They all join up to kill their commanding officer for sending them constantly on suicide missions (they all thought because they were hated which is why they were sent on these suicide missions and horrible assignments but in reality they were probably being tested as candidates for being abnormal survivors).
I would've liked to know more about how Pailsen (Chirico's old commanding officer) ended up working with the secret society and developing the new perfect soldiers but there wasn't much information in this OVA.
Also the garden of eden like scenes with Ypsilon and Fyana were kind of cringy. Why did Ypsilon have to be naked? I guess this was them trying to show like how Adam and Eve didn't mind being naked since they didn't have knowledge yet (and the whole point of this scene was Ypsilon just got brainwashed and had his mind wiped and didn't know anything at all (as if he was just born) as part of the conversion process to being a perfect soldier).
Those scenes were good the first time but if I watch it again I will probably skip past them.
The Red Shoulders have been disbanded, many died during the war, many others quit the military after the end of the 100 year with the Balarat, but Pailsen at his research base with the secret society has a small contingent that has remained loyal to him and defected to the secret society along with him.
Chirico and his old squad mates end up fighting them. The action scenes were the best part but soon Ypsilon comes and starts wrecking everyone. He dispenses with Chirico's friends near effortlessly one by one and they can barely land hits on him as he kills them right in front of him.
Meanwhile Chirico watches his friends die because he's too scared to fight thinking Fyana might be in the AT that Ypsilon is piloting.
I wish the Red Shoulders could've put up more of a fight (on both sides) because they are supposed to be near perfect soldier tier but were both too easily dispatched. It makes me think that Pailsen didn't even have real Red Shoulders at his base but was just continuing to use the name and maybe techniques/strategies with members of the secret society (that obviously haven't been fully trained in them or would even be capable to succeed as Red Shoulders since they were all just mercenaries).
And I believe that because why would Chirico and his squad mates not flinch at all about the prospect of thinking they're fellow Red Shoulders? That is unless they were fakes.
Or maybe they feel that the Red Shoulders are all bastards (from all the atrocities done during the war) and the fact that to become a Red Shoulder all new recruits must enter a death match against them for the right to train as a Red Shoulder so they always hated each other just for that.
But it's a very sad anime seeing all of Chirico's friends die even if he didn't react too harshly about that (but then again he never really does with anything, he often doesn't show his emotion or how he feels).
The ending scene though was perfect as Chirico walks off into the desert night and continues to look for Fyana.
I want to give it an 8 but those Fyana and Ypsilon scenes really ruin the rewatchability of this. Myanimelist doesn't have half scores (which they should) or I would've gave it 6.5 but I'll give it a 7.
