03x08 - Saint Destroyer

[bunniefuu]

[TATEMIYA] Damn it all!

Hey.

What are you doing huddling on the floor

over there by yourself?

He said...

He said thank you to me even though...

I did nothing to help him.

I couldn't protect him at all with my magic,

and he thanked me.

I was thinking about his power,

and how I always thought it was so amazing

even before I'd met him.

But I was so wrong.

It's not like that.

He can't rely on any defensive spells.

There's no restoration spell that can heal

even a single scratch.

He truly fights with just his physical body.

All I could do was watch as he was beaten.

He doesn't have any magic.

Yet he goes on living like it's nothing.

Divine punishment should be raining down on me.

This isn't how it should be!

You've gotta be kidding me-- this is the kind of girl

he stuck his neck out to protect?

The man you owe your life to is laying there

black and blue and you're saying all you can do

is sit here and cry about it?

He threw his life away for you and you don't lift a finger?

How do you think he'd feel if he knew

he risked his life for nothing?

Do you hear me? Absolutely nothing!

[ITSUWA gasps]

[TATEMIYA] Acqua of the Rear will definitely be returning.

And while you're sitting around doing nothing,

the clock will continue to count down.

Every second you waste dwelling

on your own useless regret and guilt

is time we could've used looking for a way

to protect him.

Don't throw away someone else's entire life

just because you've got some problems to work out!

I'm sorry.

You want to apologize to him?

You want to make it up to the person

you were supposed to be protecting?

Do you want to send him back home

and into the light of day?

Then get up and fight!

Prove to him that you're the best woman out there

and that he was right to risk his life for you.

He can't be moved by your tears or accept

your apologies if he's not alive.

Of course, if you would prefer to repent

from in front of his grave, then stay behind.

If not, we must fight.

Honestly.

It's unacceptable to see someone in despair

right in front of us and not have the ability

to extend a hand to help him.

Therefore, there's only one thing left for us to do.

[ROMAN POPE] So you've decided not to k*ll him

and have settled on taking his right arm?

I was told the Right Seat of God never deviated

from their policies.

You'll find no deviation here.

The boy's uniqueness is focused in his right arm.

If we can take it from him, then the thr*at he poses

will be removed.

[ROMAN POPE] I've heard that the boy in question

does not yet know God.

And If I'm being honest, I must admit

that I am opposed to k*lling him.

Though Vento laughed at me when I told her that.

I don't exactly know what it is

you're expecting of me,

but I am nowhere near as virtuous

or as philanthropic as you are.

If the time comes to k*ll him, then I will.

And that's all there is to it.

They're dispersing fine particulates into the air.

It looks like they're being used to break down matter.

[alarm blaring]

[SAFETY OFFICIAL] Attention: A low-oxygen alert

has been issued for the entire third level.

Everyone, please take shelter in your designated

building and do not leave until instructed.

I repeat.

A low-oxygen alert has been issued

for the entire third level.

[ROMAN POPE] Have things taken a wrong turn?

[ACQUA] Feels more like a trial run to probe

my combat abilities.

However, I don't sense any human presence.

These are likely unmanned drones.

I doubt they would've been able to get so close

were that not the case.

I am the Right Seat of God.

I am a saint in whom dwells the Power of God.

If any of you dare to stand in my way,

then brace yourselves accordingly.

[phone rings]

[ORSOLA] Hello? Are you there, Miss Sherry?

I do hope I've called the correct number.

[SHERRY] Huh? Yeah, hello, Orsola.

Friendly reminder, bulk waste is picked up

on Mondays and Fridays now.

[SHERRY] Thanks. Get to the point.

Yes.

I've been investigating the Right Seat of God

and Acqua of the Rear.

[SHERRY] Yeah, I heard about that this morning.

What did you find?

It seems that before he was known as Acqua of the Rear,

he was actually poised to become an English knight,

if you can believe that.

[SHERRY] Huh?

Sounds like Acqua of the Rear has been confronted

by a squad of unmanned powered suits

on the third level.

If he could be stopped by mass-produced units,

we would have it all too easy.

Are we heading out?

Not yet.

We'd just be charging in there blindly if we left now,

and I think we all know how that would turn out.

We need to wait for the perfect time.

Meanwhile, we will prepare ourselves and our weapons

as best we can, and we must craft

an optimal strategy.

[ITSUWA] Please just wait another three hours.

It takes a little more time to re-sharpen a blade

and make it strong enough to fight against

a monster like that.

[TATEMIYA gasps]

What do we do now?

Why'd you have to fire her up like that?

I had to.

Should I have just let her sit there like an empty shell?

[ITSUWA] Tatemiya, sir.

I'm gonna be just fine.

Can I ask you to please let me focus for a bit?

Uh, of course.

[phone buzzing]

[ORSOLA] Oh, my, would I happen to be speaking

to Mr. Tatemiya?

Oh, wow!

It's so comforting just listening to your voice!

I am terribly sorry, sir,

it appears I've dialed the wrong number.

--Goodbye. --[TATEMIYA] No!

Don't hang up!

[ORSOLA] I have new information regarding

Acqua of the Rear's past.

His real name is William Orwell.

He has no mercenary affiliation in the region of England.

His principle combat record involves

astrological brigade support,

the mission to terminate the Orleans Order,

and the Third Princess of Britain rescue mission.

Heh. All of those are battlefields comparable

to the worst of nightmares.

[ORSOLA] Because of his achievements,

he was on track to receive a British knighthood.

But then one week before his investment,

he mysteriously disappeared.

And naturally once he'd resurfaced again,

he had become a known enemy of England.

[ORSOLA] Not only was he a strong fighter,

he also supplied knowledge of medicinal herbs

to impoverished regions.

He showed them how to use roots for food,

and many now regard him as a sage.

[TATEMIYA] In other words, he's not just a mindless savage--

he's a brilliant beast, tough in body

and soft in thought.

[ACQUA] They've fallen back then?

They seem surprisingly intelligent.

Let's see...

There are still nineteen hours until the deadline.

Have you come to a decision yet?

Well, when you make a demand as impossible as this one,

it tends to eliminate the need to put too much thought into it.

You currently stand to have two billion members

of the Roman Orthodox Church as your enemies.

You have the chance to avoid that for the price

of one arm.

I would think someone with your intelligence

would call that a bargain.

The Roman Orthodoxy is not our enemy.

It's people like you who regularly go out of their way

to exploit and prey upon those who earnestly

believe in God.

[ACQUA] Does this mean that our negotiations have broken down?

[TATEMIYA] Is there anything else it could possibly mean?

Don't forget that I am a saint.

I also possess a vast amount of power as part of

the Right Seat of God.

If you truly understand what that means,

and you still insist on fighting me,

I will use this opportunity for a demonstration.

I will prove to you that battles are not won or lost

by good or evil, but by strengths and weaknesses.

The least you can do is try to force me to use

--one of my last-- --[ITSUWA grunts]

[TATEMIYA] Um... Uh, Itsuwa?

I didn't even make it through my sentence.

Couldn't you wait until I'm finished speaking?

Whatever you have to say to us can wait until later.

And that's only if your jaw is in any condition

to still help you speak.

It may not be after I've shattered it

and beaten you to a thoroughly bloody pulp!

I don't believe this.

Sounds like Itsuwa's completely snapped.

This is because of what you said, Deputy Pope.

Oh, please.

A girl in love will go to w*r with anyone

who threatens her, including God.

[ACQUA] I see.

How extraordinarily gallant of you,

but I would prefer to see you back up

such strong words with bona fide actions.

[ITSUWA] Is that so?

Well rest assured, there's no need to worry about that.

You can reduce us to shreds.

But we'll still b*at the crap out of you!

And we won't stop until you regret what you've done!

We're taking it that far?

You appear to have prepared yourself substantially for this.

[ITSUWA] Of course I have.

This spear has been treated with fifteen hundred

layers of resin.

It symbolizes the rings of age within a tree,

and the form of its hidden spell is the fertility

of plant life.

You've done well to ready your w*apon

in such a short amount of time.

I'm impressed.

[ITSUWA grunts]

[ACQUA] And what's more surprising is that even though

you're slow, you're still able to keep up with my speed.

[ACQUA] Interesting.

I see you're augmenting each other's motor skills.

It's almost as if you have experience fighting

against a saint as powerful as me.

But you're still too slow!

[FEMALE VOICE A] You k*lled me.

[FEMALE VOICE B] You're a k*ller.

[MALE VOICE A] You k*lled me, too, didn't you?

[FEMALE VOICE D] You k*lled all of us.

[ACQUA] I see. So that's what this is.

In case you haven't guessed,

the form of this spell is a m*rder*r's punishment.

Each wire is a redefinition of an individual's lifeline,

and the spell penalizes whoever breaks them.

It's very strong, and no defensive spell

from any cultural region can stop it.

It denotes negative resentment.

[gasps]

[ACQUA] My attribute is Gabriel.

And to a certain extent, I can perform the esoteric rites

of the Holy Mother Veneration.

As for acts of restriction such as severe provisions

dealing with sin and evil,

they're meaningless against me.

What?

Would it have been so difficult to wait

until I finished what I was saying?

All right.

I suppose this just adds to the thrill of the chase.

Wow, he's here already?

[ACQUA] The bodies of the Right Seat of God are almost angelic.

So they cannot perform magic used by normal humans.

However...

The Holy Mother veneration spells that I possess

can effectively remove those bindings and conditions.

I am both saint and Right Seat of God.

I can command both human and angelic spells.

So do not put me, Acqua of the Rear,

on the same level as the rest of the Right Seat of God.

Where's Acqua?

[ACQUA] Over here.

[ITSUWA grunts]

[ACQUA] Well, now.

Don't you think it's time to bring an end to these warm ups?

We've both taken up arms against each other.

There's no reason for us not to exchange blows.

[ITSUWA] That's true.

However, I'm not necessarily fighting alone.

Doesn't matter. Let's go.

[GROUP yelling]

[GROUP grunts]

[ITSUWA]

[ACQUA] Your moves are fine.

But your rhythm is starting to lag.

[USHIBUKA. TATEMIYA yell]

Tell me... Girl.

How much longer do you think you'll last?

Don't try to move. You won't be able to.

We collect magical notation from everyday items.

Then reconstruct them for use in our spells.

Notice the pattern at your feet.

In case you were wondering,

it's blocking your movement magic.

Tatemiya! Gather the others!

It's time for our sure bet!

Here it goes.

[yelling]

Take this!

[ITSUWA] Saint Breakout!

Because saints possess physical characteristics

that are very similar to the Son of God.

They're able to generate the same kind of powers

as the Son of God.

Using Saint Breakout disrupts the balance

of those characteristics,

and when saints lose that balance,

they don't lose their powers,

but they do lose control of them,

and they can no longer move.

The Amakusa Church once lost a saint

who left her home out of fear of her own

power and strength.

After that happened, every one of us took a vow.

Beyond our grueling efforts to support her as a saint,

we must also help her confront the problems

she found threatening.

Our solution was born in the creation

of what we call the Saint Breakout.

It's a specialized att*ck spell specifically used

in battles with saints.

[ACQUA] And a fine spell it is.

It's too bad I'm not just an ordinary saint.

If I were, I might've been finished right here.

Unfortunately for you,

a saint is only one part of who I am.

I am also the Right Seat of God.

[ITSUWA grunts]

[GROUP yelling]

[ACQUA] This is pointless.

Even after combining your forces and planning

such a strong strategy, this is where you end up?

At least you still have a little time left

before your deadline.

I'll give you a choice.

Either find a way to get me the young man's arm,

or become a stain on the road right here.

Then you leave me no choice.

Very well, then.

Looks like you get to continue living.

[ORSOLA] It appears that William Orwell has used an expl*sive

amount of power as a saint since his days as a mercenary.

Currently, he wields power in the Roman Orthodoxy's

organization, the Right Seat of God.

He also had another name.

A sorcerer's moniker he crafted for himself.

Flere Two-One-Zero.

Flere is a Latin word, the infinitive "to weep."

His style of fighting appears to be self-taught,

but his method of moving around during combat

involves a spell that uses water as a teleport.

Obviously, there's a common thread here.

If the name "Acqua of the Rear"

is associated with the four archangels,

it would fall under Gabriel,

and its attribute would be water, so it fits.

Heh. I see, so that means he's at a height normal humans

can't reach no matter how hard they try.

[ACQUA] I've heard that the Amakusa Church once had a saint

among them whose philosophy was to k*ll

using only a single strike of the sword.

However, I also heard that this particular saint's

disposition was that she absolutely hated fighting.

Do you have the nerve it takes to fight me?

[KANZAKI] Well, that's interesting.

Apparently, I'm a more childish person

than I ever thought myself to be.

I was taught anger was one of the seven sins,

but I refuse to lose any sleep over it.

I won't let his resolve be for nothing.

That alone is enough motivation for me.

You don't need to worry about my nerves.

Let's go.

Single Flash!

[ACQUA] Talent alone can be profoundly cruel, can't it?

Even though we both use the same method,

our results are vastly different.

[KANZAKI] Not true.

My foundation is entirely Amakusan,

and my teachers are all of my friends.

Therefore, I cannot permit you to denigrate them in any way.

Moreover, if someone is conscious

of how much power they have

and yet still ruthlessly brings it to bear

against an ordinary high-school student,

then it doesn't matter if they're a saint.

Such a person has lost any right to look down on others.

I'm not impressed.

Even a foot soldier will unwittingly encounter a t*nk.

It's the way of the b*ttlefield.

And if he's not prepared, he'll be crushed to pieces.

That's just your way of thinking.

That's right, and you and your comrades

are the ones who stepped onto my territory.

Or, was the boy perhaps unknowingly

dragged into this by someone else?

If you knew he was just an ordinary person,

then why did you use your saintly power

against him?

And why would I tell you my reasons for fighting?

[ACQUA] Show me yours first, Saint of the Far East!

I want to know that those are more than just words.

I want to see your reason within your sword.

See if you can show me what it is without words!

[KAMIJO] Where am I?

Oh, man.

What happened to me?

[KAMIJO] That's right.

The fight against Acqua is probably still going on.

I'm sorry, Index.

I'll apologize to you later.

But right now,

just let me do what needs to be done.

[KAMIJO] A sh*t exerted by the chosen one

blows dignity to bits.

After all the despair, will the Priestess's cries

get through?

Next time, "Holy Mother Veneration."

When science and magic cross paths, a story is born.