04x04 - Shiroi Hoshizora no Asterism

[bunniefuu]

[non-English chants]

[REGULUS]
Listen here.

I'm getting sick
of your jokes,

getting all big-headed just
cause you got a tiny bit lucky.

How revolting!

So despicable!

What an absolutely
self-righteous piece of work

you are, huh?

Oh, please!

When will you realize
that tearing others down

doesn't make you any bigger?

[PETELGEUSE]
Ah, and here I am,

so vehemently and diligently
trying to appeal to you.

Unbelievable!

Just how slothful
can one man be?

How dare you!

You're certainly
violating my rights

as an unselfish man who
desires one small thing,

one who'd settle for a tiny bit
of simple, ordinary happiness.

[eerie music]

♪ ♪

[EMILIA]
I love you.

[SUBARU gasps]

[SUBARU]
I'm inside the carriage.

Emilia?

I didn't return
by death, did I?

[EMILIA groans]

She's so soft and cozy.

[sighs]

[BEATRICE] Try not to get
up to too much mischief now.

Emilia lost two nights of sleep
worrying about you, I suppose.

Oh, thank
goodness, you're OK!

And everyone else?

[BEATRICE]
You can put your mind at ease.

Everyone is safe
and together, I suppose.

[SUBARU]
Man, that's such a huge relief!

I was seriously freaking out.

Let me hug you.

[eerie music]

♪ ♪

Wait, is this--

[BEATRICE]
Indeed.

We're inside of the Pleiades
Watchtower, I suppose.

♪ ♪

You're the one.

♪ ♪

Who exactly are you?

Are-- you the sage?

[SHAULA]
I finally found you, my master.

Huh?

Master!

Oh, man! Oh, man!

I've been waiting forever.

What--

what is the meaning of this?

It's been such a long time.

I missed you so much!

[SUBARU]
What's happening?

Ow!

What's with
this brute strength?

I have no idea
who you even are.

What is this?

What do you mean
you don't know?

I'm Shaula, keeper
of the Pleiades Watchtower!

How can you ever forget about
your precious student Shaula?

Oh, no!

I woke up and Subaru
was go-- huh?

[SUBARU groans]

Please, Mili,
you gotta help me!

[SUBARU groans]

[EMILIA]
Ee!

What? Why me?

I'm not totally sure.

I just feel really
upset right now.

[squeal]

Subaru, please do
try not to let us down.

Your lewd face is disgusting.

Baru-sleaze.

There's nothing
lewd about it.

And don't call me that!

Master, master,
I'll never leave you again!

Anyway, can you
all start explaining

before my arm gets ripped off?

Afraid we're just
as baffled as you are.

That woman barely
said a word when we met,

just went right over
and started clinging

on to you like crazy.

She was quiet?

You said it yourself, Master.

Doesn't matter
what anyone asks.

Don't say more
than you need to.

Don't talk.

Don't tell.

I'll just stab 'em dead, right?

I was just doing what you
always taught me to do.

Your master was
a pretty awful guy, huh?

Forget that nonsense.

You can talk to everybody.

Oh, yeah!

That's baller!

My master gave me permission.

Woo-hoo!

[laughing]

OK, then, you are
the legendary sage

we've heard so
much about, right?

Well, if it's a Shaula you're
looking for, then that's easy.

That is me.

Love finds a way!

But if it's Shaula the sage
you're looking for,

afraid I don't know
anything about him.

When most people talk
about a famous Shaula,

well, they mean this one.

The holy gold coin
has the holy dragon.

The gold's the first
master swordsman,

and the silver, the sage.

She doesn't resemble
this person in the slightest,

I suppose.

Wow!

That looks just like master.

[SUBARU]
Me? How?

I don't think this person
really looks like Subaru

either, to be honest with you.

Oh, I don't think it looks
like Master now either.

I'd recognize him blind.

So it's no problemo.

Where exactly did you
learn a phrase like that?

How did you recognize
him, if not by his looks?

His smell.

The only person
in the whole world

who gives off such
a unique, nose-burningly,

pungent, sinister, downright
disgusting smell is Master.

I've never felt so hurt
before in all my life.

Seriously, do I smell that bad?

Uh, Subaru, it's fine.

I understand how
you're feeling.

Later, we should
all bathe properly.

Ah!

You don't understand at all!

[RAM] So you are Shaula,
but you aren't the sage.

Hmm?

Have you heard of
the master swordsman

and holy dragon, then?

[Shaula groans]

[RAM]
Guess so.

Of course I know
who those two are.

Reid the stick swinger,
Volcanica the sarcastic,

and I go way back.

But they're doing
good these days, huh?

Reid, at least, has
been dead for years.

For real?

He seemed like a guy
nobody could k*ll.

What the heck
could have got him?

His old age.

Oh, that's right.

I guess he was
a human, so yeah.

I'll be straightforward.

Who exactly is this
person you call Master?

That's a weird
question to ask.

You guys are
traveling with him.

Shouldn't you know?

Unfortunately,

since your master hit
his head on a chamber pot,

he's had trouble
with his memory.

Seriously, Master,
again with that?

[SUBARU]
Again?

All righty then, I'll make
the big announcement.

My wonderful
master's name, yes,

the name of the great
renowned wise man,

the one and only
being in this world

worthy of bearing
the title of Sage,

no one else compares.

[imitating drum roll]

We don't need a drum roll.

Da, da, da, da.

It's Flugel.

Huh?

That's my splendid
master's name, Flugel.

He's known as
Flugel the wise man.

Hmm.

[eerie music]

♪ ♪

Ain't that the name of the
guy who planted that tree?

[calm music]

Damn, that's scary!

We're so high up.

Isn't there a handrail
or something?

Come on!

This ride is way too
bouncy, Ms. naked lady.

Can you smooth it out?

A kid hitching
a free ride shouldn't

be so demanding, you know?

Hey, quit pulling on my hair!

Come on, give
her a break, Meili.

Enough pestering!

And stop messing
with her ponytail.

It is not a ponytail.

It's a scorpion tail.

A wah?

A scorpion tail!

Yeah, I got it.

Why get so hung up on that?

[SHAULA giggles]

This door serves
as the tower's primary entrance

and exit, I suppose.

Rem and Patrasche are
waiting on the next floor

above this one.

We have to go higher?

Also, if this is
the entrance, how

did Patrasche and the carriage
get all the way up there?

Shaula carried
everything there for us.

Just hop, up they went.

Pardon?

Aw, that was a piece of cake.

I'm far more freaked out than
I am grateful at the moment.

It doesn't matter
to me whether

you're grateful or freaked out.

All I ask is that you accept
my earnest feelings for you.

Nope!

You just threw 'em away!

[SUBARU] So I guess
Flugel was the one

who built all of this too?

You know, I'd heard about him
being known as the sage before,

but I never thought I'd
hear about him again here.

Well, I don't
really know what

his accomplishments were
aside from planting that tree,

I suppose.

[SUBARU] The tower
sure is gigantic, though.

It's finally
starting to hit me.

[JULIUS]
What's starting to hit you?

[SUBARU] That this is
the Pleiades Watchtower

that we were trying
to reach all this time.

Ah-ah-ah.

If that's all you understand,
you get 99 out of 100 points

at the very best.

That's basically
a perfect score.

Well, you've gotta
consider that the final score

factors in bonus points
granted for how much

I love, love, love, love you!

Pleiades Watchtower is nothing
more than a temporary name

for a temporary role.

Now that you've finally
returned, that's over,

and it'll revert back
to its original role.

Its original role?

Yup, a special place where
you can find everything

you'd wanna know,
a great library.

Oh, it's such a joyous day.

The great Pleiades library
is so, so, so, so, so happy

to have you back!

[giggles]

Rem and Patrasche
are inside of here?

Whoa!

Hey, Ram, a vine's just moved!

You're too jumpy.

You'll startle
the room's master.

What do you mean
by its master?

A spirit.

♪ ♪

This place feels
like an actual jungle.

[bright music]

♪ ♪

Rem and Patrasche.

Back when we
rejoined Ms. Emilia,

Patrasche was
unfortunately gravely injured.

But the spirit's power
has been healing her.

The spirit living
here doesn't seem

to have anything like a will.

It just attempts to heal
the illnesses and injuries

of creatures who enter.

Does that mean
it could heal Rem?

[RAM]
That's beyond its power.

It can't heal something that
isn't an illness or injury.

This is neither.

So in other words, even after
coming here, nothing's changed.

[RAM]
If you want to change it,

don't forget what you came
here to do in the first place.

The great Pleiades library.

[sighs]

I'm going to find
the answer we're looking for

and get Rem back.

That goal hasn't
changed, not one bit.

Right, I'm gonna
rejoin the others.

You with me?

[RAM] Leaving Rem here
with no one watching her?

Doesn't that worry you?

All right, I'll leave you
in charge of keeping her safe.

[RAM] I suppose
that's all I can do for her.

[SUBARU]
You staying by her side

and watching over her
means more than you think.

♪ ♪

Rem and Patrasche
both are in your hands.

This entire floor is
basically my little lady cave.

I spend most
of my time watching

over the dunes from here.

And if I see anyone get
too close to the tower,

they get shotty, shot, shot.

[SUBARU]
I knew it.

[ALL]
Huh?

Of course that was you.

You have no idea what hell
I went through because of that.

A shot that keeps interfering
pests away from the tower,

that's my Hell Snipe.

So was everything fine?

Yeah, they're safe.

Ram's watching over them.

We don't know how she might
react if she finds out you're

not really Flugel, you know?

So we can't correct
her or let her know, huh?

Regulus and Petelgeuse were
so much easier to deal with.

[SHAULA] Master,
is something wrong?

No, everything's peachy.

I just want to make sure
of something real quick.

The reason you were
always sh**ting at people

approaching the tower?

That's right,
per your orders, Master.

For 400 years, I spent
every day just watching

the endless sea of sand.

A story so terribly sad,
both hearing it and telling it

makes me want to cry.



[SUBARU] You'll do anything
if I ask you to do it, right?

What the heck?

Why so serious?

Just so you know,
I won't do anything perverted.

[SUBARU]
No matter what,

don't ever try
to harm me or my friends.

Your master's standing
orders were to attack anyone

approaching the tower, right?

But now,
all of us are inside it,

so there wouldn't be
any reason to attack us.

Do not harm us
in any way, no matter what.

OK, sir, your new orders
have been received, my master.

I've committed
them to my memory.

Good.

That's a promise, then.

Oh, yeah.

Roger that!

I'll protect you all.

I'll protect the hell outta ya.

[giggles]

One more time then,

it's good to have
you back, Master.

Flugel the wise man, welcome.

I, Shaula, have waited most
eagerly for your return.

[giggles]

We've passed through the sixth,
fifth, and fourth floors now.

Above here is the exam site,
which occupies the third,

second, and first levels.

Hold on, exam?

[SHAULA]
Yeppers.

First, on the third floor,

you'll be tested
to make sure you qualify

to enter the archive.

So you're saying I have
to earn the right to even

step foot in the place.

[JULIUS]
You're the last one,

so this is the greatest
challenge we face at present.

[SUBARU]
I see.

So the rest of you already
attempted that exam

while I was passed out.

[eerie music]

♪ ♪

This looks like a room I
wouldn't wanna be stuck in.

I agree.

Staying here for long
would rob you

of your sense of equilibrium.

[calm music]

♪ ♪

[SUBARU grunts]

[SUBARU]
A stone slab?

Simply put,
you can think of this

as the device that
sets up the puzzle

you'll be expected to solve.

The moment you reach
out and touch that slab,

the exam will begin,
I suppose.

All I need to do is
touch this monolith, then?

Monolith, huh?

Somehow, that name
seems rather fitting.

I'll use it too.

Here I go.

♪ ♪

[MONOLITH] Hero long
vanquished by Shaula,

go and touch upon
his grandest splendor.

So what do you think?

Do you understand
our reactions now,

why we were
so surprised at first?

So what I heard just now
was one of the exam questions?

Subaru, there are a few
things you must know

before beginning the exam.

To begin with, you should
try touching the stone slab--

or monolith nearest to you.

You really like
the word that much?

I mean, it's fine, but.

[eerie music]

♪ ♪

That returned you
to the starting point,

meaning it was determined
that you failed the exam.

Naturally.

♪ ♪

[MONOLITH] Hero long
vanquished by Shaula,

go and touch upon
his grandest splendor.

So that's how it works.

I can keep trying over
and over until I pass it.

That is, based on experience,
our conjecture at present.

Just running around aimlessly
and touching monoliths blindly

will not lead you
to the correct answer.

That's all the advice
I can give.

So you guys already tried
the scattershot approach.

I'm not gonna lie,

that does seem like
something you'd try, Mili.

[ANASTASIA]
That's part of it.

But even if you did
figure out the answer,

you would still have to touch
upon his greatest splendor.

And we don't know
what that means.

On god.

Either way, you won't
get anywhere standing here

thinking about it forever.

I think your best bet is to try
asking the naked lady about it.

Yeah, guess so.

Shaula, can you
think of any heroes

you've vanquished
before who fit the bill?

Only lame-o
second rates would

remember the names of every
single person they vanquished.

See, one as first rate
as me doesn't remember

anyone beyond the first 100.

Got it?

Yeah, right.

So, anyway, out of all
the names I can remember,

let's see.

Oh, what about Reid?

You were the one
who k*lled the first

master swordsman,
weren't you?

[Meili screams]

Hey, watch it!

Thank you for the catch.

Nah, it's kind of my fault
for blurting it out like that.

What, does the first master
swordsman scare you that much?

[SHAULA screams]

[JULIUS]
Don't be silly.

He was the progenitor
of the Astrea family,

whom I know well.

In addition
to his sword skills,

he was surely a man
of great character.

Ms. Shaula, allow us
to hear your thoughts

without reservation.

He was human scum,
simple as that.

Allow us to hear your
thoughts without reservation.

Don't pretend
you didn't hear that.

Well, at any rate,
he was an awful guy,

one of those
privileged little brats

who grew up but never changed.

He absolutely loved bullying
the weak in his spare time.

I mean, hell,
from his perspective,

pretty much everyone
was a weakling,

so they were all fair game.

No matter who he
went up against,

he was bullying the weak.

He did it to me all the time.

Must have been
a real monster if he was

able to get a one-up on you.

Actually, wait.

There's still a chance
that challengers

might have to defeat Shaula
in order to enter the tower.

And if that's the case,
the answer would have

to be something I'd know
without having to ask her.

Subaru?

Natsuki, did you
think of something?

The possibility
of conquering the tower

without Shaula's help,

what if there's another Shaula
that she doesn't realize

is actually the true Shaula?

Master, what's
up with that look?

If he keeps staring at me like
that, I'm gonna start blushing.

[giggles]

[calm music]

♪ ♪

[SUBARU]
Beako.

Huh?

Now, there it is.

That's the expression that
he most enjoys seeing on you.

I want to jump
high above here,

look at these monoliths
with a bird's-eye view.

[BEATRICE]
Ah!

[inspiring music]

♪ ♪

Looks like
my hunch was right.

You achieved
your goal, I suppose?

Sure did!

How about that?

This place is seriously
as sadistic as it could be.

♪ ♪

I know the hero's name.

I'm sure of it.

A WHITE SKY ASTERISM

[theme music]

[singing in English
and Japanese]

♪ ♪

[ANASTASIA] Natsuki,
how did you manage

to figure out the answer?

It's not as big a deal
as you guys think.

But don't beat yourselves up.

It's not your fault
you couldn't.

In fact, there are very few
people in this entire world

who could.

The name of the hero vanquished
by Shaula, without a doubt,

is Orion.

Orion?

Ah!

Wait, wait, wait, I've never
heard of any Orion before!

And I wouldn't expect you to,

considering that
the Shaula in question

wasn't even you to begin with.

But the only Shaula
there is is me.

You gave me that name, Master.

I'm saying your master didn't
just pick a name out of a hat.

There's an entire story
behind him choosing it.

The story that's
behind Shaula's name,

is it also something
only you know, Subaru?

Well, I'm not
the only one that knows.

It's just that
where I come from,

there's a star named Shaula--

the meaning
of the name Stinger.

But more specifically,
it refers to a scorpion's tail.

[ANASTASIA]
A scorpion?

The legends say,

when the hero Orion let
his ego blow up out of control,

he was stung
and k*lled by a scorpion

that was sent to torment
him and became stars.

Then, for its achievement,

the scorpion was also
turned into its own star.

They say that Orion is still
terrified of that scorpion,

even now, up in the night sky.

When you simplify
it to that extent,

even a hero's tale sounds
incredibly disappointing.

So anyway,

groups of stars that resemble
certain people or animals

are known as constellations.

They can sometimes
be called asterisms too.

And when I looked down
at the monoliths from above,

I saw them.

I envisioned them
as the constellations

and located Orion among them.

[JULIUS]
What did you learn?

[SUBARU] I gotta admit,
"his grandest splendor"

sure was a tricky way
to phrase the question.

The thing is, different stars
shine in different ways.

Some are consistently bright,

while others only
flash brighter at times.

There are two stars
in the Orion constellation

that could be said
to shine the brightest.

There's Rigel, which
shines consistently brightly,

and Betelgeuse,

a variable star that
glows extra bright at times.

Having two right answers?

No way!

I don't think a place like
this would be so sloppy.

[calm music]

If it were me, I think
I'd have to go with Rigel.

[bright music]

♪ ♪

[groaning]

♪ ♪

[triumphant music]

♪ ♪