The Imperial Capital Quake (帝都激震 Teito Gekishin) is episode 14 of the Gate - Thus the JSDF Fought There! anime.
Plot
Pina invites Sugawara, Itami, Shino and Akira to meet with her father the Emperor in the Imperial Palace to advise them how to handle with earthquakes. On the way, they are met by guards cowering from the earthquake; due to their fear, they do not stop Piña and her escort, nor ask for their identity. As they meet with Molt, Zorzal also arrives to warn his father of another earthquake coming. Piña and 3rd Recon are surprised to how Zorzal knows of the "earthshakes", and he reveals Noriko, a slave who was a Japanese citizen captured during the Battle of Ginza.
Angered by Zorzal's treatment of Noriko, Itami punches him. Zorzal, who is just as equally angered, orders his guards to attack Itami. Kuribayashi easily disposes of Zorzal's guards and lackeys, and the survivors quickly surrender, greatly fearing the power of the assault rifle. Zorzal refuses to divulge more information, so Itami has Kuribayashi beat him up for more information. The remaining Imperials and Zorzal's lackeys look on with stunned faces. Itami is about to ask Zorzal for more information when Tyuule, another of Zorzal's slaves, appears and deescalates the incident. Sugawara tells Molt that they should hand over any other Japanese citizens they have taken prisoner. Molt proclaims that he has finally found Japan's weakness, but Sugawara tells him that Japan has had a much more bloodier history than the Empire, and asks if he would like to test their power again. Molt declines, as he knows it is futile to resist the JSDF, and allows him to begin their peace talks. Sugawara warns the Empire not to use the Imperial Senate building tomorrow as they leave.
The next morning, as the citizens of the capital city recover from the earthquake, two JSDF jets bomb the empty Senate. Back in Japan, Morita wonders if they made the right choice, and prays that the Empire understood their message. The following day, the senators hold a meeting in the now-bombed out Senate building. Casel El Tiberius addresses the Senate, telling them that Cicero held meetings with the JSDF for peace, and asks why the JSDF bombed the Senate. Molt does not answer, so Casel continues, stating that when the JSDF learned they captured their civilians, they were enraged and bombed the Senate in retaliation, supporting his facts by telling them that they even beat up Zorzal. Piña then intervenes and addresses the Senate, telling them that the Japanese did not share the same values as they did; they did not kill, enslave or ransom their prisoners, and by doing such actions on their own civilians, they bombed the Senate to give a clear message to them. Zorzal wonders why Piña is siding with the JSDF so much.
Back in the palace, Zorzal lies in bed and has Tyuule fetch some ice for him. Diabo, Zorzal's brother, comes in and tells him that most of the Senate desires peace and that unconditional surrender is likely. Zorzal knows that he is not as smart as him, and wishes to be tortured to death like their stepbrother Kati. Zorzal knows that Molt will have to step down to end the war, and will assign him the role of Emperor. He also realizes that Molt will try to manipulate him to keep his seat of power untouched. Zorzal asks Tyuule of any other prisoners, and she tells him that there were two others who were sold to the mines. The other person who was with Noriko, Hiroki, had died in a mine collapse. Zorzal decides to give the Japanese the other slave, surprising Diabo. He admits that if he knew he was going to be brutally beaten up, he would have treated Noriko better, though Tyuule states that he did, by not letting Noriko be shared among other men who would have been much more crueler. Zorzal informs Diabo that he will either need to serve him or their father in the future, as he considers Piña a traitor for the time being.
Outside the capital, Noriko is brought back to base where she is cared for. Yanagida is surprised that Itami opened fire in the Imperial Palace, but the government would use the incident as promotional propaganda, so they could not punish Itami for his actions. He also tells him that Noriko was missing and that her parents had put up missing posters when the Gate suddenly appeared in Ginza. Itami realizes from that point that Noriko's parents were killed in the attack. He tells him not to let Noriko know of it yet. Elsewhere, Tuka continues to search for her father.
Anime-Manga Differences
- Zorzal brings more than just Tyuule and Noriko in the throne room in the manga; they are also completely naked, whereas in the anime only Tyuule and Noriko are brought in with rags.
- When Itami punches Zorzal in the manga, he shows signs of pain which is not seen in the anime. Zorzal is also sent towards the entrance instead of the throne.
- Piña is also confused as to why the JSDF are fighting over the slaves, while in the anime, she grimly understands their reasoning. Zorzal becomes enraged by the attack and vows to destroy Japan in the manga, while in the anime, he simply calls the guards to dispose of them.
- Kuribayashi tackles all of Zorzal's lackeys and guards in the anime, while Tomita helps take out one of Zorzal's men in the manga. In addition, Kuribayashi fires from the hip in the manga, while she fires in an aimed stance in the anime.
- After disposing of his lackeys and guards, Zorzal tries to attack Kuribayashi but has his face brutally beaten by her; in the manga, she simply breaks his fingers.
- When Kuribayashi fires her assault rifle, Molt is startled and shows signs of fear in the manga, while he is completely indifferent in the anime. Zorzal does not cower at the rifle in the manga, but he does so in the anime.
- After beating Zorzal, the Royal Guard arrive at the throne room; they do not appear in the anime.