01x05 - Kitaru wa Atsureki no Inori Te

[bunniefuu]

How absolutely revolting.

Not only do they constantly stand in the
way of our noble Eastern Expedition,

they kidnap our heroes,
besmirching humanity's glorious history.

When they are mere barbarians,
living beyond the light of civilization.

It's the bird again!

But we can't put up much of
a fight with this equipment.

Fear not.

We carry with us the most
potent of God's miracles.

More than enough to vanquish some beast.

Be that as it may,
Retinue Priest Malcius,

if we don't resupply soon,
our chances of surviving...

You want to run back to base, is that it?

You gentlemen are knights
of the Eastern Expedition.

I thought that meant honorable,
distinguished service.

But if your efforts

end in no better results than the
expedition from 20 years ago...

There is only one way to avoid such shame:

the rescue of Lady Serafina de Lavillant!

For both your honor as knights

and so that the The Order of Commoneras

can see our long-held dream
of eastern conquest fulfilled!

The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King

What a fine edge.

That should do for today's firewood.

Really? We're done already?

You say that, but in the past three
days, you've cut two weeks' worth.

If all I do is eat and sleep,
my body will lose its edge.

And I obviously want to familiarize
myself with such a fine weapon.

Should I take that to mean your
restlessness from the past few days

has been due to boredom, then?

So much time without any
meetings or exercise...

is quite the change of pace
from how my life used to be.

And yet, you've never helped
with household tasks before.

Honestly, I should have done my share
of that sort of thing as a squire...

But my grandfather

apparently put some degree of pressure
on the knight I apprenticed to.

The idea of a major noble bending
the rules like that is scary.

Well, I doubt you'll be bored today.

Considering... Oh, look.

Hey, Sera! Care to spar with
the village's warriors?

He mentioned some bright idea he
had to resolve your frustration.

I wasn't expecting something
so... meat-headed.

Look how many of them there are!
I can't just send them away.

Oh, well!

Speaking of meatheads...

Sorry, Cersei, but could
you bring Sera's armor out?

Sure! Just a moment.

You had my armor all along?

Once it was off of you,
I wiped the blood and mud away,

but I've only done the bare
minimum of daily maintenance.

No. That should suffice.

I suppose the helmet couldn't be fixed.

I'll help you put it on.

You know how?

More or less.

Considering I was the
one who took it off you.

Most can't remove and equip
armor without experience...

I apologize for the wait.

I am a knight commander of
the kingdom of Illdoren...

But you know me better
as the Crystal Helmet.

Let's see if you can
alleviate my boredom!

Getting to fight the Crystal Helmet...
It's like a dream!

Me! I wanna go first!

There's no need to rush.

We'll be doing this
with wooden swords, Sera.

I thought as much.

Our first challenge for the famous
Crystal Helmet is the young warrior

who experienced battle for the first
time in the most recent conflict...

Warrior Raham, son of
Gamelan, the Blue Fang!

Comport yourselves with honor, and begin!

Don't hold back on my account!

Raham!

He said not to hold back!

Next is Gamelan the Blue Fang!

I will avenge my boy's little boy...

as his father!

- My own little boy!

- Dad!

You both fight the same way!

Let me go next.

Very well. Next is Two-Necked Sero!

Crystal Helmet.

First, I want thank you.

When the Tsukebikeshi
attacked the village...

you protected my sister and nephew.

They're your family?

I'm grateful that you kept
Yufa and Gatar alive.

That said, the spar's a separate matter.

Show no restraint!

Right.

Here I come!

Gamelan and Sero were both
taken down with ease!

Now I'm really fired up!

Sh-She's so strong.

These are all skilled warriors, but...

Well, considering how much willpower
Illdoren is using, it's no surprise.

Lady Vyufumec, Master Veor
explained it to me before

but I'm still not sure
what this "willpower" is.

It's not that complicated.

Willpower is just what it sounds
like; the strength of one's will.

Their desire to achieve something.

Birds being able to fly,
fish being able to swim,

dragons being powerful,
we Tefyu being as free as we are,

it all comes from the same source.

We Tefyu don't have flowing
blood or bodies of flesh.

We're sort of the living dreams of the
wind, water, clouds, earth, and flames.

The Ixt, Quefto, and Kufuwek
all have bodies of flesh,

but have long, long lifespans.

But... the Cornem live
for such a short time.

With not nearly enough time to
accomplish the things they want to.

Which is why Cornem warriors have
such strong, strong willpower.

It sharpens their technique,
increases their strength,

and gives life to
their fighting techniques.

And techniques strengthened with willpower
can only be contested with willpower.

Then if their martial and
physical prowess are both equal,

it's willpower that determines
who wins a fight?

Right.

That powerful desire to accomplish
something in their brief lives...

It's something that seems truly
dazzling to the rest of us.

It almost seems to shine.

It's a draw!

It seems I didn't manage to win.

Seeing how I lost last time,
I could hardly risk doing so again.

What? Are you still worried
about what I said the other day?

Oh, no...

But how about it? Did that
help ease your boredom?

Yeah! I'm feeling pretty
relieved right now.

And I have you to thank.

And this after they were fighting
seriously seconds ago...

Now, that was some lively willpower!

There's nothing I enjoy more.

A Tefyu being impressed
with someone else's vigor...

Is that why you're visiting today?

Some booze would make
the outing even better.

Hey! We've got trouble!

What's wrong?

We've got an injured Morisuberi heading
this way from the western woods!

What?!

Is it another dragon?

From what I can tell, these dragon
attacks are out of the ordinary.

But it's strange. The Tsukebikeshi
around here don't approach villages.

They've learned how they'll
be attacked, if they do.

The Tsukebikeshi incident, and now this...

From what the other lookouts tell
me, it's not just this Morisuberi!

There's been a bunch of other dragons
that have injuries from humans!

That's odd.

No one who lives in these parts would
let a wounded dragon get away...

Something bad is going
on in the western woods.

It's different from the intense
look he has during battle.

I didn't expect to see
such a face on Veor...

I've got a bad feeling.

It's beginning!

This way!

Now tie it down!

Sera!

I've got it!

Nicely done.

The Crystal Helmet finished it off!

Hey, I could use some rope!

What'll we do with the tail?

It won't be enough, at this rate.

That's one big dragon...

It's a Morisuberi.

Unlike the Tsukebikeshi and other flying
dragons, it's a type of True Dragon.

True Dragons? What is the difference?

The number of legs. See how it has six?

According to Ixt sages,
the center pair used to be wings.

In the distant past,
they apparently flew via willpower.

Something this heavy used to fly?

That really would be like a dragon
from out of a fantasy tale.

There are other breeds whose
wings are still intact.

The Fire Dragon that dwells in the
Quefto's mountains, for example.

That sounds even more fantastical.

Hey! Come take a look at this!

Here's the wound we heard about.

It's a burn, but it
looks odd, doesn't it?

It's pretty deep, but there's
not much soot at all.

Ordinary flame didn't do this.

It reminds me of the Rijutsu
that the Ixt use...

Rijutsu? Is that some kind of magic?

It is.

Normally, for burns, it'd require some
sulfur or volcanic stone as a catalyst.

But if that was the case,
there'd be more charring...

Sera, are there people in the west
who use this kind of sorcery?

In Illdoren?

I can say for certain that no
one of these lands did this.

I can't think of anyone in the
Eastern Expedition who uses magic...

Wait. Could it be?

Did someone come to mind?

The clergy of the Order of Commoneras,
from the western kingdoms.

A number of them have accompanied the
Eastern Expedition as retinue priests.

Their duty is to perform simple
masses and funerary writes with the

power of light in camps to soothe the
spirits of the eastern knights...

But I've never heard of their miracles
having any combat potential.

Illdoren! Orkfiem! There's trouble!

The Ixt have found the maniacs who've
been using Rijutsu without a catalyst!

Are they mad?!
They're actually doing such a thing?

And because of that, a blight
will be showing up any time now!

A blight?

Hear me well, warriors!

Excluding those with second names,

I want half of you to collect
and clean the dragon!

The rest are to return to the village
and prepare for the worst-case scenario!

Those who have a second name,
brace yourselves, and come with me!

Veor, what are these blights?

Blights are what happens when
natural law becomes stagnate.

They become antithetical to the natural
world... Fiends, in other words.

Fiends?

There is a type of monster...
we call them Fiends.

As you live here, you'll
encounter them sooner or later.

They're a bit like a living disaster.

We cannot turn back after
having come so far.

No matter what price we must pay...

This way!

Malcius!

Retinue Priest Malcius!

Lady Serafina?

Lady Serafina! You're not hurt!

Lady Lavillant!

They don't seem like they'd be completely
incompatible with our way of life...

Sera, do you know them?

She was the priest assigned to
my First Division of knights.

L-L-Lady Serafina!

That savage! He's one
of those wretched barbarians!

He needs to die!

Calm yourself, Malcius.
Do not be so wantonly aggressive.

Consider your situation.

You say that, after all this time?!

We have been warring for 700 years...
This is the 17th expedition!

Justice is with those of us from the east!

How could the Lavillant
princess have forgotten this?!

Did these lowborn creatures violate you?!

No! It's not like that!

Damned barbarians!

Omgab! Feu louv! Vefshiv!

Am Fyuek!

Stop it! What do you think you're doing?!

In Vif!

That must've been what
injured the Morisuberi.

Then the source of the commotion...

Did you see that, Lady Serafina?!

In these foul barbarian lands,

God's miracles have grown
all the more potent!

What could this prove other than our
righteousness?! We are righteous!

Of all the asinine mistakes to make.

You should not take such pride

in absconding with the power
of the earth and the trees.

Come, Lady Serafina.
Let's return home together.

What's the matter?

Malcius, is it? For Sera's sake,
I'm going to ask only once...

Can we not discuss this matter?

Stop talking, you savage!

Wait! Even if you do this—

I was willing to show mercy by simply
demonstrating God's power,

but you had to get uppity!

So be it! You may feel His
wrath for yourself, and repent!

Feuk Um! Feu louv! Omgab! Vefshiv!

That fool!

In Vif!

Veor?!

God's wrath finds it's mark!

Come along now, Lady Serafina!

Lukewarm.

Veor...

Your projectiles are not
nearly enough to pierce armor

that is fortified with willpower.

If you want to k*ll me...

then take up a blade and use it to
sever my head from my shoulders!

I was happy to see that you were
in no rush to return home, Sera.

G-G-Get away from Lady Serafina,
you ignorant barbarian!

Cease this foolishness,
before you come to regret it!

Begging for your life will not save you!

Omgab!

Feu louv!

Vefshiv! Feuk Um!

What's happening?

The vitality of the land
is being used up...

The nature of the earth and
trees is becoming twisted...

Forgive me, Sera. That woman
cannot be saved, at this point.

Time is up.

Let God's wrath fall upon the barbarian!

What is this?

Malcius!

Retinue Priest Malcius!

Is this barbarian sorcery?!
How revolting! Unhand me!

Malcius, I'll save you!

Don't, Sera!

Don't stop me, Veor!

The blame may be hers, but I can't simply
watch as one of my people is k*lled!

It isn't a matter of blame.

The blight... has manifested.

No!

That's a Fiend.

A Fiend?

So, this is a Fiend...