This is the forty-first chapter of the DARLING in the FRANXX manga.
Synopsis
In a flashback, 9'α and the rest of the 9's fight 001 after she takes over 9'ε and 9'δ’s Nine Model FRANXX. Alpha charges at 001 but she rips his Nine Model’s left arm off, causing him extreme pain. 001 is unimpressed. 9'γ and 9'β rush In to protect him by fighting her and decide to destroy the feet to gain control. 001 uses tentacles that suddenly appear from the Nine Model to stop and push them away, causing severe damage to their FRANXXs. Beta is confused by this because the FRANXX is supposed to be a Nine Model but it now resembles a Klaxosaur’s body. 001 mocks them as pathetic and they don’t know anything. Alpha tries to get up, telling her not to get excited. 001 uses her clawed finger to stab his FRANXX in the right eye, causing him to lose his right eye and, as her claw makes its way into the cockpit, 9'ζ is stabbed in the abdomen, mortally wounding her.
001 calls it a direct hit to the core, which is what they do to her people. Delta is suddenly sealed in an ejection pod and she is ejected from the FRANXX. 001 looks down to see that Epsilon was responsible for helping her escape. He says her connection with Delta will break and she won’t be able to operate the FRANXX anymore. However, 001 is still able to pilot it when she proceeds to brutally murder a shocked Epsilon by stabbing him with two of her tentacles and she elaborates that she doesn’t need a pair. After he dies, 001 sees the pod with Delta insde, contemplating to retrieve her but the others interfere and tell Alpha to escape while they will hold her off. Alpha protests but they say he can’t fight anymore. Beta says it was fun fighting along side him and Gamma asks Alpha to tell Iota his greeting. 9'θ and 9'η declare they will show the 9's greed. As they rush towards her, Alpha cries out before he wakes up in a hospital room, where he is being looked after by Kokoro and Ikuno. He asks them where he is and if he is at Plantation 13, which Kokoro confirms and assures him that he is safe. He looks to his right and sees Delta, who is recovering, and he asks about Zeta. Ikuno says she was ready dead when they were rescued. Alpha starts crying and cursing.
Meanwhile, 001 looks at the heads of the other 9’s FRANXX,. Hachi is briefed by Papa, who says the 9’s were annihilated, which was expected of the Klaxosaur Princesss. Hachi says Alpha and Delta are being kept safe but Delta’s brain must have been damaged from 001’s connection. Papa is dismayed and leaves their disposal to Hachi, who is confused. Papa explains there is no need to keep a useless parasite even if it is from an elite unit.