[In the absence of a subtitled episode, this version is 90% from the visuals, 9% from outside reviews and 1% from my smidgen of language lessons (thx JPod 101 =)
. Best we can do....][--Updated 8/29 with more detail, warm thanks to Divine's Random Curiosity blog.]
Yoite regains consciousness --more or less, his focus sliding in and out. He's lying tightly bound but not gagged on a
mattress in a basement room, one ceiling lamp, a wall fan letting in broken beams of light. Koko wa doku?-
(literally "where is here?" so, "where am I?/where is this place?" )--he wonders. We see a tray containing two hypodermic needles, two red ampules, some squares of bloody gauze.
[They're taking no chances with the Kira user, I guess, even in his fading state.]
Ichiki and Hattori talk; they mention Kotarou Fuuma and Hattori looks very displeased; they must either know or suspect that's where what's left of Team Banten will go for help.
Kouichi and Raimei arrive at Fuuma Village, where they have, indeed, gone to confer with Kotarou.
They have a very grave conversation with him, Saraba and Katou. They trade info: Kotarou tells K&R where the DKA is, while
Raimei tells Fuuma-dono of Miharu's plan to use the shinrabanshou to save Yoite. (But none of them know where Thobari is.). He says he wishes they could help Banten Village, but interference from the Fuuma now would bring on all-out war. Not wishing to bring the Fuuma trouble, the kids leave in haste. When they're gone, Katou says "Leader.." and looks at him in dismay; Kotarou closes his eyes.
We see Yae shackled to a chair (!). Hattori walks in; she recognizes him, and is startled to realize that the famous TV
commentator is the head of the Kairoushuu. She angrily refuses to cooperate with the murderers of her clan, but
Hattori reminds her of the desperate things she did to save her daughter, and expresses his belief that the
shinrabanshou is the only thing that can save humankind.==
Yukimi and his sister talk--he's angry, she's upset; I have a feeling she says it was she who told the leader where M&Y
were headed, since she was the only one who actually knew.
Miharu wakes up: he's in a bedroom with an actual, comfortable-looking bed, under no restraints of any kind. He checks
the room out. There's a small well-stocked refrigerator (lots of fresh fruit, drinks and boxed meals); the door is locked and has
no knob or keyhole on the inside. As the star prisoner he's obviously getting the best treatment, but he's still a prisoner.
He drops back onto the bed and worries about Yoite.
Katou and Saraba disagree with Kotarou's plan, and Kotarou, picking petals off a daisy, implies that while the Fuuma
won't directly move against the Kairoushuu, he'll look the other way if his people want to take action on their own.
Gau has hatched a plan to rescue Yoite. He walks into the warehouse where he's being held, introduces himself to the
guard as a Wakachi, plays cute and clueless, and delivers a bag lunch that includes a drugged can of beer.
As the guard eats, Gau peers through the door's slit window and sees Yoite lying trussed-up on the mattress.
Raimei and Kouichi on the train; she remembers her promises to help and protect Miharu...
The door guard's beer can clatters to the floor as he slumps against the wall. Gau takes his keys, enters the cell,
cuts Yoite's bonds with his kunai knife and wakes him, only to find himself held at fingerpoint. He hastily explains;
they're headed for the door when more Kairoushuu arrive, and Gau is caught red-handed and stammering. Yoite pushes the
kid behind him and tries to focus a Kira attack, but can't even stay on his feet, and falls to his knees, head in his
hands. Yoite-kun! --cries Gau. The guards snicker; they easily take Gau out and are leaving, apparently to lock them
in together and deal with him later, when the cavalry arrives. Raikou has no trouble dropping the two guards.
Raikou-san, why?--asks Gau, realizing this puts them both in jeopardy. He apparently has his reasons.
Gau and Yoite make their way through an alley; though Yoite is leaning on Gau, he pulls free and heads slowly but
determinedly off on his own. Gau tries to stop him, but Yoite--obviously much concerned--says he knows where Miharu is.
His anxiety touches Gau, who seemingly says he'll see what Raikou-san can do to help, and runs off.
Yoite says "thank you" and walks away.
Hattori and Yae conversing again; she's furious, and uses the izunashingan on him. However, he's willing to tell her.
She learns that he was a war photographer in WWII, and his desire to save humanity was born at that time, as he
witnessed the many horrors and cruelties of human conflict. This is also where and how he met Ichiki--she was a
military nurse who was blinded in an attack [so we finally know why she never opens her eyes].
Yukimi visits Ichiki; while she calmly arranges flowers in a vase, he bows humbly to the floor and asks for her
help. I can't get much of what she says, but she tells Yukimi something about his sister that surprises him,
relating to Yoite. ==
Saraba and Katou are out ninja-ing around in trench coats and binoculars, keeping a lookout for Yoite.
He emerges from under a manhole cover, gets into the Kairoushuu stronghold, drops into a corridor from the ventilation
shaft [You know, for a group of supposedly badass ninjas, the Kairoushuu don't do jack about maintaining building
security...] and goes in search of Miharu's room. A guy at a desk is keeping watch on Miharu thru closed-circuit TV;
Miharu gets a drink from the fridge and hides it in his sweater, then yells for the guard to come in, and when he does,
throws the soda in his eyes and bolts for the door. They're struggling when a shimmer blast comes from the hall and
takes the guard out; guess who.
The kids have a quick hug and head for the exit, only to be blocked by five ninja in corporate drag (guys with grey suits,
power ties and kunai daggers; kinda surreal =). Yoite levels his forefinger, and they draw back uncertainly -- suddenly
a red streak sails into the room and Raikou takes all five guys to the floor in a flash.
Raikou-san, doshite ore-tachi wa? (--basically just "why us?", so, I guess, "why would you help us?"/"why us and not them?") asks Miharu, and Raikou smiles. (I think he says it's
because of the debt he owes Yoite.) Gau arrives, and they head for the side door, Miharu and Gau supporting Yoite;
Miharu asks where Yae is. They apparently decide that Gau will get the DKA to safety while Raikou holds off the
pursuit. Gau gets them as far as the storm drain; Gau-san, arigato, calls Miharu after him as he
pelts back to the building.
(Much gratitude to the Subculture and Random Curiosity anime blogs for their synopses, which were invaluable in helping me figure out the raw of this episode.)
...at this point I think we have to take a deep breath and do the math; it was three episodes ago that Yoite was given only a month to live. I'm not sure exactly
how fast time passes in this series, but it seems to move pretty briskly--in episode 12 it was autumn, and by 18 it was Christmas--so...we have to face the very strong possibility
that Yoi-chan will be killed by his jutsu before Miharu can grant his wish. And, to be really bitterly honest, it would probably trash the dramatic tension of the whole series if he survived, given that we've known the clock was ticking
down his life from just about the moment we met him...but that doesn't make it much easier to think about.
...go on to next episode [we'll get it somehow! we swear!]
...go back to Episode Guide mainpage.
"Upon being questioned why he destroyed
Togakushi when they’ve already withdrawn from the Nabari world, Hattori simply casts it off as her inexperience as a
leader, whose possession of a kinjutsu is contradictory to such an idle stance. Reminding her of how she let her own
daughter fall into the hands of a wicked individual, he adds that there’s no way she can make up for her mistake,
except helping them use the Shinrabanshou to save humanity from all suffering."
(--OK, I was pretty much right:
"Back at the hospital, Yukimi is pissed to find out that Kazuho sold out Yoite even though she’s his physician,
so she tells him that Ichiki said they can’t do anything that the leader doesn’t want. Not wanting to explain further,
Kazuho simply says Yoite cut himself off from them, making Yukimi realize that they have a reason to let Miharu live,
but not Yoite; however, he finds out that Yoite is still alive, since Miharu threatened to kill himself."
"He decided then that he would use the Shinrabanshou handed down in the Nabari world to get rid of all sources of
strife and conflict piled up in mankind’s history. Stating that this is all for the sake of a future without conflict,
Hattori thinks Yae understands, but she retorts that he’s not only trying to erase parts of history, but also individual
memories and bonds — a world without family or friends — if he can truly consider that living.
However, Hattori says this is all merely a process to create a new world order and tells her to call out the Shinrabanshou
fairy, which causes Yae to pass out."
"Meanwhile, Ichiki tells Yukimi that Miharu and Yoite headed off to Togakushi after learning
that the Idzuna Shingan might be able to draw out the Shinrabanshou. She adds that it was a mistake to spoil Yoite
up until now, but commends him for taking care of the Kira user during that time."
[---Hmm. I was sure I'd heard her mention Kazuho's name. My mistake I guess.]
And, holy-black-Hannah, what will Miharu do then....