Episode 18

The Truth Is (本当は,) is the seventh episode of the second cour and the eighteenth overall episode of the 86 -Eighty Six- anime adaptation, originally broadcasted on November 20, 2021.

Synopsis
"The Morpho elimination." Fifteen members of the Nordlicht Squadron, including Shin, have been selected for a desperate mission to break through Legion controlled territory alone. The children of the Eighty-Six, after having arrived in the Federacy and continued to fight on the front lines, were assigned to a mission with nearly no chance of survival. Frederica couldn't help but be furious at a mission with no regard for their lives...

Plot
As Nordlicht prepares for their mission, Grethe successfully petitions to allow the use of the prototype ground effect airplane "Nachzehrer" to be used as the unit's transport, rather than relying on much slower and more vulnerable helicopters. Grethe also volunteers to be the Nachzehrer's pilot, being the last remaining person with any experience flying it. Frederica unsuccessfully tries to convince Shin not to go on the mission, fearing that he will die or become a monster like Kiriya. Zimerman, powerless to stop the operation, expresses his wish to see that Shin and his friends return home alive no matter the cost, and privately swears to himself he will destroy the world if they don't. The Federacy and its allies then commence an all out assault on the Legion as a distraction, opening a hole in the Legion's defensive perimeter allowing the Nachzehrer to launch and head for the Morpho. During the flight, Shin hears the Black Sheep's voices and smiles.

Differences from Light Novel

 * In the conversation between Grethe and Richard, Grethe shows a dog tag and ring that aren't shown in the novel.
 * In the light novel, the confrontation between Shin and Frederica takes place before the introduction of the XC-1 Nachzehrer.