Shadow Skill TV Anime Series Episode 19 – Synopsis Cast of Characters: Elle Ragu - 59th sevalle of Kuruda Gau Ban – her adoptive brother 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 Dias Ragu – Black Wing, valle of Kuruda Sai Oh – Kisholana Iron Swordsman Darkness Ren Fuuma Teaser Kuruda Harbor. Ren Fuuma is standing on one of the piers, waiting for something to happen. A trio of Kisholana Iron Swordsmen appear behind him, ready to use the Iron Sword Annihilation technique – raising their swords, iron bubbles form into humanoid looking creatures. Ren unleashes the Kuruda Style Annihilation Technique – Ying Style upon them, and defeats them with very little resistance. Ren leaves them with a mutter of contempt. The next morning, the citizens of Kuruda are aghast at the sight of the Kisholana bodies on the pier. In the crowd is Sai Oh (earlier seen in the Four Fighters Assembly episode), who quietly slips away… (Opening Credits) Act 1 The ruins of Kuruda after the fire. People are busy with the work of reconstruction. In the palace throne room, the King, Scarface and Crimson are discussing the recent events. The King asks, “Kisholana swordsmen were killed?” “This is not good for us,” declares Crimson, “as the murderer turned out to be…” “What is it?” asks Scarface, and Crimson answers, “The user of the Kuruda Style Annihilation Technique.” “What is this?” growls the King, and Scarface sighs, “Oh, brother…” Crimson shoots a sidelong glance at Scarface and continues, “For Kisholana, we of the Kuruda already have a very guilty conscience.” “You mean that incident,” says the King, and Scarface adds, “Elle Ragu easily defeated Kisholana Zal Zekulia.” As the King sinks onto his throne, Crimson says, “That incident has still been hidden so as not to be officially exposed to the public. There is hardly anyone who even knows about the truth of Kisholana. However, as the investigation of this murder is carried out, there is a possibility that it may well be exposed. If that happens, it would become a big issue affecting many over Ashlianna.” “Do you think Elle Ragu also committed this murder?” asks the King, and Crimson is firm in his statement. “No. I don’t think that’s what happened.” “Someone set it up in order to bring a personal fight of the past out into light,” says Scarface, and Crimson agrees. “I don’t know. But there’s a great possibility of just that.” At the Green Octopus. Kyo, sitting up in bed, is eating her soup. Feorina runs up to a pensive Elle, leaning against the back door frame. A letter has come for the young sevalle. Curious, Elle takes the letter from Feorina, and while she reads it, Gau, who has been hanging the laundry, comments, “Hmmm…it’s unusual that you would receive a letter, Elle. Who is it from? Hey, now, who is it?” Gau sees something in Elle’s face and begins to worry. “What’s the matter?” “Day after next, before daylight. Sai Oh,” reads Elle softly, and as Gau runs toward her in concern, she sighs, “I knew this would come up someday…” We hear Sai Oh’s voice continuing the contents of the letter over the image of him sitting pensive before a small campfire: “I’d like to conclude the fight against you from the past; therefore, I would appreciate it if you would come to the wastage dump on the outskirts of the town. I’ll leave the selection of the judge to you. I do believe that you will show up there, for sure. Signed, Sai Oh.” The next morning, we see that life is resuming its normal pace in the main street of Kuruda. Sai Oh is walking down the street when he seems to feel a presence behind him. At first he is inclined to dismiss it, but then something startles him and he pivots, about to draw his sword; then comes face-to-face with two small boys playing in the street. At the sight of the swordsman’s threatening posture, one of the children begins to cry, which sets off the other one, as well. Taken off-guard, Sai Oh spears two fruits from a nearby stall which he gives to the children: “Sorry about that, kids…” and as he turns to leave, throws payment carelessly over his shoulder to the stall owner. Act 2 The Green Octopus. Elle is driving herself harder than ever in training, preparing for the upcoming fight. Sitting on a block of stone not far away, Gau seems worn out just by watching her. “Hey, Elle…” “Don’t talk to me, Gau! That distracts me!” “You’ve been acting so strangely Elle!” “How strange? I’ve just been training myself, as usual!” “What are you talking about? I don’t think that’s training at all there! To me, it just looks like you’re preparing for killing someone!” Elle turns away from Gau. “He…I mean, Sai Oh, lost his very own master long before, in a fight against someone of another style, amongst the Big Four.” “Another style?” Elle shuts her eyes as she says, “The user of the Kuruda Style Annihilation Technique. That was me.” “Oh, no!” In Sai Oh’s camp, we see him cleaning his blade in front of a lit candle. We hear his thoughts: “The Four Styles must not fight each other. Breaking this rule is a serious crime. It can’t simply be compensated, even by certain death.” Aloud, Sai Oh says, “My great master…” and we flash back to the scene of that long-ago competition between Elle and Zal Zekulia. “Well done there , Elle Ragu,” says Zal, bleeding out of one eye. “It is great that you broke my Kisholana Style Iron Sword Technique. You don’t need to show sympathy to a loser. Just kill me!” “Master, no!” cries out Sai Oh, as Elle says, “What are you talking about? Our fight is not done yet, is it? Look, your fang has not yet been broken, you see?” Zal’s gaze falls on his sword, shining and whole, and Elle adds, “As long as there is a fang, we fighters must continue fighting hard. Am I right, Zal Zekulia?” Zal gets to his feet, sword in hand. “You are right. It is true the fang is still alive…” With that he summons the Iron Swordsman for the attack, and meets Elle head-on. We see the sword break, and the pointed half imbed itself in the ground. Zal collapses in death, and Sai Oh screams, “Oh, no, master!” whirling to face a victorious but unhappy Elle with hatred burning in his eyes. “So that’s why Sai Oh is trying to seek revenge with you,” whispers Gau, understanding at last. Elle replies, “Yes, but he’s still struggling, though. He’s hesitating to break the sacred rule of the Four Fighters. Otherwise, there’s simply no reason for him to have sent me that letter of challenge two days ago.” “Elle! You’re not accepting his challenge, are you?” “At the moment that I defeated his master, I’d already committed a sin that I shouldn’t have, as a sevalle. So once or twice won’t make any difference.” Sai Oh swings the sword at the candle. It cuts cleanly, balancing the still flaming upper half on the blade. He thinks, “To avenge my own master is a duty and also the fate of a warrior. Even though I must now break that absolute rule…even though.” He tosses the stub of candle into the air, and it splits into neatly diced pieces. “Someone is trying to interrupt me here.” As the sun sets over the Green Octopus, Elle tells Gau, “Although we were born in different countries, mastering different styles, he and I were the ones born to fight. It’s the same as when I fought against his master, Zai Zakulia. As long as I risk challenge – I can’t afford running away from it. Because…before I am the user of the Kuruda Style Annihilation Technique I am one individual fighter.” Elle clenches her fist as Gau watches in wonder. “First of all, it’s impossible to bind those who live on fighting by rules that countries decided for their own convenience! If I don’t settle this fight now, I would be like you…after I keep struggling, I’ll get rotten. The Rule of the Four Fighters is a double-edged sword that will rust the fangs of the Four Styles.” Elle turns to Gau: “In this duel, I’m going to fight with all the power I have – not to protect something, nor am I going to fight for my pride, either. What will be waiting in the end will only be the result itself.” “The result itself?” “Being proud is quite important but the result is really as heavy as that. That’s what a fight is.” “You’re going to be fine as long as you get a result? Don’t you feel vain about that, Elle?” The green eyes narrow dangerously, but Elle only turns away, “You shut up. Don’t tell me that.” The stars are hanging over Kuruda but Gau is still awake, brooding on the training ground. A shadow crosses the moonlight, and Gau looks up to see Darkness on the pillar above him, silhoutted by the full moon. “It seems that you still can’t find an answer concerning what you should do about all of this…Gau Ban.” “Oh, it’s Mr. Darkness!” “The Rule of the Four Fighters is heavier than anything else. However, it is strictly decided amongst human beings. Being non-human, I’m not in a position to say anything about it, do you understand?” “What do you think?” asks Gau, “what should I do about it?” For an answer, Darkness drops Kain’s talismans of evil into Gau’s shocked hands. “These are…talismans of evil.” “Take these with you, and go be the judge of that duel. You’ll find something, I’m sure.” With a slow turn, Darkness leaves Gau alone on the training field, looking up at the full moon. Act 3 The Green Octopus Inn. Elle’s room. She is putting on her armor when Gau appears at the door, watching her. Sai Oh has dismantled his camp and sheathed his sword, ready for the duel. He flashes back – we see the tombstone of Zal Zekulia, with the broken sword in front of it. We hear a sharp cry, and see Sai Oh, on his knees before the grave, jerking back in pain. As the camera pans upward, we also see blood splattered over the front of his clothes and the bloody other half of the sword he has used to blind one of his eyes. “Oh, master! Now I am single-eyed, just like you…and as a substitute for yourself, I will now avenge your death, once and for all, I promise!” The half-sword is plunged into the ground beside its mate, and we see Sai Oh in the present day, walking to the meeting point. “Whatever happens, I guess I have no other choice than to fight,” he thinks. “My sword is here to avenge your unjust mortification, master. This is the fang that you have given me so long ago.” At the meeting ground, Sai Oh contemplates the broken sevalle statue of Kain Phalanx. Elle’s footsteps sound behind him, Gau close behind. “You stay back,” she directs her younger brother, and he obeys promptly. “I believed that you would show up for sure. I appreciate it.” says Sai Oh, in his quiet way. Elle looks calmly at him. “So you want to fight, no matter what will happen.” “About a week ago, veteran swordsmen were killed in our country, Kisholana, as you well know. I heard a rumor that the murderer used the Kuruda Style Annihilation Technique.” This shocks both Elle and Gau, and the young sevalle snaps, “What’s that?” “I really don’t know whether the murderer was you or not. I’m not interested in such things. But there is a possibility that it may happen to me next. It looks like someone purposely broke the rules of the Four Fighters in order to cause a new war in our Ashlianna. If that happens, it would be difficult to settle our fight.” Sai Oh draws his blade. “That’s how I made up my mind to come up here. We’ll miss the chance forever if we don’t fight now. My life or yours, to decide which one is stronger, therefore, I’d like you to fight me.” “I understand your situation…then I will put everything I have into this fist. Fight you.” Elle moves into fighting position when Gau’s voice rings out. “Wait!” “What now!” “If the two of you must fight, no matter what, then I will be the judge, don’t forget. But I want you to remember one important thing.” “What’s that?” asks Sai Oh, and Gau replies, “I’m going to be the judge, but only because the fight does require one. But I still believe that the Rule of the Four Fighters is not supposed to be broken, no matter what. So…so then the fight I am going to judge from now on is not going to be between a sevalle and the Iron Swordsman, but strictly a fight between Elle Ragu and Sai Oh. And I want you both to never forget that, understood?” Elle gives a short chuckle and answers, “You sound like you know everything. I’ll keep it in mind.” “All right, Shadow Skill – Kisholana Style Iron Swordsman Technique,” says Sai Oh, raising his sword. “Sai Oh – I am wearing one single letter of ‘kill’ on my body – now, I’m coming at you!” The two fighters begin their charge. In the first pass, Sai Oh’s blade slices off a few strands of Elle’s hair, and she thinks, “So fast…” The two leap into the sun, and the light flashing off Sai Oh’s sword blinds Gau. We hear Elle’s battle cry, the sound of blows exchanged, and as the fighters touch earth again, Gau exclaims softly, “Elle…” Her arm has been wounded, and blood is dripping from it slowly. The young sevalle thinks, “He’s handling a sword…incredibly fast. Sai Oh…” She flashes back to the moment of the other duel. We see Sai Oh cradling the broken form of his dead master, glaring at Elle with two whole eyes. “So what happened to your left eye?” she asks, staring at his face. His bangs have parted to reveal the slashed eye socket. “It is none of your business,” he retorts, with a shake of his head. He readies himself for another pass. “Come on!” Elle contests that: “You don’t think it’s my business, but I think it is so! You did it by yourself, didn’t you! Are you trying to be your master yourself?” “No way!” exclaims Gau. “All right,” says Elle, rubbing her bloodied wrist over her eye, in a gesture that startles Sai Oh – “What’s that?” “Now it’s fair…” she chuckles, her right eye sealed with blood. Gau exclaims, “No, Elle!” even as the young sevalle warns the swordsman: “Don’t be shy…I’ll get you!” Both fighters pause for a long moment, and Gau’s eyes widen to see the blood dripping faster from Elle’s injured arm. Then the moment is gone, and with her battle cry ringing, Elle leaps into the air. Sai Oh chants, “Imagine, a single letter of ‘kill’ in your mind…then it will become the letter of the fang!” He raises his sword in the air and Elle’s call-out of her own technique is cut in mid-sentence as she slams into the Iron Swordsman Great Fang. She tumbles to the ground, clutching her injured arm. Gau calls out her name in helpless anguish – and in a glade, Darkness appears, eyes open, apparently on his way to see the outcome of the duel. Elle staggers to her feet, clutching her arm, one eye sealed with blood, and a scratch sending more blood down her face. “This is not good,” she is thinking, “Not only my bones…it’s reached my internal organs…” She looks up at the Iron Swordman’s intimidating appearance as Sai Oh declares, “I’ll finish you off with the next one.” Elle begins to move forward. “I’ll take that…with all of me. So come attack me with the greatest technique you have, Sai Oh!” Sai Oh raises his sword for the killing blow: “All right! Kisholana Style Iron Sword Deadly Technique – Blade Reincarnation!” The Iron Swordsman becomes a mass of whirling, spinning blades. As Elle passes Gau he protests, but she tells him to stay back: “Don’t come close, Gau. I don’t have the quickness or Iron Swordsman like he has – all I have is the only one – the mental strength that I can never afford to lose – I am not allowed to break the sacred undefeated legend of two thousand years handed down in Kuruda!” The young sevalle, wounded and battered, is a lonely figure as she stands perfectly still to meet the approach of Sai Oh’s menacing Iron Swordsman. Sai Oh chooses his moment, makes the strike – and is thrown into shock, as is Gau, to discover that the blow has been stopped. The blade of the Iron Swordsman has landed directly over the crossed arm guards of the young sevalle – which crumble into pieces from the force of the blow. “Watch this, Gau!” cries Elle, as she leaps from point to point, climbing up the Iron Swordsman. “No!” gasps Sai Oh. And from a mountain top outside the city limits, at Sai Oh’s former base camp, Ren Fuuma steps on the remains of the fighter’s little campfire, experimentally weighing a javelin in his hand. Having taken its balance, he launches it: “Here you go!” Elle’s blows are keeping Sai Oh on his mettle, as she matches him strike for strike with her kicks. Elle leaps back for a Rapier Kick when she is startled by the flight of the javelin passing her downwards. Sai Oh never gets to call out his technique – the weapon catches him full in the chest and emerges halfway through him. Act 4 Elle cries out in genuine concern, voice trembling, “Sai Oh!” The Iron Swordsman dissolves – the Kisholana fighter has just enough strength to pull out the javelin, and blood drips to the ground from his mortal wound. We hear Elle cry out again, this time with real anguish in her voice: “Sai Oh!” “Never mind it,” he says. “Well, perhaps the same guy that attacked Kisholana did this too! However, our fight has not yet been decided, you hear me?” Mortally wounded, he gets to his feet. “Let’s settle it – let’s settle this fight, Elle Ragu!” Elle rises to meet her opponent, who has his sword upraised. Behind him is the broken statue of Kain Phalanx. He challenges her: “Now, come on and attack me here – my fang. No, this fang is a substitute for my master and it hasn’t been broken yet! Elle Ragu – let’s settle our fight now! Come and attack me!” “Don’t! Elle!” says Gau, “Sai Oh is already…” A firm gesture from the young sevalle silences him instantly. Eyes closed, Elle murmurs, “I am – invincible. There is no one who can defeat my Shadow Skill. My one single blow is – invincible!” Then one defiant green eye opens to see Sai Oh begin his final pass. “Kuruda Style Annihilation Technique Open Skill Katana!” It is an open-handed blow with the hand, straight over the blade. Time freezes for a moment. Then the blade breaks – it has scratched Elle’s face. Sai Oh collapses into Elle’s arms, murmuring his last words, “Well done.” As he slumps to the ground, Elle’s cry of grief pierces the morning sky: “Sai Oh!” Gau thinks, “Katana – not a Shadow Skill, but an Open Skill. Most importantly, in order to hit him faster, she gave up Shadow Skill, which is her pride, and used the Open Skill.” We see Elle on her knees before Sai Oh’s dead body. “This is Elle’s strong obsession to win.” Elle slams a fist into the ground. “Darn it! I’m not glad at all, although I did win the fight today! I’m such an idiot – I did it – I killed them both – I killed Sai Oh and Zal Zakulia.” Sobs rack her body and a keening cry of mourning rises once again into the sunshine. Gau watches in sympathy as Elle hoists Sai Oh’s body and picks up the broken sword in her hand: “I guess he won’t be able to rest in peace at the place of the fight.” “Crying from the bottom of her heart for her own greatest enemy,” thinks Gau, “I don’t think there’s anything to be ashamed in doing that at all, Elle.” “Gau Ban.” Gau turns to find Darkness behind him, cloak swirling. “Did you find out the meaning of the talismans, Gau Ban?” Gau reaches behind him to hold the talismans in his hand. Darkness speaks again. “Scarface asked me to give them to you – afterward. G was truly an irreplaceable friend of Scarface’s, you know. And it was Scarface who was worried about G, who had stepped into the world of madness that his fighting more than anybody did. You brought back G’s mind to this side of the world. Scarface asked me to tell you this message, which is simply: ‘Thank you’.” Gau looks at the talismans, then back again at Darkness, puzzled: “’Thank you’?? But I had defeated him after all, though!” “No. You don’t have to regret that at all, Gau Ban. Just like Elle Ragu had no choice other than to fight with Sai Oh, the fight between you and G was again, inevitable as well.” A gentle breeze swirls Darkness’ golden hair. “Inevitable?” “Exactly. The one with the fang must fight – and therefore, hurt each other, after all. And it is the inevitable consequences that would occur in the battlefield. The result of you and G’s fight had to be that way as well. Those talismans are the ones that prove the inevitability of you and G’s fight. In another part of Kuruda, Scarface is leaning against a ruined wall, head seemingly sunk in thought. Dias comes walking past him, and is stopped by Scarface’s silky voice: “Taking a walk? I wonder if there’s anything to look for.” “I didn’t come for sightseeing or to take a walk,” replies Dias, without turning to look at Scarface. (Note: Apparently he still appears to be miffed at the 57th sevalle for what he put Gau through in the previous episode.) “I should do some exercise, but…just what are *you* doing in this kind of place, friend?” This last with deep suspicion as he looks over his shoulder. Scarface makes a small sound of humorless laughter, and Dias turns. “What is it?” “Well, I’m planting the seeds in many different ways right now. I’m looking forward to its coming into bud so badly.” Scarface pushes away from the wall and starts to walk down the way Dias has just come. “So I can’t just sit down and wait!” “What are you talking about? Just what are you planning this time!” Dias voice is sharp, and Scarface’s is smooth as he says, “You don’t have to worry about this kind of stuff. That’s why you can’t get well. You should just stay worrying about yourself. See you.” He casts a careless wave over his shoulder as the camera closes in on Dias’ worried face. (Closing Credits)