Josh’s Anime Blog

It’s episode 22, and…what? Sabrac didn’t actually die!? WTF! Meanwhile, Yuji learns why his mother got sick. Also, Shana and Yoshida decide to force Yuji’s decision on who he likes, but Hecate decides that she wants Yuji for herself (well, sort of).

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The highlights of this episode:

• Sabrac apparently did some shenanigans while fighting the Flame Hazes and actually survived their assault. However, Bel Peol says that Sabrac’s original job was completed, so his job is complete. Sabrac excuses himself, not not before glaring over at the Professor.
• Satou tells Margery that he wants to work at Outlaw after all. He’s even willing to study (gasp!) if necessary. Marchocias tells Margery that Satou is completely serious and won’t give up, no matter what she tries to do to dissuade him.
• After school, Yuji walks back to his house with Shana when he sees his father waiting for him. Shana ends up going ahead to Yuji’s house on her own so Yuji and his father can talk alone. Yuji’s father asks Yuji for approval to put the kanji for “three” into “his upcoming little brother or sister’s name,” thereby in a round-about way announcing that Chigusa is pregnant. He also tells Yuji that they once had a child before him who didn’t live. That’s why his name is Yuji - 悠二 - with the kanji for “two” in his name. In the end, Yuji agrees with his father’s request.
• Later, Shana meets up with Yoshida, and immediately asks her “how to make babies,” which naturally shocks Yoshida. Shana explains that when she asked this to Yuji’s family, they all gave her strange looks, and that even Alastor won’t tell her. Yoshida tells Shana that asking such a question in public is more embarrassing than running around naked.
• Shana and Yoshida decide to force Yuji to choose which one of them he likes most. Their plan is to each write him a letter, which Shana leaves at Yuji’s house, which tell him where each of them will be the following night - Christmas Eve. Shana is about ready to write their “love letters” with regular stationary and envelopes when Yoshida tells her that they have to use more appropriate material for their love letters, so they go out and by more lovey-dovey paper, pens, and envelopes.
• That evening, Yoshida runs into Ike out in town, where Ike asks her if he can have some of her time the next day.
• The next morning, Shana tells Wilhelmina that she’s going to tell Yuji that she loves him. Wilhelmina tries to persuade Shana otherwise, basically telling her that things might get “weird” if she’s rejected, and that Yuji will still care for Yoshida even if he does pick Shana. This puts Wilhelmina and Shana into an argument, which only ends when Tiamat tells both of them to be quiet and Shana runs off to her room. However, Wilhelmina later goes and all-but apologizes to Shana, and helps her get ready.
• That evening, before the anointed time for Yuji’s choice, Yoshida meets up with Ike, and he tells her that he loves her. Ike says that he doesn’t need an answer, an just asks Yoshida to either walk towards him or towards the town where Yuji is, and starts to walk away. Unfortunately for Ike, Yoshida walks towards the town.
• Yuji arrives to make his choice when suddenly Hecate puts up a Fuzetsu and starts to extract the Midnight Lost Child from Yuji…

I assume that taking the Midnight Lost Child will make Yuji a regular old torch that will burn out. The only question is how much power of existence he has left. If it’s the same as a normal torch, he probably has only a couple days to live. If it’s all the power that the Midnight Lost Child usually charges him up with then, well, he’s still going to be around a while. Of course, we have to ask what Hecate plans to do with it anyway. Presumably it has something to do with the silver, though I’m sure they wouldn’t mind the ever-recharging power either.

Also, it appears, at least to start with, that Hecate came alone. That means that either it’s a hit-and-run strike and the Flame Hazes are going to have to find where she went, or she actually isn’t alone and we’re about to have some more good ol’ battles.

In any case, we only have 2 episodes left (I think) and we have quite a bit to resolve between now and then - getting the Midnight Lost Child back into Yuji. Sabrac. The Bal Masqué. Who does Yuji choose?, Satou working at Outlaw. And so on. It seems like we can’t get all of those done in two episodes which means that it will either be a rushed ending - which is bad - oooooorrrrr…..we get even more Shana! (hooray if that’s the case!)

As for what will happen now, I have absolutely no idea. I knew that the Bal Masqué was up to something, but had no idea what. I still have no idea what. I guess that’s what airing the episodes is for. This looks like it will be an interesting and hopefully exciting conclusion to this season, in any case.