天下制覇

 

Why hasn’t she been blowing up crap for the whole show?

Impressions:

Other than kind of the middling animation quality for the giant space battle, a pretty exciting episode. Bell in action is a lot of fun. She should have really been out there mixing it up with Hiiragi from episode three or four, especially since the two apparently know eachother. On the other hand, I find it a little silly that she had the power to blow a hole in Anzelot’s castle without even really trying, but is more or less an even match for swordboy one on one. Who knows, maybe Hiiragi could blow a hole in Anzelot’s castle if he wanted to. Although he did have issues with cottage sized golems earlier in the show.

I’m not really certain where things go from here. Apparently, everybody but Kirihito is surprised that Elis has Shaimal inside her. Not particularly bright, are they. I guess Bell might not be surprised, just pissed off that Lion’s little book of prophecy was wrong. I’m still wondering what her angle is really, and Anzelot’s hidden agenda with Gazer too for that matter. Hopefully Elis won’t get all emotional on us and mope around about hurting Hiiragi. A few hundred of Anzelot’s soldiers just died so a dark god could be reborn in you, let’s not quibble over the one person you merely mauled. He’ll be fine. They’re dead. It’s probably a lost cause and she’ll go off and mope in some forgotten corner of the world, forcing the heroes to go get her back. Hopefully that’ll at least mean more of Bell throwing down. She’s the kind of magic girl every series should have.

Bell Zephyr Attacks

Anzelot bows in front of her god, telling him that the last gem is nearly in their hands.

Elis looks out over the city on her balcony. Hiiragi is having a nightmare in his tent about being kidnapped from school. She looks down at a letter about her birthday, and thinks about the last gem. She thinks back to the sword she formed in the previous episode and wonders about its power. Elis looks up into the night, and the sky distorts. A pulse shoots down at her and she collapses, clutching her eye. Hiiragi wakes up and and rushes over to her. She’s in her normal trance, talking about going to the ‘ringed place’ of her light.

The next day, everybody walks to school together. Kureha and the others are concerned for her, but she says that she’s fine. Hiiragi’s especially happy because he gets to happily go to school. Kureha and Akari still manage to get jabs in.

Anzelot’s limo comes barrelling up and stops in front of them. She rolls down the window and does her “hai or yes” routine while Hiiragi starts yelling bloody murder. She refuses his answer of ‘no’ and they of course end up in her castle having tea.

Hiiragi is impatient and wants her to just get on with it. Anzelot tells him to calm down, they’re waiting on a new member of the team. Right on cue, Nightmare and Mayuri come in. There are introductions all around as Elis shows off her bracelet to the two.

Anzelot calls them to attention and shows them the planet where the last gem is. Hiiragi and Elis recognize it from her ramblings the previous night. Anzelot further explains that the gem is somewhere in the debris that forms the ring. Everybody is a bit worried, but Akari and Kureha talk them up about how great it will be to save the world together.

Anzelot opens the window to show that the castle is actually on a giant spaceship and they’re already nearly at the planet. In fact, Anzelot has a giant fleet surrounding her castle. She gives the kiddos instructions on supporting Elis. Akari and Hiiragi are support, Kureha is Elis’ personal guard, etc etc.

Suddenly an alarm rings out. The Crimson Moon has appeared behind them and a giant fleet of Emulators are closing in on them. In Bell’s ship, she has a bunch of people assembled. She confirms with Lion that she’ll be triumphant and then declares to them all that this will be the last game and it’ll be fun, Anzelot.

Anzelot modifies her plans to the crew a bit. Nightmare will be helping to deal with the Emulators. Akari and Mayuri will also be providing long range support. Elis is really worried, but Akari tells her that she’ll be fine and walks out. Hiiragi and Kureha are left in care of Elis. The three head out and Anzelot turns to take command. She orders all the fleet to make sure that Elis is protected and safe. The fleet opens fire on the Emulators.

Bell observes and thinks Anzelot’s tactics are amusing. She orders her minions to take off and they all teleport out.

Anzelot’s fleet fires endlessly into the monsters. Akari looks down at the skating trinket on her cell phone. Mayuri calls her back to reality and she takes aim with Gunner’s Broom placed inside an enormous frame to make a beam cannon about 50 times her size. She fires and wipes away a huge swathe of the monsters.

Bell thinks aloud that these tactics won’t work against her. She gives her orders to Lion, who starts reading through the book and giving orders to the forces. One demon lord’s bandages release and spread out, destroying a bunch of Anzelot’s men. She deploys more of her demon lords and the slaughter of the good guys continues.

Anzelot’s HQ starts getting the reports of their units being decimated. At this rate, they’ll all be destroyed. Anzelot issues her orders and repeats that Elis is the main priority.

In their ship, Hiiragi has Elis try to sense where her gem is, but Elis is coming up negative so far.

Bell chuckles evilly as her army romps all over Anzelot’s forces. It’s about time for her to head out.

Akari fires again and Mayuri starts to reload. Bell suddenly appears in the distance and closes rapidly. She flies straight into Anzelot’s army and lays waste to them. Nightmare manages to protect himself, but she goes past the front line without even hesitating. She effortlessly dodges ship fire and destroys a large battleship that’s in her path.

Anzelot’s HQ receives the reports that Bell is closing in. Anzelot remains stolid. A projection of her appears in Bell’s path, blocking the castle, but Bell blasts right through it and destroys a huge section of the castle. Anzelot angrily turns to Bell, but Bell flies off after Elis.

In the ship, Elis finally senses her gem. She clutches her head and points them towards it.

Before they can reach it, a blast destroys it and Bell appears in the wreckage. She tells Hiiragi that their game is over. Hiiragi hops out on the deck of the ship to confront her. She introduces herself to Elis and holds up the gem.

She kisses it and tells them that it’s too bad, but this is destiny. She unleashes a Destruction Blast, but Kureha blocks it. Hiiragi hops out and attacks her, but she floats back and tosses a few shots at him. In the distance, Akari summons Gunner’s Broom and takes aim at Hiiragi and Bell’s melee. She fires.

Hiiragi slashes at Bell, but she holds his blade back with a shield and taunts him. She senses Akari’s shot and hops backwards. Hiiragi barely manages to duck to dodge it. The shot impacts a nearby crater and explodes. Shrapnel from the blast knocks the gem out of Bell’s hand and Lion cries out in surprise.

Hiiragi jumps up, catches the gem and immediately throws it to Elis. She leaps out of the ship and absorbs it. Bell demands an answer from Lion, but she’s in a panic and flipping through the book, trying to figure out what happened. Everything is wrong.

Anzelot receives the report that the last gem was gained. Words flash through Elis’ mind and then it stops on ‘hope’ and turns black. The gems turn blood red as Elis remembers the mural of Shaimal. Her sky turns crimson and a red glow surrounds her.

Anzelot’s scanners have gone offline. A massive demonic energy is overwhelming everything. They manage to identify the source… Shiho Elis.

The red glow has become a small red moon with Hiiragi and Kureha inside. Elis is wrapped in her bracelet and emitting red energy. The bracelet bursts open into wings on her back and she speaks in a possessed voice telling them that all this was for her light.

Hiiragi leaps at her, but she fires a massive blast of crimson energy at him that blasts an asteroid clean in half. Akari and Mayuri watch in shock. 

Hiiragi managed to reach Elis and clings to her, badly injured and panting. The crimson light fades and Elis recognizes Hiiragi. Bell watches this and demands an anwer from Lion again, but she’s on the floor hugging her book in despair. Anzelot can’t believe what happened either. Elis was Shaimal. Everything they did was for this?

Elis asks Hiiragi what hurt him. She realizes that she did it and looks down at her blood stained hand. She demands that Hiiragi answer.

Kirihito watches from a distance, pitying the fate of Shiho Elis.