天下制覇

And somewhere, Vita is still bleeding.

I’m not certain I’ll stay with this posting style, but I’ll try it for a day or two and see how it feels. If you especially like it or hate it, just leave a comment here or back on where I was ruminating on updating the layout.    

Impressions:

Man, what happened to the audio in these last two episodes. I can still hear the ringing in my ears.

Damn, Fate. Sonic form looks all the better when you actually have curves to accentuate with it. I’m a bit confused about how they seem to be setting up Quattro to be the final boss here for some reason, though she does look more menacing with the glasses off. I’m also a bit annoyed at how we apparently skipped the main part of the Nanoha vs Vivio showdown and, somewhere in the Cradle, Vita has been grievously bleeding for three episodes now, but otherwise, skintight outfit Fate makes everything better. As a cheerleader for the Vice x Teana camp, it was good to see him back in action too, this time with 99% less “shoot your own sister in the eye,” and from a moving helicopter no less. Dude’s got skillz.

Still though… the only evils that are really left are Quattro and the evil version of Vivio, and maybe Cinque somewhere I guess. Those are the final bosses? What? Maybe she’ll consume an energy vortex or something and actually become a threat. Hell, ten episodes ago, she was running away from the Aces like a scared little puppy. It’s a whole new level of creepy is Quattro is carrying Jail’s child, as her holding her hand against her stomach seems to indicate though. That’s worth at least an 8/10 on the fucked-up villainess factor.

Caps updated to those from the better raw. They may not mesh as well with the summary any more though. *shrug*

Before the episode, Fate talks about her mother and being cloned from her ‘sister’ Alicia. She understands her feelings of wanting to protect all those dear to her, and that’s why she’ll -run OP-

Some time in the past, Regius and Zest are discussing some kind of disaster from uncontrolled magic being used dangerously in the area. Regius yells at Zest for it, but relents and apologizes. The two take a walk, continuing to talk about what can be done to make sure that such things don’t happen again.

Later, in a meeting with some of the top heads of TSAB, Regius is presenting a new system for regulating and controlling mages. Everybody is excited for the new system. The brains even think that it’s a good idea. Zest is a bit more concerned though and thinks that they’re illegally researching things in the plant.

Two girls, a Nakajima and an Alpine (Arpino?) were listening in. Zest calls over to them and tells them to check things out. Once there, they figure out that the place really was a combat cyborg research plant. Zest and another subordinate radio in. Zest was ambushed and is critically wounded. The stealth Gadget Drones (same as the ones that attacked Nanoha and Vita uncloak all around them.

Elsewhere in the facility, Quattro, Trei and Cinque are standing in a field of carnage with a bloody Zest laying against a wall. Cinque’s eye wound is fresh.

In his office, Regius is receiving a report from Scaglietti about the status of the combat cyborgs.

They overcame an S rank opponent who tried to break in. Regius recognizes Zest with a start as Due gives the details about the opponents that they defeated while the brains listen in and comment. Zest was critically wounded and would be reprogrammed (to Regius’ shock), and Alpine was placed in the XI tank (ie, she’s Lutecia’s mother). I’m sorry, between the poor audio and the echoy effects, I really have no clue what they were saying, something about Zest being an acceptable loss probably.

Back in the present, Zest is demanding to know why he did such things. They just wanted to protect the world and live for their dream of justice. Regius looks up, ready to answer, but suddenly blood sprays out onto the photo in front of him. Zest is caught in a bind as the secretary turns in shock. The other woman in the room has her claws through Regius and blasts the secretary backwards. The woman reverts to Due and says that the doctor has no more use for Regius. Regius tries to say something to Zest, but collapses as he reaches out. Due then turns to Zest, saying it’s over for him too. She scowls, but he concentrates and breaks the bond.

Signum, Agito and Rein are all rushing through the hallways when there’s a massive burst. They enter Regius’ office to find the door destroyed, Regius facedown in his blood and Due unconscious, also bleeding severely. Zest is standing over them. Signum asks what happened, and he says that he killed them.

In the lab, Fate is still captured. Scaglietti says that she’s now his thing and turns away. He calls up a monitor and starts talking about Precia Testarossa and how she tried to recreate Fate in Alica’s image. He finds it hilarious, but that is what led to his own work. Project Fate, culminating in Fate Testarossa. Fate glares at him from her cage.

This is being transmitted to the Lightning Squads. Caro tries to get through to Lutecia, and Erio tries to get Garyuu to remember that he’s supposed to protect ‘Lu,’ not do things that put her in danger. Lutecia’s eyes are still blood red, and she just goes on about how they know nothing while Fried sorties with some bugs overhead. Her precious thing can only be returned by doing this. She creates a huge summoning circle and a giant white thing… (looks like Garyuu), drops out. She says that she doesn’t want to be sad anymore, and screams.

Caro calls on her own summoning powers and chants a spell. Garyuu tries to attack, but Erio beats him back. He tells Garyuu to watch and listen. Both he and Caro know the same pain and lonliness from their flashback ridden pasts and they made it through them because they had friends and things to protect. Caro finishes her dragon summoning spell and calls forth Voltaire.

The White thing attacks (trying to decypher Lutecia crying with a minor overtone is beyond me), and Garyuu holds it back. Caro keeps trying to get through to Lutecia, saying that she absolutely promises that they’ll do everything they can to help her. Lutecia screams that Caro’s lying and releases a huge wave of energy, opening a gem on Whitey’s chest. Garyuu also releases his tentacles again, and a bunch of spikes burst forth from his arms, covered in his blood. He’s also bleeding from what I assume are his eyes.

Erio and Caro are shocked as Lutecia tells them to kill them. Whitey starts pulling in energy into the gem thing. Erio yells at Garyuu again, and a closeup on Garyuu’s eight eyes shows them definitely leaking blood. He takes a fighting stance once more. Lutecia attacks Caro with her minidrones, but Caro just defends. Once the smoke clears, Caro’s hat has been knocked off, and she tells Lutecia how much pain she’s causing to her summons. Luetcia’s eyes have cooled off a bit, but she screams again, though this time looks like she’s about to cry. Her two beetles fly up behind her, and Fried behind Caro.

Lutecia screams again, and the two beetles charge up electricity between their horns. Caro charges Fried’s flame and he uses it to intercept the shots. Lutecia is holding the shot, but Asclepius starts to crack.

Erio charges a cartridge and launches himself at Garyuu. The two clash, destroying the ground. Garyuu grabs Strada, pulling them both into the roll, but Erio is already charging a lightning punch and slams Garyuu with it.

Topside, Whitey releases a huge blast matched by Voltaire.

Erio’s punch has knocked out Garyuu (and most of his sleeve), and he turns back to go to Caro.

Lutecia was apparently knocked out at some point, as she’s breathing heavily and laying on Caro’s lap. She starts breathing very heavily and whimpering and her beetles charge for another attack. Caro tries to tell her that they don’t need to fight again.

All this is being shown to Fate in the lab.

She’s finally had enough and summons her Riot Saber (okay, Zamber), a cutlass looking thing, or maybe just the head of a glaive. Anyway, she effortlessly destroys the cage. Jail says that he expected as much from her, but she’s still weak from the AMF. He keeps going about how he took Project F and refined it, making copies that would become the combat cyborgs. He really rants for a long while, covering every single gibberish concept in the series from surpassing Al Hazard to clones with his memories of Project F to him living on if any one of the Numbers survives. If you can dream it, Jail probably said it.

He flexes his hands again and more threads fly up from the ground, this time wrapping around Fate’s neck. He says that he likes seeing her anguished faces.

Apparently Lutecia’s bugs never shot or something as the Lightning Cadets have Lutecia on Fried and are flying… somewhere as he trasmits all this to them. Fate yells at him to shut up and shoots at him with her lightning shots. He effortlessly blocks them and continues on about how she was made to be better than a human, a fighting machine. He’s the same as her mother, trying to make humans even better. He’s looking rather insane by this point.

The transmission is apparently two way, as Caro and Erio get to yell through it and give Fate a peptalk about protecting the things that are important and make people happy. Saving people, protecting them, all of it is real. She saved both of them after all and owe their happiness to her. Fate should never give up.

As they yell this, the insert song kicks in and Fate orders Bardiche to go into Overdrive mode… Sonic Drive. Fate blasts forth as she transforms and loses her jacket. She thanks Caro and Erio and loads a cartridge. Bardiche switches to Riot Saber again (??), and Fate splits it into two swords connected by a chain. She poses and then gets ready to attack.

Uno is watching over and suddenly realizes that something’s wrong. Green binds form around her and Acous is there with his hounds to bring an end to the fun. Scach is also facing off against Sein. Sein wants to retreat, but Scach won’t let her. Scach attacks, which Sein easily dodges and then phases through a wall… but Scach then loads a cartridge and simply teleports through the wall past Sein and is there as she unphases. Scach spins and attacks.

Trei and Sette’s get ready to attack, Fate spins, and effortlessly destroys Sette’s weapons. She then flies towards Jail. He summons all sorts of threads, but she cuts them down without even pausing. Trei meets her with her laser wristband dagger things and activates her own drive to keep up with Fate’s speed. The two clash a few times, and then seperate. Fate rejoins Bardiche into one giant sword and slashes at Trei. She blocks, but then the impact destroys her blades and she’s thrown to the ground.

Fate moves on to Jail, who catches the giant blade with both hands (man, one’s unarmored, that’s gotta hurt). He says that this is wonderful, looking even more crazy, but he won’t be defeated by this, even as his hands are bleeding. Or his glove is cracking. Lines appear on the glove at any rate.

Fate backs off and charges again. He just stands there with open arms and she takes a huge baseball swing at him with the flat of the blade, knocking him through a wall. Bardiche cools off as she goes to formerly arrest him.

Shirley reports to TSAB that they’ve secured Scaglietti and Acous has main control of their HQ. Teana is still injured and facing off against Nove, who won’t give up saying that the cyborgs have only one purpose, to fight. Deed is on the ground, and gropes around to find her lightsaber. Nove notices and then attacks Nove as Deed also stands up to attack. Teana falls back in surprise, as an unknown weapon uses Snipe Shot. The shot passes just by Teana’s cheek and slams into Deed, knocking her out again. Teana charges at a shocked Nove while Vice holsters his rifle on Storm Raider. With her dagger at Nove’s throat, Teana says that the battle is over, and that the cyborgs can go beyond their fighting abilities as we see Subaru holding Ginga as she awakes with her normal eyes back. Teana and Subaru report in that their targest are captured.

Quattro was watching all this and somewhat annoyed. She turns, gives a little hair flip and takes off her glasses, and says that it’s now all up to her, “right doctor?” with her hand on her stomach.

Vivio is breathing heavily, and Nanoha is knocked out in a crater, embedded in a wall.

95 minutes until the Cradle reaches… wherever.

Insert Song and Assorted Carnage