Shadow Skill TV Anime Series Episode 17 – Synopsis Cast of Characters: Elle Ragu - 59th sevalle of Kuruda Gau Ban – valle Black Howling, her adoptive brother Faury Brazmetizer – Sui Reme Kyo Ruu – Septia Feorina – Owner of the Green Octopus Inn King Iba Stola – Hawkeye, 55th sevalle of Kuruda Kai Sink – Crimson, 56th sevalle of Kuruda aka Raze Reme Silver Sword Scarface Vy Low – 57th sevalle of Kuruda Kain Phalanx – G, 58th sevalle of Kuruda Dias Ragu – Black Wing, valle of Kuruda Ren Fuuma Teaser: Flashback to previous episode. We see Kyo’s body hit the ground, mortally wounded after one punch by Kain…Elle thrown aside, her arm shattered…Gau coming upon the scene. In the present, Crimson is urging the King to proceed to the Hall of Hades. “I apologize if it seems like I’m running away,” says the King, and Scarface replies, “It’s a rule during an emergency, you don’t have to worry about it…we’ll go now.” To the others: “Let’s move!” And the scene freeze-frames on a gorgeous screen-cap opportunity -– the King standing on the steps of the throne, Scarface full to the camera, Dias half-turned to follow Scarface and Crimson ready to go as well...…and then the camera closes in on Scarface’s grim expression … We see a freeze shot of Faury and Feorina rushing through Kuruda’s streets, and return to the scene in the previous episode where Gau has picked up Kyo in his arms and is swearing to kill Kain…throwing back his head to cry out like the wolf he is named after… (Opening Credits) Act 1 Soldiers are gathered in a knot by one of Kuruda’s bridges, discussing the recent events. We learn that they believe the perpetrators are still in the city, and that it must be someone from Suluothan. Kain appears from the shadows to declare that he is not: “the agent of an insignificant nation like Suluothan…” When challenged by the guards, he asks them if they *really* want to know, and declares: “I am the man who will bring disgrace to the country you love in your hearts, Kuruda, and its 2000-year-old history. And I am also the sevalle, who gives you, the valles, great courage and pride.” Kain exposes his sevalle tattoo, and the soldiers are thrown into a panic. “But that means that you’re the 58th sevalle, G!” “Now let’s see if you can defeat this symbol with your own strength!” Seconds later, the cries of dying men can be heard in the night… Faury and Feorina have reached the mortally wounded Kyo, and Faury has applied healing talismans to the little septia’s broken body. Worriedly Faury declares: “These few healing talismans are not doing enough. I can’t guarantee that this will save her life…” Feorina exclaims in dismay and Faury says, “We have to go back to the Octopus restaurant.” “I’m counting on you, Faury,” says Elle quietly, “Your talisman will do more for her than a doctor could…” Gau’s blue eyes are cold with anger as he watches Faury piggy-back Kyo. Their attention is caught by pieces of paper fluttering to the ground…the ones Kyo had retrieved from the three shadow figures. “This is a…” begins Elle, and Faury finishes, “A secret code.” “A secret code!” echoes Feorina, and Faury wonders where Kyo could have gotten hold of those papers. Looking at the maps, Elle sees that all the routes used by the Kuruda army have been clearly marked…as well as signs for pillars and the back alleys used to get to the pillars. Feorina realizes that those spots are the most likely places to find the missing sacks of explosive powder. “They’re going to blow the town up!” cries Elle, and Faury adds, “If the pillars are crushed, then Kuruda will sink into water…but it’s very, very strange…five bags of sand isn’t enough power…” “There’s no point thinking about it here,” says Elle briskly, “Hurry, take Kyo away!” “I’ll do it,” says Faury, then turns to Feorina, “But *you* must explain about the guards, and collect the rest of the sand.” “I’m going to do it?” squeaks the little innkeeper, and Elle says urgently, “You must *hurry*!!” Feorina takes a hesistant step backwards, but Elle’s green eyes are glowing with confidence and command as she addresses Feorina: “I’m counting on you…” Feorina starts to set off on her task, then suddenly turns to Elle, points to a sack of recovered exploding powder and asks: “What shall we do with it?” “Let’s throw it in the lake – it won’t be catching fire in the water…I’ll handle it, just go!” Feorina starts running, and then Elle turns to Gau: “We’ll be going our separate ways now…you must find that guy, no matter what. He is..the identity of our enemy is the glorious Kuruda sevalle…” Faury’s face shows a shocked expression as Elle holds up her near useless hand. “He wants to trample down the symbol of strength and the admiration that all the people of Kuruda believe.” Gau stares at the damaged hand: “But Elle, that hand is…” “He crushed and broke, my martial language skill…now everyone, we’re going!” Act 2 A sack of explosive powder is thrown over a Kuruda bridge, and Gau is running through the city streets in search of Kain. Faury is also on a run towards the Green Octopus, carrying Kyo on her back. Elle is on the run as well. The scene flashes from a barricade in the streets to the King watching as the Hall of Hades opens for him. He stares down into the dark hallway…as Gau continues on his search of the city. Feorina fetches up suddenly against a patrol of Kuruda soldiers, who admonish her that she shouldn’t be out so late at night. Feorina asks for help, crying out that the town is set to go up in flames. At first disinclined to believe her, Feorina’s voice takes on an unexpected authority and she manages to get the squad to follow her in a flash of visual humor in this episode. The camera then gives us a look at Faury making her way down the empty streets before returning to Feorina and the soldiers. They have found a pile of sacks with sand, but the sand is not what Feorina is looking for. It’s just ordinary sand. The soldiers now believe that Feorina’s call for help was just a false alarm, but the little innkeeper doesn’t understand why the explosive sand is not where it is supposed to be marked on the map: “Something’s gone wrong…” Beneath the city, in the sewer system, an iron grille has been forced open. Inside one of the tunnels is a little skiff with the five missing sacks of explosive sand. Watching over it is the figure of Ren Fuuma: “Hm, it’s not time yet. How much longer do I have to wait?” Elle stops her dash through the city, knowing that she won’t make any progress just running around. Spotting the watchtower, she decides to climb up to its top, and thinks to herself: “Aw, what am I, some kind of monkey?” On the ground below, Gau encounters two soldiers on the ground. Their arms bear the slash marks forming a rough “K”, which is Kain’s trademark on his victims…one of the men that Gau assumed dead, stirs and mutters: “He was like a giant beast…it was madness, madness…” We hear Kain’s voice as the soldier quotes: “Yes, my battle is madness…my symbol is forever…” The soldier dies in Gau’s arms, and the young man closes the corpse’s eyes. As he stands, he remembers Dias’ words: “All who fight must draw a line to be honored till the end. Whether you cross that or not…that is the distinction between the proud valle and the beast driven by madness…” “He is a beast…” thinks Gau. At the top of the watchtower at last, Elle is exclaiming, “Darn it! Where did he go!” At which Kain’s mocking voice comes out of the darkness below her: “Should I suppose that the 59th sevalle is a monkey?” Fierce green eyes meet crazed blue ones, as Elle exclaims, “It’s you!” “Kuruda has hit rock-bottom in the past three years,” snorts Kain, turning his back on Elle, and talking to her over his shoulder. “You became confused easily, and you can’t even see the capture of an intruder like myself…Kuruda mercenary! The legend of your invincibility has declined in 2000 years!” “What did you say?” demands Elle angrily, but before Kain can answer her, a lazy voice calls out from one of the rooftops. (NOTE: This is arguably one of the best sequences in the entire TV series. Not just for the bishie factor but also for the intercutting between the characters, IMVHO.) “Stop kidding around…stop boasting about yourself already,” declares Scarface, silhoutted in the moonlight. “It has been three years…I guess we’re supposed to be impressed and greet each other emotionally, but…I’m honestly not happy about this, Kain.” “This is really quite sad,” says another voice, and Kain discovers Crimson high on another rooftop. “When you meet an old friend…under circumstances like these.” A black wing gleams in the moonlight as Dias’ voice can be heard from another rooftop: “You decide to come home after a long time, and this happens…how very sad.” “It’s brother!” exclaims Elle, and Dias continues: “As long as I am in this land, I am the valle…it is my mission to fight you.” “Black Wing is back,” says Kain reflectively, looking around. “Scarface. Crimson. And of course, Shadow Skill is here…” “Don’t make any hasty conclusions,” snaps Crimson. “Here is another one!” Kain whirls to sight up towards yet another rooftop to discover: “It’s Darkness…I see, so that’s how it goes. You’re trying everything to stop me, even enlisting the help of someone outside humanity.” Kain chuckles, then laughs. “That’s fine! Then try and stop me, my life along with my ambition…let’s see if you can put me inside The Cage!” Elle realizes that the Kuruda Style Annihilation Technique of The Cage is about to be used: surround the enemy from five different directions with five different fighting styles and attack at the same time – the enemy then becomes like a caged animal. The anticipation of a good fight surges through Elle as she says: “It’s a fitting treatment for a beast! I got you!” Beneath the city, Ren realizes that his time has come: “It’s coming, it’s coming, coming…I was waiting for this wind!” He smashes his lantern down on the bags of explosive sand, and directs the blast and flames out through the tunnel and into Kuruda, using the sewer tunnels… Act 3 The blasts catch the sevalles off guard. The city turns into a blazing inferno in a matter of seconds. One blast erupts practically under Scarface’s feet; as a wave of flame whips past Crimson, he orders everyone to spread out. Kain laughs as he realizes: “So this is the plan they were talking about…it really is good timing…it saves me time and effort.” Under cover of the blasts, he makes good his escape. Feorina and the patrol now realize that the bags indicated on the map were just a decoy. One soldier asks Feorina if she is the owner of the Octopus restaurant, and when she affirms it, he tells her they need her to take in as many people as she can. On another side of the city, Gau finally runs into Scarface. He chides Gau: “Why are you running around here, hoping that you might find G?” “Please, tell me what’s going on? I’m confused…” “Don’t just run around wasting energy,” says Scarface, “Use your head a little…just think about it…who was his target three years ago?” “No, it can’t be…!” “That’s right. It’s him.” “King Iba Stola!?” “This is a battle he has set out to win by himself. In this kind of a battle, it is simply best to kill the enemy’s leader.” “Settle the matter all by himself, just by killing the King of Kuruda…” “Hawkeye is King Iba Stola, under the Hall of Hades deep inside the Colosseum. Don’t just use your muscles, use your head a little, or do you have the brain of a monkey?” The taunt makes Gau clench his fist against a surge of anger, and then he sets off at a run to the Hall of Hades, leaving Scarface alone amidst the sparks and the burning city. The camera shows us that the 57th sevalle is lost in thought…then cuts to Faury running through the fiery streets, within sight of the Kuruda docks. Suddenly her way is blocked by crashing timbers brought down by the flames. She just manages to stop herself as the burning wood comes down… In a ruined portion of the town, Dias comes across Scarface: “Let’s hurry up. G must be on his way to the hall of Hades.” Scarface stands silent as Dias continues, “We must protect His Majesty.” Dias is turning to go when he realizes that Scarface is not about to follow. “It’s not our job to do this anymore,” says Scarface, as Dias turns to face him head-on. “What did you say?” exclaims a badly shocked Dias. “A young, extremely eager one just went racing over there with a furious look…so let’s leave it to him!” “Scarface, you planned it again!” “Hey, hey, I wouldn’t talk that way around me.” Dias’ worry is all over his voice as he says: “Scarface, you made Gau Ban go there.” “Yeah. So what?” “You’re planning to let him fight against G! That stupid boy…he is still emotionally unstable!” Dias turns and starts to walk away, and Scarface says, “Wait, where are you going?” “It should be obvious…I’m going to bring Gau back.” The raging fire reflects off Dias’s glasses as Scarface declares, “Don’t do it. It’s an important part of his training.” “You must be mad! I can’t let him do anything this risky!” Scarface’s voice becomes dangerous as he warns Dias, “If you’re going to do this, no matter what, then you must know that I won’t let you…my friend.” “So then, what will you do?” Scarface puts up his arm across his chest, ready to throw a punch if need be. “We’ll decide it with fists, like we have in the past…” A long tense silence descends as Dias, with the fire reflecting off his glasses and the anger in his blue eyes, meets the cold dark gaze of Scarface staring back at him. On the ridge overlooking the city, Ren Fuuma is more than pleased with his handiwork: “What a view, what a view! Goodbye, good children of Kuruda, burn in fire just like a roasted pig!” In the burning city, Kain is making his way to the Hall of Hades, thinking: “Just wait, there will be madness along your way, filled with the bloodshed of your countrymen for this!” The scene dissolves from G’s face to that of the King, waiting in the Hall of Hades: “You are coming here to me, G, to settle everything for good…” Dias tells Scarface: “I have no intention of fighting with you, nor is this the time to be doing this.” “Stop pushing yourself in that broken body.” “Thank you for your consideration, but it doesn’t work that way.” After a heavy pause, Dias asks, “Scarface, who are you, trying to lead that boy into the madness of battle so soon?” Scarface replies, “That’s not my intention. To be honest…” The camera cuts to Gau running towards the Hall of Hades at top speed as Scarface speaks. “I’m just helping develop him so he can think for himself. He should always be thinking about the meaning of any battle.” With great affection for the boy evident in his voice, Dias’ voice-over says, “He is a sensitive child. With a single misstep, he might end up turning into G…what would you do if he became like G and wasn’t able to fight off the madness?” Scarface’s voice his cold, but his eyes are shadowed as he says, “If he can’t hold his ground, then that’s his limit…not a character fitting for a sevalle. In the end, you have to determine that by yourself, and this is the best way to do so. We must wait and see…” “I can’t accept your reasons!” protests Dias, “G and Gau are much too similar right now; we know they are both seeking strength. This isn’t a match that you can possibly allow to happen, even if it’s for training…don’t you see? It’s too dangerous!” The two friends face each other across the few yards separating them, divided by more than just distance. Suddenly, Elle is running up to reassure her brother not to worry about Gau, sure that he will certainly defeat G: “There’s no need to worry…” Scarface hangs his head and makes a little noise that just might be embarrassed guilt at the true uncertainty of the situation in the face of Elle’s utter confidence in her younger brother. “All of you, haven’t you forgotten about something important?” asks Crimson, walking in on the tableau. “Right now, the most important thing is to put out this fire!” Darkness materializes just behind Crimson. “But we can’t leave G alone at a time like this!” protests Dias. “Elle! Will you go up to the Hall of Hades for me?” “Oh, yes, but I…” Elle hesitates, thinking of Kyo and Faury making their way through the fire. Dias turns to Scarface, “Is that all right with you?” “Do what you like,” is the short reply, and Dias tells his sister, “I’m counting on you, Elle…” “Yes. Brother, don’t overexert yourself…I’m going!” cries Elle as she sets off at a run for the Hall of Hades. Scarface watches her go with an odd expression in his eyes. Crimson breaks into his thoughts: “Hey, Scarface!” “Hm?” “If you don’t start moderating your behavior, then even I won’t be able to help you!” Scarface makes a dismissive little sound and gesture, and Darkness announces, “I will also go to the Hall of Hades, it looks like I’ll have more fun there.” And promptly disappears. “Really!” says Scarface, “these non-humans are so easy-going!” “Yeah,” agrees Crimson. “You can say that again!” Act 4 Kain is making his way down the Hall of Hades over the bodies of the guards he has killed. As he walks down the steps, we see characters appear on his forearm and hand. “Time,” he thinks, “there is no more time!” He continues to make short work of the guards in the hallway, until he reaches the great doors of the Hall of Hades itself. King Iba Stola listens to the crashing sounds of the huge vault doors being destroyed by a madman, waiting calmly for his enemy’s approach. Then at last Kain is there, looking up at the King on his throne as he once did three years ago. “So you have arrived, G, or Kain Phalanx…” says the King. Feorina directs the evacuation of the city as Elle makes her way through fiery streets to the Hall of Hades. Scarface, Crimson and Dias walk side-by-side as they must have done a long time ago, towards the burning center of the city. Meanwhile, Faury finds herself sealed under a bridge by burning debris falling on either side. In the throne room, the King stands before his throne: “Just fight against me…you have betrayed your country and started a war. You are nothing but a demon.” “A demon!” retorts Kain, “That’s not true, Hawkeye. I am a beast, a beast that feasts on the flesh of corpses. I sought strength with my whole heart and have taken the lives of numerous people. And every time I did, something inside of me broke away…that something was my heart.” “You lost your human heart and became a vicious beast!” “Well, I suppose you can call me anything you want…I’ll be satisfied as long as I can fight against you. It took me more than three years to reach this point…my powers are already at their limit!” “That’s fine, then. I, Hawkeye will kill the crazed beast and end this war for good!” “Wait, Your Majesty!” calls a clear voice from the shattered doors to the Hall of Hades. Both men look to see a young, slim figure in the light thrown by the torches. The King demands, “Who are you?” “My name is…Gau Ban!” (Closing Credits)