When Lime fled in horror at Tiegel's death, she encountered Soemon Obiichi, Otaru's swordmaster. At his query, Lime poured forth her confusion about hearts - they make her and her "sisters" happy, but they also cause so much pain...! What's the point of having a heart at all? Soemon offers to help her out of this misery, and by the time Otaru finds Lime, her heart - her otome kairo - is gone. Lime is stiff and unresponsive and her pupils have closed completely, but she's still alive. Otaru takes her home and puts her to bed. A crowd gathers in Otaru's house that before long is scouring Japones town for Lime's missing "heart", and Otaru joins them despite objections that he should stay with Lime. Soemon tries to console Otaru, saying that Lime is Lime, missing hardware or not. Otaru goes home and finds Lime waiting in the genkan (place to change shoes), up and around but still almost totally unresponsive to any stimulus. She is capable of responding to commands, but her movements are so stiff and uncoordinated as to be without effect. However, the old Lime, though not in evidence at the moment, is not gone completely... Meanwhile, Faust receives a report from a loyal minion in the field, Rubens, that an otome kairo has been captured from one of the Japones Marionettes. Rubens signs off and removes his disguise - it is in fact none other than Soemon himself, who took Lime's otome kairo as a loyal secret agent of Geltland - in his mind, he is Soemon Obiichi of Geltland no longer. His defection was triggered by, of all things, a Marionette. Her name is Koyuki, and though she is no more animated or human than Lime is now, Soemon felt from the moment he first saw her that they were destined to spend their lives together. This intimacy with what remains, sentio-epistemiology aside, a machine earned him nothing but hatred from the Japones citizenry. Ultimately, he was kicked out of the country in disgrace. He wandered through the desert to Geltland, where he was found by Faust and his Saberdolls, at whose seeming humanity he marveled. If only his Koyuki could be likewise... Her otome kairo gone, Lime's soul has retreated to a limbo in the darkest corners of her mind where she hides herself from the terror of the emotions she experienced at Tiegel's death. She is visited by the spirit of Lorelei who asks why Lime has withdrawn in this manner. Lime does not want to experience pain, anguish or sadness any more - yet she is discovering that she cannot stand to be separated from Otaru. Her options are very clear: safety, or love... On the other side of town, Soemon/Rubens has plans for the pilfered otome kairo before he hands it over to Faust. He connects it to a computer and prepares to erase all its data - he intends to install it temporarily in Koyuki so that, just once, he can see her as a human; just once, he wants to see her smile. However, it's not to be - Lime, her desire to be with Otaru at last overwhelming her fear of the dark side of life, has decided to return to her body. Without the otome kairo she cannot return to her former state, but the Marionettes sense her presence - and the location of the kairo. They reach Soemon before he can issue the final command, but Soemon threatens to destroy the unit entirely if they come a step closer. Soemon tells them of his dream for Koyuki, but Otaru and the Marionettes will have none of it. Otaru challenges him to a sword duel, and during it, Soemon drops the kairo. Koyuki picks it up, but in the next moment she is shot by an assassin, sent by Geltland to collect Soemon's prize. It prepares to turn its weapons on Soemon next for his treachery in using the otome kairo for private purposes, but Bloodberry quickly destroys it. Desolate at the death of his only companion, Soemon returns the kairo to Otaru since he no longer has any use for it. Bloodberry reinstalls it, and the real Lime has a tearful reunion with Otaru. As for Soemon/Rubens, the Marionettes reserve judgement: under other circumstances, Soemon, with his open mind and heart, might have served the function that Otaru is now....
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