero Two leaves the plantation as the other parasites watch her leave silently. She passes by Hiro outside without saying anything. When Ichigo suggests they go inside, she finds that he's crying. He is about to go after her, but Ichigo stops him, saying he'll turn into a monster. When he turns away again, she grabs his face and kisses him. 9'a greets Zero Two and presents her with the stamen that Dr. FRANXX brought for her. Ichigo says she doesn't regret the kiss they shared during the mock battle and that she wants to be with him forever. Goro overhears this and sadly smiles. Ichigo says that he'd always been her everything and that she'd never been interested in anyone else. She bows and confesses that she loves him. A stunned Hiro looks up at the sky to see Zero Two's ship fly away.

## Appearances

* Zero Two
* Hiro
* Ichigo
* Goro
* Nana
* Hachi
* Zorome
* Futoshi
* Miku
* Kokoro
* Mitsuru
* Ikuno
* 9'α

## Trivia

* The name of this episode is in reference to the breakdown of Hiro and Zero Two’s; Zero Two believes she is being punished for hurting and deceiving Hiro, who despite everything realizes he still loves her and yearns to confess now that they have regained their lost memories.