Ikumi Oze is now Captain of the Ryvius, and orders a new ranking system, assigning duties and living quarters according to ability. Disruptions and hard feelings are widespread, especially when the ""E""-class (including Kouji) are locked into their area and the lights are turned off.

A ""bubble"" of normal space is discovered at Sere 7, while Kouji finds a way out of ""E""-class. He confronts Ikumi, Yuki & co., but just ends up being shot in the shoulder. Nobody bothers to help him; they just leave him slumped on the deck, bleeding heavily.