天下制覇

I can’t believe I bothered to watch this at 320×240 resolution. The linked versions aren’t even much (if any) larger than the thumbnails. How disgusting. 

We rejoin Nanoha and crew as Subaru tearfully reunites with them. Reinforce tells them that Nanoha is going to be their instructor while Teana recounts Nanoha’s rank and fame in the corps. Hayate also gives Fate a peptalk about her own responsibilities.

Another flashback to Fate remembering what happened on the night that Nanoha saved Subaru. Hayate is directing traffic with Reinforce II while Fate is charging into the fray. She’s also discussing the crisis with Subaru and Ginga’s father, and talking about how to handle things. Nanoha reports in about Subaru and then Hayate transforms and joins Fate and Nanoha.

Fate finds a family in the flames protected by a barrier and creates another one around their’s. Meanwhile, a girl (Subaru’s older sister, Ginga) is looking for Subaru. Fate finds her and rescues her as the floor collapses. Nanoha checks in with Fate showing that Subaru’s been rescued and the two fly off to the safe area. Then, with everybody out of the ship, Hayate casts a spell to freeze the entire thing. A team of other mages come rushing in finish off the mission.  

Cut to the aces lounging around in their nightclothes for some fanservice and general existential Hayate angst which goes on for far longer than it should have. I swear, the melodrama in the series at the moment is so silly. Hayate wants to form her own unit to deal with random problems like this, and asks Fate and Nanoha to join her, which they obviously do.

Back to present times, Fate and Hayate are briefing Subaru and Teana about various things relating to the background of the series and Hayate’s own unit. Takase Mizuki comes in and gives them a dressing down. She then gives them permission to retake the test in a little while.

Later, Subaru and Teana are off lounging around the courtyard, talking about how lucky they are to be teamed with Nanoha. Some good natured rubbing by Subaru leads to Teana smacking her around a bit and Subaru’s generic talk about wanting to become stronger and better and as good as Nanoha, plus a backhanded compliment at Teana earns more of her wrath.

Nanoha and Hayate were watching them from above and talk about how they work together and whatnot. Fate also joins them and they talk about how Nanoha is holding up with all the work and friendship and yada yada before heading off.

Cut to an airport-looking area where Elio is waiting impatiently. Signum comes up and Elio greets her officially. Fate and Nanoha are en route to the place as well. Elio is looking for someone named Lushe (pronounced Lucia), who comes running down the stairs until she trips and Elio’s intelligent device (looks like a watch) activates and he uses a Sonic Move to catch her, sending both flying and him ending up getting a ‘handful’ of Caro. Her little dragon pops out of her bag and gets introduced.

Finally we get to some (brief) action, in the form of Vita, Zafira and Shamal fighting some generic mecha things that look pretty similar to the training bots from episode one, though a lot more spikey and dangerous. I’m told they’re the same drone things as from the prequel manga. Shamal is in corps outfit, and Vita is also in a much sleeker and less goth-loli outfit as well. And to end the episode, Teana and Subaru are shown in a train in a similar looking area to where those three were fighting.

Whew. Not a bad episode, but definitely lacking in the action. The melodrama is also especially silly. The preview shows Teana shooting at something (looks like the same area as the test), as well as Caro and Elio joining up officially as well.