02x03 - Yuusha Denshou to Hajimari no Machi

[bunniefuu]

AROUND A THOUSAND YEARS AGO

What am I doing here?

It's a wasteland.

Was it always like this?

Where is my foe?

There are no more foes, Clevatess.

It's all over.

Who are you?

I am the Lord of Dark Beasts of the West.

Zavthier of Phantasms.

CLEVATESS

Hey! Hey!

Klen!

I'm going home with them again today.

No, no wait!

There was a dark beast!

And not just a normal one...
- I'm not interested in theories.

Tell me what's going
on when you've figured it all out.

Sorry, Alyssa.

We'll be borrowing him.

Bye.

What's with those guys?

My only chance to talk to him in
secret is on the way to and from school.

When we speak through the dark ichor,

it's up to him whether
he wants to respond.

It's so strange to see him
getting along with humans.

Does he have some other goal?

I won't get anywhere thinking about it!

Fine, I'll figure it out on my own.

The other students are just as strange.

The dark beast aside,

we were told this morning
that Nathan collapsed.

But nobody seems put off by it.

That's what this place is.

Is it not that rare?

Hey, can I ask a question?

Have there been others
besides Nathan who...

Hey, wait!

She was with Nathan, I heard.

Same as those twins.

Eww. So she's a
barbarian, too. Disgusting.

They're treating me like I'm part
of a group of delinquents.

Well... they're not
going to tell me, I assume.

Hey.
- Hey.

Oh, it's you guys.

Um... Leon and Tygel?

Can we talk?
- Can we talk?

So?

It's about Nathan Franc.

He's leaving the school today, I heard.

Today?

Magical research is a risky business.

Learning magic and becoming
a wizard is just that special.

Especially in this country, where their
military is dependent on magical might.

If you can become a wizard here,

you can become a ranking officer
in the military as soon as you graduate.

That's why we came here!

We're not here to play around.

We came to reach the top
when it comes to magic!

If anything, an environment like this
is just what we want.

We want to reach the top
and teach a certain person a lesson.

What about you, Hiden girl?

You came here
for a similar reason, right?

We think you're pretty strong.

Even if you can't use magic.

No normal person can fight
a dark beast with sticks and kicks.

Want to work together with us?
- Want to work together with us?

We want to learn how to get a Crest,
no matter what it takes.

And you're here to take back
the secrets of magic too, right?

Otherwise, you wouldn't have come
this far into enemy territory.

That's exactly my goal.

Drel's secret room leads to that.

Is that the same for Sarasa
and Edison, too?

They seemed harmless.

They don't look like
they're up to something...

What can you do for me?

We can gather information.

There are things we can do
that a good girl can't.

And there are things only
a good girl can do, right?

So we'll both share our information
and reach the answer as soon as possible.

Can you guarantee you won't
run off with my info?

None.

We're both just using each other,
for as long as that lasts.

They're arrogant and violent,
but they're not liars.

If I can end this alliance
at any time, it's not a bad idea.

I'm in.

Good.
- Good.

Tell me immediately
if you learn something.

And if you see another
dark beast, tell me.

I'll come to you
if I think I need more people.

Yeah, you can count on us.

Tell us immediately
if you find something out.

Will do!

Does it cause your heart to ache?

The words of the Church of Elds
are the words of God.

If the words of ancient Toah,
recorded in the sacred texts,

tell us to pursue magic...

then doing so is the duty
of the people of Dunn.

He's simply lucky to be alive.

But I don't like seeing
a young man's future come to an end.

All is as God wills it.

No luck...

Nobody will answer my questions.

It's so weird that
nobody's interested

in the fact that a human
turned into a dark beast.

I guess I should ask somebody else.

A teacher, maybe?

That guy from Eslinn? No, no way.

If he figures out who I am, I don't
want to have to think of an excuse.

These stones are ancient...

Actually, didn't they say they
built this on an ancient ruin?

I kind of like it...

This feeling of resting up against
something mossy and ancient...

I was stabbed from behind?!

But why?

Professor...

Everyone's ignoring me!
I think I'm being bullied!

Can you please help me, Professor?

Scary! Scary! Scary!

S-So... what do you want my help with?

The bullying, of course.

Isn't that an obvious lie?!

Everybody's being mean
and won't answer my questions.

"What happened to Nathan?"

"How do you acquire a Crest?"

"Have you seen a dark beast?"

Or...

"Do you know where I can
find Drel's secret room?"

You just blurted it out!

You haven't actually been asking
everybody that last question, right?

The last one was a joke.

I'm not stupid enough to go
around telling people my real goal.

I'm pretending to be just a student

who's interested in magic
and worried about Nathan.

I don't think you're
supposed to tell me that.

Well, you already know who I am,
but you haven't told the school.

In other words, you're
on the three kingdoms' side.

This school is on holy ground
and the Emperor can't control it,

so he sent you in as a Boelate spy.

Am I wrong?

You're not wrong,
but I am still your enemy.

I'm not going to help you.

Even if I offer to help you?

I know what the Emperor wants.

I was there when they
all talked about it.

The Emperor wants us to find it so
he can steal it at the last minute.

He'll be sending in his army.

He only sent us here as an excuse
to use his army on holy ground.

And the reason he
hasn't done that yet is that

he really doesn't know
this place's secrets.

He's waiting for Eslinn or Hiden,
or perhaps you, to find them.

Am I wrong?

Eslinn wouldn't just stand by silently
if Boelate attacked this place.

I'm sure they already have
a powerful army ready and waiting.

Either way, this place
will become a b*ttlefield.

And some of the students will die.

As a hero, I want to avoid that.

And what do you want me to do?

The best option we have is
to find whatever secrets this place has

and destroy them before the army arrives.

That'll give them no excuse to attack.

You can report that
you found the secrets.

And I can protect the kids.

You're going to give me time
to tell the Emperor, right?

Yes. When I find them,
I'll tell you first.

By the way, I'm already working
together with those Eslinn twins.

I swear on my name as a hero that I
won't tell them where I learned anything.

You'd better not.

And I promise that if there is
a w*r, I won't hurt you.

Which means that if I don't
help, you will hurt me!

You're basically blackmailing me!

Can I ask something?

What?

Why are you a tiny Hidenean now?

I suppose you would be curious.

CAPITAL OF ESLINN,
ESLEBURG

ELDEN CASTLE

Rhode and Miquel are talented men.

But Dean Romain, the Cardinal
of the Church of Elds, is a cautious man.

Shall I go, my lord?

Not yet, Sword Saint.

Acting too quickly will create problems
we don't need with the Church of Elds.

We can't get inside that holy ground
without proof of the evil within.

At least as long
as the current Pope is alive.

From what I've heard, the next
Pope is to be the Dean of Solsein.

Elro Romain.

If he assumes the role,
the place will be beyond our reach.

So what we can do now is...

Sword Saint Owen Koath,
I give you this order.

Take 500 soldiers to Hiden!

Take Luna Mountain
while its master is absent!

HIDEN
CAPITAL CITY HIDERAT

ROYAL SANCTUARY
"MOONLIT BELVEDERE"

Lu... na!

Amazing, Lord Luna!

That's right!

It's amazing that you've learned to read,

but you can also make the blocks float!

I knew he had magical talent, but...

He's so strong.

The throne is engraved
with the names of those kings who have

gone through the naming ceremony
and received their true names.

He has yet to go through
the naming ceremony,

but the word "Luna" is engraved
above the previous king's name.

This must be because of Klen,
who gave him his name.

My master is really amazing!

Ma!

So how does one obtain a Crest, Professor?

Do you know where it happens,
or anything like that?

If I knew, I'd have told
the Emperor already.

When I got my crystal,

I lost my memories of
what happened before and after.

I'm sure it's the same for the
other students who have one.

All I know is that it involves a trial,
and the chosen ones receive a revelation.

A revelation?

You're given a revelation
that guides you to a trial.

Wait, do you mean...?

Yes, that's right.

It's just like the Village of Origin
in the Hero Legend.

That's what it's like in Slada?

It is!

So we've been followed?

She was doing it yesterday, too.

How did you do that?

Those are fake versions of us?

Is that magic?

No, those are shadows.
- Shadows?

They'll disappear when
they enter another shadow.

And when they do,
she'll think she's lost us.

Clever.

Almost like Zavthier of Phantasms,
Lord of the West.

I can do it too.

And also make a shadow barrier
that blocks vision from the outside.

But why follow us?

I don't care who she is.

More importantly...

I erected this barrier for you.

So why don't you get started,

Orggite Shamaness Godspeaker

Sarasa Rue Eira Raphoka?

Oh, so you did know.

Indeed. I am the Shamaness Godspeaker.

The next queen of the Orggites.

Q-Queen?!

Hey, Eddy.

Stop freaking out over everything.

I shall now manifest Zavthier,
the god of the Orggites.

Now...

Th-This is...
the Lord of Dark Beasts of the West.

Zavthier of Phantasms?!

It's been many years,

Lord of Dark Beasts of the South,

Clevatess of the Moonlight.

Your current Shamaness is pretty tiny,

you old hag.

Silence, young one.

Now, then...

It's your turn next.

How long do you plan to remain hidden,

Rathwell of Azure,
Lord of Dark Beasts of the East?

No, I'm, uh...
- Silence, Eddy.

Just go to sleep.

I'll do the talking.

W-Wait! I'm not ready—
- Shut up.

I'm coming out, and that's
how it's going to be.

I'm here, Lord of the West,
Lord of the South.

You are a collective and a parasite.

I could tell that was the case
just by looking at him.

Well, I latch on to a lot
of different creatures for fun.

He's one of them.

This is outside my territory,

but I could easily send
out three or four of me.

Clevatess, how'd you get
outside your territory?

Have you shrunk down
that body quite a bit?

I'm sure there's a
reason you've summoned us.

Indeed.

The Lord of Dark Beasts of the North,
Vordin of Scorchfire.

I know for a fact that he's working with
a group of humans on some kind of plot.

And that he has a dark
ichor avatar here as well.

That's why you're here as well.

Yeah. I could sense
something ominous, I guess.

I had a bad feeling, so I came.

I'd heard about what happened
with Clevatess and Hiden, too.

So, what do we do?

Find him and make him talk?

He's not the sort to resort to talking.

But we can find what he's up
to and render judgment.

"Judgment" will be a bit tough.

We Lords of Dark Beasts
can't leave our territory.

But we can find what he's
after and destroy it.

What he's after?

It must have something to do
with the Hero Legend.

Most likely.

Yeah, about that.

I really don't know much
about the Hero Legend.

It'd help if you could give me
a quick summary.

I intend to.

I'll tell you everything

that occurred before
your predecessors perished.

The Hero Legend.

Chapter 1: The Temple.

An awakening on an altar of stone.

The Hero looks up at the light
and knows their destiny.

Chapter 2: The Village of Origin.

There the Hero receives a revelation
from God, and is guided.

They undergo a trial
and awaken their power.

Chapter 3: The Forge.

The sword is forged in flames
that contain the power of God.

It is called a Regalia and becomes
the Hero's ultimate weapon.

Chapter 4: Heavens and Earth.

He slays many dark beasts
and saves many lives.

He stands atop a pile of many corpses,

and gazes beyond the peaks.

Final Chapter: New Horizons.

He defeats the four dark beast lords
and guides the people.

Beyond the membrane.

The deeds of God.

He retakes the world.

Awaken, Hero. Hear the words of God.

The time of true awakening...

As you know, that's the whole thing.

There's no more to it.

The story of the Village of Origin
is well known as a legend,

but the word "magic" doesn't
appear in the story at all.

But that's true of the part
about the forge as well.

There's nothing in the text about Hiden,

or how the Regalia are made,
but they're real.

There's probably a book
or something in each land

that contains details
not in the main text.

Just like the "Book of Toah"
that Klen found.

Is there a book for each chapter, maybe?

If Drel was always after the book
and not the forge...

Does that mean he knew about
the book from the start?

Could he have already seen another book?

And if that book was this land's...

From the second chapter...

The book of the Village of Origin?

Hero?

The divine revelation... The trial...

If it was possible to read
and understand it, then replicate it...

I think I know what the secret room is.

Wait!

That's not fair!

Klen cut his connection to me, damn it!

I want to tell him now, but...

That's the #3 student at the school...

A snail?

What?

I can see a reflection
of myself in its goo...

What was that?

Something feels wrong...

What?

What the hell's going on?!