02x10 - The Value of Friends

[bunniefuu]

John...

Punch!

John, no!

Maryrose's soot power isn't
limited to manipulating scorches!

What?

She can instantaneously transform
others' soot into scorches!

Uh... Uh-oh.

There's more than double
what was there before!

Lesson three.

One's true power should be
kept secret as long as possible.

So this is a phantom?

All we can do is run!
Let's go, Kate!

J-John!

What's wrong?

Why...

John's body won't move
the way he wants it to...

You've used too much soot.

But you can do this, John!

For now, we just have to run!

John is sorry for
being so pathetic.

The more you attack,
the stronger your opponent becomes!

That's just cheating!

This is no different from having
our soot powers sealed away.

Blast it!

Both John and Kate thought that our high
soot volumes were our one advantage!

And we left Emilico and Shaun
back in the great hall, too.

It's just as Maryrose said.

Kate and the others were naïve.

You will not be allowed
to interfere, Kate.

We will decide the manner
in which our curtain falls.

In the face of sadness, we shall smile

To live is to be a marionette

Once your heart gets into the swing...

Would you like a coffee?





I can't seem to dance very well

Pain and resentment, and sadness, too...

Mix them, knead them...

And then a good night kiss

Shall we Dance? We shall dance

Despair and desire. This is the life!

Shadow Life!

Don't puzzle over things unnecessarily

Let's become one

How nice [How nice] How nice [How nice]

Humans... Being human... It's so nice

The Value of Friends

Kate, what will we do now?

This isn't going as planned, is it?

For now, we have to make
sure she doesn't find us.

Since soot attacks won't
work on Maryrose,

it will be incredibly difficult
for Kate and John to capture her.

First, let's try to get
close to the house.

If we must, we can shout for help.

With everyone brainwashed,

John would've really liked
to settle this with just us, though.

Can you still move, John?

Yes, John can manage.

There are scorches
coming this way!

Didn't they all turn
into that phantom?!

This time, she's planning to
use sheer numbers to overwhelm us.

A human wave attack...

No, a scorch wave attack?

That Maryrose is ruthless!

And now John is hungry!

Blast!

If John had known things would
go like this, he'd have eaten something!

Indeed!

Using soot powers chips
away at one's stamina, so...

What a truly enjoyable evening.

Kate has conducted herself admirably.

And John's soot
volume is impressive.

We've rendered their soot powers ineffective,

and their living dolls aren't
here to fight for them.

The next thing they'll think
about is calling for help.

Now, my scorches!

Do not let those two get
anywhere near the house!

If we're cornered now,
we'll have nowhere left to go.

It's no good. She's reading our every move!

Kate is worried about
Emilico and Shaun.

Huh? They're probably fine, right?

After all, we implemented
the Mouth Full of Water Plan!

Since she can control scorches,
we knew she'd target our living dolls first.

That's why they filled their
mouths with water ahead of time.

Protected against scorches,

they'd create an opening by acting
like they'd contracted soot sickness.

And to make sure they
weren't found out,

Kate, you sent soot into their eyes
and made them look pitch-black!

Your control there was perfect!

True, but... up until now,

Maryrose has been one step ahead
of everything we've tried.

This is bad.

If she sent high-density
scorches at them...

My eyes hurt!

Mistress Kate, you didn't
have to go this far!

My eyes won't stop watering.

I have to rinse them out.

I'll go and bring the water we hid.

I can't see very well.

You can do it! Please, Emilico.

I had no idea that getting soot
in my eyes would hurt this much.

But thanks to that,
our acting was very realistic!

Still...

I thought we were
prepared against scorches,

but the timing of that
attack was just...

You don't have any left
in your mouth, do you?

I'm fine.

Actually, it's the irritation
in my eyes that's awful.

And that's because the soot
was really packed in there.

Seen in comparison to that,
Mistress Maryrose is really amazing.

She sent scorches with a precisely
calculated amount of soot at us.

Though, thanks to that,

we were able to hold them off
with a mouthful of water.

I-It isn't a criticism of Mistress Kate!

Mistress Maryrose is very kind, isn't she?

I see.

If she'd sent small,
high-density scorches at us,

we might not have been
able to defend against them.

Could it be...

Did she calculate the amount so we'd
only receive a light case of soot sickness?

If we turn her in as the culprit...

Will Mistress Maryrose and Rosemary...

be disposed of?

Right now, we should concentrate
only on our own masters.

I have a bad feeling about this.

If Master John is alone
with Mistress Kate...

He'll be overeager and expend
all of his strength, won't he?

Master John's punch
is incredibly powerful,

but he can't regulate it the
way Mistress Maryrose can her powers.

Apparently, a single punch consumes
a huge amount of his stamina!

Blast.

He should have
had seconds at dinner.

Then there's no need to worry!

After all, Mistress Kate
has a secret weapon!

Ta-dah!

Kate's just remembered
that she has this!

Who'd have imagined that
it would prove useful?

First, we must
replenish our strength.

Let's eat it together.

Huh? Oh...

You're giving this to John?

Do you always have
rolls in your pocket?

What? No, not usually.

It's because Emilico insisted.

Rolls are an absolute necessity!

When we did our late night patrols,
they came in very handy!

No, it's just...

John was so happy,
he didn't know how to react!

Ahem.

It's the first present John
ever received from Kate...

He'll treasure it all his life.

Eat it immediately.

All right! John's power is at its maximum!

Next time, John will bring her down!

You just wait! You'll get what's
coming to you, Maryrose!

If you make too much noise,
she'll find us! Keep quiet!

The strength from the roll Kate gave
him has filled John with energy!

The situation hasn't
turned in our favor.

We can't run any further.

No, there's the mouth
of the aqueduct.

Let's use that!

We can douse the scorches with water!

Nice idea!

How would we do that?

Well...

We could make
buckets out of soot.

Another nice idea!

The water would just wash the soot away!

John!

How can we survive this crisis?

One, drop them into the
aqueduct one by one...

Two, attack with soot powers to
decrease their numbers straightaway...

Or three, wait for Emilico
and Shaun to arrive?

Come on! John will smack you
down into the aqueduct!

Ow! It's so hard!

Could this be what they
called a "high-density" one?

Is it because it was John's soot?

Now it's come to this...

To protect John's beloved Kate,

he will put all his strength into
a John Punch and blow them all away!

Don't use all your strength
against just one of them!

One and two won't work.

As long as Maryrose is around,
she can just make more scorches.

And next time, John really won't
be able to move afterwards.

Which leaves number three.

It seems too obvious.

We don't know what Emilico
and Shaun's situation is.

And we've strayed far from
our agreed meeting place.

Kate! Don't let yourself worry!

If you emit soot, our position
here will be revealed.

You need to keep a cool head.

That's it, John!

Huh?

Let's go cool our heads!

Oh, honestly. This is the worst!

It's cold, and Kate's
clothes are soaked.

It feels disgusting.

Should John carry
you on his shoulders?

No!

Blast it.

They're still watching us from
the edge of the aqueduct.

Kate, what's our next move?

Well...

This aqueduct brings water from the
outside for the use of Shadows House.

It splits a few times up ahead...

branching toward the vegetable
garden and the main house.

And beyond that, it should continue
all the way to the fountain garden.

No matter what we do,

we'll have to briefly leave the
aqueduct and use the stairs.

And they'll definitely be watching
for that opportunity to attack us.

Right, then!

We're headed for the
main house, right?

Even from the aqueduct,

if we shout loud enough,
the Star Bearers might notice!

The whole reason we're
in this mess to begin with...

is because the Star Bearers
falsely accused Kate of a crime.

This isn't amusing in the least!

We're heading for
the fountain garden!

If you use your John Punch with exactly
the right timing, we'll beat them!

John doesn't quite understand,

but is Kate thinking of him
as her secret weapon?

All right!

John will put everything
he's got into one punch!

We haven't seen Maryrose
up to this point.

Is that simply because she
can't touch us in the aqueduct?

Emilico...

If you're making a move right now,

I hope you'll be able to
figure out my destination.

What was that noise?

Can you see anything, Emilico?

There are a few scorches
next to the aqueduct...

but I don't see Mistress Maryrose
or Mistress Kate.

As we thought,
they must be being chased.

We have to make sure
we aren't found, either.

I wonder if this means that
the soot bridge plan failed.

We tried heading toward
the soot that went up earlier,

but it seems we're too late.

Oh! At the edge of the aqueduct!

Mistress Kate's handkerchief
and a bit of bread?

Why would Mistress Kate have bread?

I had it ready for her!

See? I have some, too!

Oh!

With all that rolling around earlier,
it's been squashed really flat!

Well, we know that
they were here.

But what message
was she trying to convey?

They must have gone
into the aqueduct!

And they left the bread behind because
they didn't want it to get ruined.

Oh, no!

Those scorches earlier...

Could it be...

They were after Mistress Kate
and Master John?

What? You keep things in there?

It's the map from when
we were exploring.

We added to it in preparation
for tonight's undertaking.

Let's check the information
on the gardens!

Even if we go back
along the same route,

we won't make it in time.

This aqueduct goes to the vegetable gardens,
the main house, and the fountain garden.

If we can figure out where Mistress Kate
and Master John are heading,

we might be able to catch up
by traveling overground.

And there are three options...

What is it?

When I imagine Mistress Kate
walking through the aqueduct...

with her clothes soaked,
she must be freezing!

She might catch a cold!

I'm so worried for her!

That's what you're worried about?

It's just like Emilico
to be that way.

Here we go! John,
you come after!

Understood!

First, I'll draw the scorches' attention...

Over here!

...and lead them to the
edge of the fountain!

Kate!

Kate!

Hold on just a little longer!

And then, the last move is smashing
the fountain with a John Punch!

The spray of water will
catch them all at once!

Huh?

How?

How can you already be here?

I can sense the movements
of the scorches I control.

I arrived before you and set a phantom
to wait for you by the fountain.

Mary...rose...

Your lessons end here.

You chose wrongly, Kate.

You should have gone to the
main house to seek help.

To the last, you insisted on
a direct confrontation with me.

That is why you have lost.

John...

Punch!

It can't be!

How could John come
from behind us?

Then the ones I captured are...

You painted your bodies
with soot and traded places?

It's over, Maryrose.

Emilico, Shaun, you really saved us.

And it's such a relief
that you're unharmed.

It's all thanks to your Mouth Full
of Water Plan, Mistress Kate!

Still, it's amazing that you knew Kate
was heading for the fountain garden.

We weren't able to leave any message
other than the piece of bread.

I thought you'd go to the house
to ask for help, but Emilico...

Mistress Kate, you were very angry
at the Star Bearers' mistrust of you,

so I knew that you wouldn't
ask them for help.

And if that were true,
then to fight a phantom,

I thought you might pick
somewhere with lots of water!

That's why we came here!

And thanks to that, we were able
to meet up before Maryrose got here.

You knew exactly how Kate felt.

Thank you, Emilico.

Well, I am Mistress Kate's face, after all!

And...

thanks to the roll Emilico
made Kate carry with her...

John was able to use his
John Punch a second time.

Master John's strength has run out
in the middle of the fountain!

This makes you see John in a
new light, doesn't it, Kate?

Yes, well.

Though, in your current state,
it's a little difficult.

The improved John Punch plan
was a wonderful idea.

Thank you, Shaun.

If not for your suggestion to switch places,
we would likely have failed.

No, that was thanks to Emilico, too.

If it would keep Mistress Kate
from catching a cold,

I'd like her to switch
her clothes for mine!

Her saying that is what
gave me the idea.

Though, I did think that wearing your
clothes would be presumptuous of us.

Not at all.

There is no need to be bound
by the rules of Shadows House.

You are quite brilliant.

Shaun is John's face, after all.

You're just completely carefree, aren't you?

Also, you two were very good
at imitating Kate and John.

Thank you!

In the end,

the strategies Kate thought up
on her own weren't any good.

Truly, thank you, Emilico...

Shaun...

and John.

You can't be serious!

Your stomach is growling now?!

Wh-What else do you expect?

The energy from
the roll has run out!

Master John, now isn't
really the time...

You too, Shaun?

Ta-dah!

We actually have one more roll!

Emilico... is that edible?

Huh? I'm sure it's delicious!

It's a celebration, right?
Let's eat it together!

Kate doesn't need any.

It's very flat, so it's
easy to portion out!

Four... No, six pieces!

Kate...

You have wonderful friends.

We, who were unable
to make allies, have lost.

If you...

No, if all of you work together,

perhaps you will be able
to change Shadows House.

The culprits behind the recent phantom
disturbance were Maryrose and Rosemary.

Kate was not involved and
so will be cleared of all suspicion.

This will be quite the
achievement for all of you.

And I will accept my punishment.

Is that all right, Rosemary?

To be disposed of together with you

is all I could ever wish for.

If I give Maryrose over
to the Star Bearers,

my value in their eyes will rise greatly.

If I allow Maryrose to go free,

then I will be punished as the culprit
behind the phantom disturbance.

Mistress Kate.

Saving everyone who is brainwashed
is your goal, isn't it, Mistress Kate?

But...

How can we possibly...

Do not pity us, Emilico.

We exposed many living dolls
to the dangers of soot sickness.

And to cause further chaos,

we forced the Belles, who happened
to be nearby, to break the coffee carafes.

All just to buy ourselves more time.

To get here, we've done many things
that can never be forgiven.

The next day,

we handed Maryrose and Rosemary
over to the Star Bearers.

Traveling through a jumbled labyrinth...

Over and over

This lonely utopia...

I have no more need of it

A vanished smile

Promises are lies, too

Everything is pointless,
isn't it? And yet...

Even misshapen as I am, I keep searching...

For shadows of recollection

Roses whose love has rotted...

Lock their feelings away

That silhouette from back then...

I've kept on chasing it...

Even if pale, frozen thorns

Pierce my heart over and over

Until I can take that hand

Again and again

I'll wish on a star

Next time,

Next Time

The Answer of the Two

"The Answer of the Two."