02x12 - A Contest of Gift

[bunniefuu]

[thwack]

[whoosh]

THE 14TH HOLE
"PRISON"

[tense music playing]

[leaves rustling in breeze]

Lancelot!

You're gonna use a putter from here?
Are you giving up on this hole already?

- [Lancelot] Kate.
- [gasps]

Will you please be quiet?

[flatly] He lost his way there
for a little bit,

but now he's back.

I know putting is his specialty,
but... what's he planning to do?

Man, he must be so desperate,
he's gone a little nuts.

It's still nearly 50 yards to the pin
from where he's standing.

Just wait.
You'll see how "desperate" he is.

And just how great he is too.

[Tristan] His form's been terrible,

but he's going to attempt a putt
when he should be chipping?

He's either a fool or he's a genius.

- Either way, he won't defeat me.
- [music fades out]

[descending squeak]

RISING IMPACT

EPISODE 24: A CONTEST OF GIFT

[Lancelot] I'll be okay.

The Shining Road will return. I know it.

I don't get it.

Why does the green
get all shiny like that when I'm putting?

Well, it...

it's like in baseball.

You know how great batters say

that the ball sometimes seems
to stop in midair for a moment?

[Lancelot] Mm-hmm.

[Kajury] The ball doesn't really stop.

It just seems like that to the batter,
because of all the experience he's gained

from doing this
hundreds of thousands of times,

and because of his talent
and his highly trained concentration.

Ahh.

I think it must be
pretty much the same with us

and our special abilities.

[ethereal music plays]

[Lancelot] Experience,
talent, and concentration.

The nerves in the bottom of my feet

can measure the length of the grass
in millimeters and determine distance.

And my sense of balance
can read the undulation

and send subtle messages to my muscles.

All those sensations are visualized
in the Shining Road.

The kind of shot
that might have been a one-time fluke,

I've made into a 100% certainty

by practicing it
tens of thousands of times.

I must sharpen every nerve.

Read all the signs.

[ethereal hum]

[stirring music plays]

[dong echoes]

[music intensifies]

[both sputter]

[music swells, fades]

Oh, wow.

Lancelot's back on track again.

[Lancelot] Now... let's keep it going.

[music fades out]

He never has any expression on his face.

- It's so super annoying.
- Hey, Kate...

[gulps] Oh, sorry. I'll shut up.

Thank you for your support.

- [dreamy tinkling]
- [Kate murmurs]

[tense music plays]

[Charles] Humph! He's probably
gonna chip it right in again.

Yeah, I'm sure he will.

[scoffs]

[Gawain] That guy.

Yep, chipped it right on in.

It's like the idea of pressure
has no meaning for him.

- Are you sure?
- Huh?

[Lancelot] That's the first time
you did that.

[Tristan grunts]

First time from within your range
that you hit the edge of the cup.

What is this special ability of yours?

[Lancelot] Hmm? Does it matter?

Anyway, maybe the one
you really should be worried about is him.

[music fades out]

[Arthur] Aha. The contest
between three gifted players begins.

[Kate] Give me a break.

I got to the green in one stroke,
but it took me three putts to sink it.

But at least he made it.

I don't know what's wrong with me,

that I'm so happy about his score
when mine's in the toilet.

You know it.

You sense how good he is at this.

Huh? Hey, look.

Why are those guys
staring at us all of a sudden?

Oh.

Tristan doesn't usually have
the slightest interest

in any player but himself.

Could it be, he's worried about Gawain?

It's your turn, Gawain.

The smart thing, for someone
with the gift he and Quester have,

is to go for it with a pitching wedge.

[Charles grunts]

A driver again?

Come on, Oinky.

[Charles] It's a par-three hole.

The way you hit a drive,
it'll go way too far.

I know.

[leaves rustling]

- [suspenseful music plays]
- [Arthur] He's noticed.

If he chooses
to go with the pitching wedge

and hits the ball up high,

it's very likely
to be affected by this wind.

Still, it's a bold move
to go with the driver.

If he hits it with his usual strength,
it will go more than 400 yards.

- [grunts]
- Hold on.

Why'd he tee it up
on the outside of his back leg?

That's crazy.
He can't get any elevation that way.

[chuckles]

He is formidable.

[ethereal whirring]

[Gawain] These sensations in my body,

they're getting stronger and stronger.

Can't hear a thing.

[ethereal hum]

I'm getting a little scared of me.

It's 152 yards to the cup.

I'm gonna

hit that pin!

- [resonant clang]
- [screeching whoosh]

[sharp clanging]

- [music fades out]
- [pin creaking]

[Kate gulps, murmurs]

That... That...

That's incredible!

Did you see him?

My whole life,
I've never seen anything like that!

[Gawain] The moment I hit it,
I knew it was going in.

Wow! I'm totally blown away.

- [Gawain] But it's not enough.
- [grunts]

On a short par-three like this one,
Tristan can hit a hole-in-one too.

- Oh...
- [Percival] That's not true.

Even Tristan can't do that on a three par
if it's more than 120 yards.

So I'll make a hole-in-one
on a four-par hole.

- [Charles squeals]
- [Percival murmurs nervously]

Looking at Gawain now, it's almost like...
everything I ever knew about golf

doesn't mean anything at all anymore.

He's been catching up
very quickly since 11.

Whether it was that blow to the head
or the loss of blood,

something has definitely
awakened his true ability.

Amazing.

His talent is beyond all expectations.

If I'm honest,

he's a rather scary guy
to have as a rival.

Hmm?

[suspenseful music plays]

In golf, I have no rival.

[music fades out]

Hey. I'm a little worried.
Are we sure Gawain's really okay?

He sure seems okay to me.

Look at what he's been doing,
one amazing thing after another.

The ball must have
hit the sweet spot in his head.

- Don't say that!
- Sorry. Sorry.

But if he says he's fine,
I figure he's the one who should know.

I don't know.
He was kinda scary back there.

You didn't feel that way?

[Charles] Oh, well, you know...
he just gets pumped up.

If you hit shots like that,
one after the other,

you'd be pretty excited too.

I hope it's just that.

[Kate] Come on, come on.

How long are you gonna take
choosing a club?

Other people wanna play too, you know.

[footsteps approach]

What are you guys doing?

Have you been waiting for us?

[Lancelot] I don't know.

He's the one you should be asking.

If you wanted to play a round with us,

you could have just said so
back on the first hole.

- [swish]
- [Tristan] You've got it wrong.

Watch and learn.

See how a champion does it.

Does what now?

Reaches the top of the golf world.

"The top." Huh.

Well, then this is our opportunity
to see what it's like at the very top.

[Percival] I was right.

Tristan is worried about them,

Gawain and his friend.

Before the competition starts tomorrow,
you wanna play a round together?

Hey. I'm talking to you!

[suspenseful music playing]

Oh, get over it. I didn't mean anything.

[Mathew] You certainly did!
You were criticizing my swing!

All I said was,
you're clenching your sides too tight.

[Matthew grumbles]

[Ryan] If you don't believe me,
ask Tristan, see what he says.

Tristan! Will you help us
settle something over here?

Hey, Tristan! Oi!

[Percival gasps]

[Ice] Tristan, bruv, what can I say?

I know a total score
of two points is pathetic,

but I just never expected
the Japanese pair to do that well.

They were really that good?

And don't blame Sfida. It's my fault.

I underestimated them.

Uh, Tristan, I...

[Tristan] I really couldn't care less.

- [Percival gasps softly]
- [Ice grumbles]

[music fades out]

[Percival] I've never seen Tristan
like this before.

[wind howls]

Your injury, is it serious?

Nah. It's like a mosquito bite.

Really?

That shot you made before
was a frightfully good one.

And yet, you've remained calm as ever.

No, that's not true.

I'm feeling calm inside my head,

but the rest of my body feels
like it's got hot lava flowing through it.

[intriguing guitar music plays]

THE 15TH HOLE
"BEAST OF THE SAND"

[Gawain] This is a par-four hole, right?

[Lancelot] Correct.

[Gawain] I can see
this might be a tricky one.

The fairway's...

Well, actually,
it's more bunker than fairway.

And be careful
of that steep slope off to the right.

Don't hit it there.

[wind gusting]

[Gawain] And on the left,
you've got strong winds

blowing down off of this cliff.

Any ball you hit will be forced down.

You can't control flight distance
or direction.

It's a tricky one, all right.

Maybe the trickiest hole
on the entire course.

It's no wonder he chose this one...

- [dramatic music plays]
- ...to be our battleground.

[Tristan] It doesn't matter.

It makes no difference
who the competition is.

- I always finish on top.
- [music fades out]

That's it. I'm done.
I haven't got a chance.

GROUP THREE

That 15th hole
was like a bloody nightmare.

Man, I was three under
when I teed off on that hole.

Now I'm back at par.

[Todoin grunts]

Just like that, I dropped
from seven under par to three under.

- [Ice grumbles]
- Aw. Don't be too discouraged, Ice.

That... that's easy for you to say!
At least you got a bogey!

That's right.

Same as last year and the year before.

There's only one person
with a chance of making par on that hole.

[Ice grunts]

Wait, wait. Let me guess.
That'd be King Tristan, right?

[Albright laughs] Congratulations!

You did very well, for someone built
more like a Mark IV tank than a golfer.

You should be very proud of yourself.

Good show.

One under par.

That's a really good score on this course.

[Aria] Now this is surprising.

Guangling is ten under par?

I know she finished third last year
with six under par,

but her improvement is remarkable.

And then, of course,
there's her brother's score.

Thirteen under par.

I must say, I'm very impressed, Wanglian.

I do have some real regrets though.

That bogey I hit on the 15th hole
was a big error.

There was no tailwind
to help me out there.

Only a strong headwind
that bared its teeth and betrayed me.

Tristan will have to read those winds
much better than I could

to sh**t below par.

But, as we both know,
Tristan doesn't read winds.

[breeze wafting]

[wind gusting]

[Tristan] I know
I must be right about them.

[dramatic music plays]

The way he hits a drive
is beyond superhuman.

And his putting,
with its uncanny precision.

Yes... they definitely see something too.

[ethereal whirring]

Just like I see...

the Fallingstars.

The wind is like a storm of meteors
flowing through a weightless sea.

If it's on your side, just follow it.

If it bares its teeth at you...

[whir rising]

[blast]

[music swells]

...then dodge through the infinite universe!

He hit it the usual way.

But the wind isn't affecting it.

Why not?

I heard that Tristan
can actually see the wind now.

[Lancelot gasps] What?

[Gawain] I thought as much.

- [whoosh]
- [stars whirring]

[Tristan] Now let the wind guide the ball.

[music rises, fades out]

Gah!

He was able to land it
on that tiny little piece of fairway

in this wind?

- [tense music plays]
- That was more than 200 yards.

He must have used one of the lower irons.

But it's impossible to get backspin
hitting it the way he did.

So how did he get it to stop?

- [Gawain] The answer to that is simple.
- [Lancelot] Hmm?

He must have used the wind
to stop the ball right at the end.

That's the skill of a top player.

Though, that's not the same as saying
he's out of our league or anything.

[Tristan] Try it then.

Try crawling up to my level.

[music fades out]

[Bilford] Which would you say
was the toughest part of the 15th hole?

The bunkers
or the wind blowing down from above?

I'd say both.

You're wrong.

[grunts]

[grunts, grumbles]

It's the overthinking.

Correct.

Your mind can be one of the worst hazards
you'll ever face in golf.

Your frustration leads you
to make mistakes,

and those mistakes just bring
more pressure to bear on your next shot.

If you can't get on top of your emotions,

you can't win.

And you'll never beat Tristan.

[thwack]

[wind gusts]

For all your arrogant talk,
that's all you've got?

I'm happy.

[Kate groans wearily]

[Percival] Hey, Gawain. What did he mean?

How can he be happy
about hitting it in the bunker?

He has his own ideas about how to play it.

And now... I need to figure out
how I'm gonna play my shot.

[Lancelot] On this hole,
in these conditions,

the chances of keeping the ball
on the fairway are slim.

[suspenseful music plays]

In fact... you're better off
treating the bunker as the fairway.

[Kate grunts]

[groans]

[Lancelot] As long as I don't jam myself
up against the walls of the bunker,

I should be all right.

[wind gusts]

[music fades out]

I thought so.

I could tell
from your shot on the 13th hole

that rain has hardened
all the sand in the bunkers.

So simply by switching irons,

I can control
the flight distance off the ball.

[Tristan] This one's
had it calculated all along.

Par on this hole is four.
Do you think you can make that?

Definitely.

Good.

I'm certain I can make it too.

[Tristan grunts]

[Percival] What will Gawain do here?

Will he keep using the driver?

[Gawain] Even though
the rain's hardened the bunker,

it'll still make
for a lower flight distance than grass.

And if I can't see beyond that corner,

I won't be able to aim for the cup
on my second shot.

[wind whipping]

Percival... is there any out-of-bounds
on this hole?

Uh, no, but... you'll be in trouble
if it goes off that slope on the right.

[Gawain] Thank you.

[Percival] Wait. Gawain!

Hey! Can't you see the hole is over there?

[soft piano music playing]

[clang]

You did it! You made par!
You're the best, Lancelot!

Huh?

They've come through already?

But where's Gawain?

- [wind howling]
- [inaudible chatter]

[gasps]

[clanging]

[Kate] Aah!

- [gasps]
- [dramatic music plays]

[music intensifies]

[Tristan] Impossible. From over there?

[Gawain] Missed it.

The wind wasn't quite as strong
as I thought.

Should have hit it 20 yards shorter.

Oh well. Too late to worry about it now.

But is my score good enough to win?

No.

Tristan will have to underperform, right?

That's not likely to happen.

Tristan considers this his domain,

with himself as the master of it.

He won't allow his domain to be threatened
or invaded by anyone.

And what if the invader happens to be
someone who is Tristan's equal,

or maybe even more than that?

Imagine such a person.

They'd have to be
some kind of mythical being.

- [blast]
- [stirring music plays]

[whoosh]

[Kate] I don't believe it!
Tristan hit it out of bounds!

[Lancelot] His suit of armor

is beginning to crumble.

[music swells]

[music fades out]

- [theme music plays]
- [lyrics in Japanese]

[in English] ♪ Let's play
For all the love ♪

♪ Let's play for all the love ♪

♪ Let's play for all the love ♪

♪ Let's play for all the love ♪