02x05 - The Fruit of Love

[bunniefuu]

Okay.

I'm leaving that idiot to you...

Now, then...

the final stage starts now.

YOZAKURA FAMILY

So 15 of them passed the second stage?

Well, that's not too shabby, right?

The ultra-high-end tea leaves, Dark Sweet.

The aroma and richness is to die for.

I'm speaking to each of you
via Morse Thread.

Your final exam will be an interview.

I have nothing more to impose

on you prodigies
who've passed the first two stages.

Just some quick questions and dialogue
should suffice.

Once teatime for me is over,
the interview will end.

So feel free to approach it casually.

I'm using Morse Thread
to protect your privacy.

They're somewhat flimsy,
so make sure you stay calm.

That's still no reason to
deliberately leave us hanging like this.

Oh!

How did you know
that I was wearing woolen shorts?

Usa!

Again, these threads are fragile.

For example, even the quickening
of your heart rate can cause them to fray.

Secrets that you want to keep hidden.

But I've never told anyone

that my hobby is to dress up as a woman
in my private time!

The past that you'd like to forget.

No! Don't tell them that I wrote
a love letter using my own secret code!

First-class spies never get
agitated due to mere words.

If you haven't fallen into that pond
by the end of my teatime, you pass.

Cries of shame and fear
go so well with tea.

DARK SECRETS OF
THE SILVER RANK EXAM'S APPLICANTS

Mmm. I've found bliss,

You're depraved!

Oh, crap.
What's he going to ask me?

About that thing
when I was in third grade?

Or what happened in seventh grade?

Now, then, I'm asking
Examinee Number 321, Taiyo Asano...

Why do you believe Tsubomi Yozakura?

How does Big Bro Kyoichiro
know about that?

Though scant, there's some literature

on how unique the blood of the first head,
Tsubomi Yozakura, is.

Since that day
you interacted with Kawashita,

I've always kept my eye on you.

The flowers blooming on your body.

The unlocking of the Book of Buds.

It's clear
that something's influencing you.

As well as...

the fact that you're trying
to use that entity.

Don't do it, Taiyo.

She's not an opponent that you can handle.

Let me do this, please,
Big Bro Kyoichiro.

I still know nothing about it,

and I'm aware that it's dangerous. But...

this is my chance to unmask
whatever's targeting Mutsumi.

If I can just infiltrate the enemy
as a spy...

And if I end up failing,
before I put the family in danger...

You'll take responsibility?

There's no guarantee
that you'll have that luxury.

What if they don't allow you to die

so they can wring
every bit of information out of you?

If it ends up that way,

then I want you to k*ll me yourself,
Big Bro Kyoichiro.

I'd gladly accept your threads then.

I know that we both feel
the same way towards Mutsumi.

Out of the question.

You're too weak.

Whoa!

I get
why you want to take advantage

of your brush with the enemy.

Damn it!

I'll even acknowledge
your feelings towards Mutsumi.

But I can't entrust a task like this
to someone as green as you.

You're free to meet up with Kawashita,

but I have no intention of giving you
a license for that purpose.

Take this to heart.

You may have come up with that strategy
to protect Mutsumi...

but I'm the one who's protecting you both.

The chances of a weakling like you
passing this exam...

are nonexistent.
-

Big Bro Taiyo!

I mean, everyone except for Taiyo
has washed out.

Oh?

Nice work, Big Sis.

What should we do?

Big Bro would leave us
zero successful candidates again.

Unbelievable, huh?

Kyoichiro told me
just a bit about your secret.

So I do get
where both of you are coming from.

And that's why you've got to overcome him.

Kyoichiro as your proctor.

Kyoichiro as your elder brother.

Both of them.

THUNDERCLAP

Hey, now, what's wrong?

Mist Cocoon.

You're forfeiting the exam?

You said at the start...

as long as I don't fall into the pond,
I'm good.

So,

that chair...

you don't mind
if I take it from you, right?

You're welcome to give it a shot.

Though I'm dubious that you
could even disrupt my teatime.

Huh? I see.

You're going to survive

by gathering the threads
charged by electricity and climb up.

To pass this exam,

I've got to make
Big Bro Kyoichiro recognize my strength!

To achieve that, I'm going to grab
that seat while it's still teatime!

You're family.

You should clash without holding back.

Just like when you and Mutsumi
got married.

All right.

This will be a brawl between brothers.

FIRST YAE
CLEAR SKIES

DRAGON METEOR SHOWER
SPECKLED

Examinee Number 321,
Taiyo Asano...

do you have any hobbies or special skills?

WEIGHT OF ONE FLOWER

Transforming weapon: Yae...
g*n Form, Clear Skies.

Blade Form, Rain.

Movement Skill: Walking on Flowers.

Hardening.

I see.

You've mastered them well.

But...

It's not enough to end my teatime,
let alone activate my Blooming.

How do you fight Kyoichiro's threads?

What's going on?
Are you planning to fight him?

No, just out of curiosity, I guess?

Hmm, let's see.

You'll never escape his Steel Spider.

So true.

But if you're still looking
for a way to counter it,

the first thing you need to do
is accept it.

Accept it?

It's the same as my aiki.

Rather than oppose the flow of the attack,
you should receive it,

which creates an opening.

As someone who's been snagged
countless times in those threads,

you should be able to find a way.

If you can find
even the slightest opening...

Then I can start my counterattack!

It took everything to extricate myself.

I'm way overmatched against him!

But even still...

someday...

I have to face him!

I have to get him to recognize me!

That was my thought from the start.

Now's the time to challenge him!

Please take me on,

Big Bro Kyoichiro!

So he broke free?

Futaba's behind that.

The threads' behavior is unexpected.

He faked the restraint patterns by using
fake "thread-wrapped arms" as camouflage.

Kengo, eh?

But this is odd.

How could I have missed the difference

in the feel and look
of the threads I released?

Hmm?

The feeling in these fingers...

A neurotoxin from a blight spider.

It numbs the sensations in all four limbs.

It's the one toxin
that works on Big Bro Kyoichiro.

Though the effects don't last,
and they're weak.

But combined with my tech, you'll be able
to deceive Big Bro for an instant.

I modified Yae for you, Taiyo.

Thank you very much.

Wow, it's so cool!

Oh, by the way,
if you clamp some rope or something

into this revolver, then activate it...

it will generate tremendous traction.

I see.

You have zero chance
of breaking out of Kyoichiro's threads.

And that's why
you should use the threads themselves.

Even a thread woven
from tens of thousands of algorithms

will inevitably lead you to Kyoichiro
if you follow just one strand.

That's 100 percent.

DARK THUNDER

Not bad at all.

The propulsive force produced
with Yae's revolver and jet thrusters,

combined with Hardening
make for a devastating move.

However...

it's still weak.

Arachne.

Made by weaving tens of thousands,

hundreds of millions
of loosened threads...

just barely visible
to sight enhanced by Blooming.

It can block all physical attacks,
chemical substances,

and even eerie soundwaves.

It's my benevolent hand, woven over


It's the fruit of my love for Mutsumi.

Even if your love for Mutsumi is higher
than a mountain or deeper than the sea...

it can never surpass my feelings for her.

My love will prevail over all.

Taiyo!

He's severed the threads I had left.

And Yae doesn't have the force
to propel my body higher.

I can't let it end here.

Think.

There's got to be a way!

Something.

Something.

Something!

Don't be surprised.

You're the one who summoned me...

with that desperate cry from your heart.

My blood,
which you've been infused with...

I'll awaken it for you.

But be careful.

If you can't withstand
this blood's power...

you'll be destroyed.

I can feel power building up...

inside my body...

in my fingertips, too.

No...

even beyond them!

I can sense Yae...

like my blood and nerves
are connected to it...

as if it were a part of my body.

No way does Yae have the power

to propel a human body up this high.

This is the power seen in our ancestors,

stronger than Blooming...

Profuse Blooming of 10,000 Flowers.

PROFUSE BLOOMING
OF 10,000 FLOWERS

What's going on?
I can't control my own body.

Don't let it overwhelm you, Taiyo.

You've got to face up to it here and now,

or you'll eventually
be swallowed up in my blood.

My body... feels hot.

Hollow Cocoon.

It's only temporary, but I've paralyzed
the rampage of his cells and nerves.

I knew it. Her blood's been awakened.

If you keep trying to contain that power,
it'll destroy your body.

Release it.

Show me that strength of yours.

It won't be easy
to live up to Big Bro's expectations.

There's no guarantee
that he'll ever acknowledge you.

But...

I believe that you, of all people,
can pull it off, Taiyo.

AMATERASU - CHAOTIC BLOOMING

Taiyo?

Whoa!

What the heck?

What an unbelievable blow that was.

Even I don't understand it completely.

It was amazing,

but even more, it was terrifying.

Taiyo.

So he wasn't able
to break through and fell?

Hmm?

Teatime is over.

You've passed.

So you've reined
in Profuse Blooming

of 10,000 Flowers for now.

But you've still got a long way to go
before you can control it.

In terms of force,
you could only barely scratch Arachne.

But this is undeniably your strength.

Make sure you polish it to the hilt
and master it.

If you do, then I wouldn't mind...

letting you protect Mutsumi
in your own way.

That goes without saying.

Yay!

All right! Taiyo!

Score!

Taiyo! Taiyo!

You did it, Taiyo!

You need to put me down, Shinzo,
this second.

A photo
of the sole successful candidate.

I was able to get a scoop!

I'm packing up now!

You must have had a lot of help
to get this far.

You passed this exam on your own,

but don't ever forget
that it doesn't belong to you alone.


Examinee Number 321, Taiyo Asano...

Kyoichiro Yozakura

...you've earned the Silver rank.

Thank you very much!

GOTTA WIN

Hello?

This is Futaba.

Taiyo's cherry blossoms are in bloom.

Yay!

I always had faith in him!

Wow! Amazing!

CONGRATULATIONS, TAIYO

Yay! All right!

I'm so, so glad.

Good job, Taiyo.

All right, time to go.

I'm coming to see you now...

my treasures.

NEXT EPISODE
NEW CHERRY BLOSSOMS