Chapter 46

This is the forty-sixth chapter of the DARLING in the FRANXX manga.

Synopsis
Squad 13 sorties again, this time with their new Genista and Chlorophytum pairs. While they wait for their target to approach, Zorome asks what the structure they are protecting is doing. Miku replies it's S-Planning and Ichigo adds that it's an excavator. Hiro states it's probably digging something out.

Zero Two says she smells a klaxosaur. Squad 13 turn their attention to the Gutenberg class, to which Goro wonders whether it is the parent of the Maho class klaxosaurs they had killed recently. Zero Two immediately jumps off and starts attacking the klaxosaur, but as the klaxosaur skin is too thick, they have problems reaching the core. As they say this, the parts of the klaxosaur that Strelizia tore off turned into Maho class klaxosaurs. Hachi realises the Gutenberg class is just a collective of Maho class klaxosaurs.

Argentea runs in to launch an attack, but Chlorophytum closes in quicker. Futoshi tells Ikuno to do her best Chlorophytum goes into a shooting frenzy and manages do deal quite a bit of damage to the klaxosaurs. Zorome remarks the new Chlorophytum pair is really good and Goro adds that it's Futoshi's first time in Chlorophytum. Ichigo smiles and calls out Ikuno's name, to which Ikuno replies that she's alright.

In a flashback, Ikuno tells Ichigo she only loves her. She tells Ichigo she noticed her hairclip changed a while ago, to Ichigo's shock. Ikuno asks if she lost it and if the new one is from Goro to Ichigo's amazement. Ikuno says she feels sick. She explains that only guys can stand next to Ichigo and she feels jealous. She expresses her wish to be a guy. Crying, Ikuno admits she's selfish and bothersome because she wants Ichigo to herself. She wonders out loud why she's like this and says she hates it. Ichigo thinks back to her kiss with Hiro and realised it was the same. She hugs Ikuno and says being bothersome is good. Ichigo admits everyone is bothersome but lately, she started to think it's alright. Ikuno admits she can't give up that easily as she hugs Ichigo, to which Ichigo tells her she knows.

Futoshi thanks Ikuno for agreeing to his suggestion. Ikuno replies that it was because of Mitsuru and Kokoro, to which Futoshi agrees. Ikuno says Futoshi is a good guy.

From the side, Kokoro says she can see Futoshi's strength just by looking and adds that up to now, Futoshi had just been protecting her since he always had to worry about her during a fight. Kokoro suggests for them to go too, to which Mitsuru agrees.

Back in Mistilteinn, Alpha says the Partner Shuffle was a last resort so Mitsuru could continue piloting a FRANXX and admits he didn't think changing partners were possible. As he thinks about them, he wonders why he cares about Squad 13 when he has lost everything. He thinks back to his fallen squadmates and says it's irrelevant. Delta suddenly opens her eyes.