1 Shinrei: But the Mibu Clan can't fail... we're like gods.... Shinrei: And now I find we've been made to be less that human... Yuan: Gah... Fubuki: ...Don't even think of standing. Text: After a shocking revelation, our true weaknesses are revealed as well... 2 Fubuki: If you're going to get in my way, don't even think of standing...!! No matter what I must do, I will use these hands to protect the Mibu Clan...!! Yuan: ...Shut the fuck up!! Ever since the beginning, you've been nothing but murderers!! You even killed my mom when she found out what you were up to... Yuan: What are you protecting when you killed her?!! You say one thing, and you do something totally different...!! Yuan: And what's more, you're killing your own kind if they happen to get it your way... Akari: You knew they were all created just like you, and you killed them anyway....!! Hotaru: ...Even though you're so strong... Hishigi: But... who says this has to be the end for us? 3 Hishigi: From the very beginning... the creations of the Mibu, as well as the current Mibu Clan... they were defective products. Hishigi: Surely... we are headed for anihilation... Hotaru: Anihilation... Hishigi: Long ago, they were able to fuse the red eyes with their "battle dolls" to create us... Hishigi: And we have always sought to become like them, growing weaker in the process... Hishigi: It seems as though all of the Mibu bear the red eyes. Hishigi: To varying degrees, at least. Hishigi: And would one not think that the Mibu who have reverted to their red eyes are more like our creators? Taihaku: Shinrei... Taihaku: Even now... the voices of the Mibu children are growing fainter... Taihaku: How can a clan prosper when it has no children? Hotaru: I heard that me and Shinrei's father died of that same illness... Kubira?: Anjiyu... hang on!! Shihoudou: Muramasa's sister died from it... and she was only the first... Muramasa: I... I'm dying. Hishigi: So you see... children were o longer being born. Hishigi: And illness was eating away at our clan... Hotaru: The disease... Hishigi: We will stop it... We have made the first steps towards cutting this cancer from our people. Fubuki: ... Hishigi: And we already know how to do it... Hishigi: After all, we are the descendants of the "battle dolls" created by the Mibu... we share their blood. 4 Hishigi: Yet it seems that we who were created by the True Mibu have a serious defect in that the strain of battle produces symptoms of disease... Hishigi: And every one of us is infected with a fatal, incurable disease... Yuan: Wait... but you said... Hishigi: Yes... Hishigi: Every member of the Mibu Clan that lives today faces a very limited future... the disease will kill us all, I have no doubt. Yuan: No... you're lying... 5 Hishigi: But this is enough to make us abandon all hope. This is not enough to make us sit on our hands and do nothing. Day in and day out I have worked in my laboratory, searching for a cure. Hishigi: I have researched the flaws in the process by which we were made. The mutants, as well... Hishigi: I have studied those with special abilities, and the seers, and I have studied normal humans... Hishigi: ...And I have found that what we call a disease is a defect inherently built into the "battle dolls." Hishigi: And so... the only way to save our clan is to make them into True Mibu... 6 Hishigi: In fact, the plan to restore the Mibu is just that - we will create new "battle dolls", without illness, without flaws. Hishigi: This is a plan to ensure that our clan surpasses the Former Aka no Ou - surpasses the True Mibu, and rises to the top of this world. Kyo: Get to the point. You want me for something, don't you? Kyo: Nobody uses me. Send me back, I've got stuff to do. (I don't want anything to do with fairy tale freaks like you) Aka-san: And there's just one problem with that... Aka-san: Kyo... do you consider yourself "powerful?" Do you consider yourself "strong?" 7 Kyo: .... Aka-san: The True Mibu are "demons"... AKa-san: They take pleasure in taking lives. A demon lives in their hearts. Aka-san: And the Mibu of your time share the same terrible fault that we do.... Aka-san: In you... in this little girl, and in all future generations... there is a deep fault, a poverty of the soul. Aka-san: I wanted her to live in happiness... but... it seems that this is not to be... Kyo: .... Muramasa: Kyo... you don't have to keep blaming yourself... Muramasa: Please... just be happy. Kyo: ...This is all ancient history... Kyo: I have to think. Leave me alone. Kyo: ...I'll decide how I want to live my life. 8 Kyo: I'll find my own strength. Kyo: And if anybody gets in my way, I'll kick their ass. Aka-san: You're such a good kid, Kyo... Aka-san: Good work! You made the grade, kid!! Aka-san: You've got what it takes, boy. I think I'll finally be able to retire comfortably... (They're a present for you!) Kyo: ...... Aka-san: I'll leave it all to you.. Kyo: You self-serving asshole... 9 Aka-san: And to show my approval... Aka-san: I'll mark you as the Last Aka no Ou..... Kyou: Fuck... what did you do to me... Aka-san: Now then, we must get your back to your own world... everyone is calling for you. Aka-san: [As long as it's you, I think you just might make it... even with that demon in you.] Aka-san" I have only this last thing to ask of you... my last child, Onime no Kyo... Kyo: Damn you... wait..... 10 Yuan: But... but you said... Yuan: You said you knew a way to save us...!! Yuan: If this is how you think you're going to save the clan, then what about everyone else...!? Yuan: What if you made a mistake!? Akari: Yeah...! Akari: If that's your plan... Akari: Then what about all the failures, all the people created just to fight, all of the mutants, and even the seers... what's going to happen to us?! Akari: Do you get off to watching innocent people die!? Do you expect us to forgive you for what you've done!? Fubuki: Forgiveness... Fubuki: Remember that although we are the strongest of all, we too carry the same fatal flaw... 11 Fubuki: This is survival of the fittest... The strong live, and the weak die. We provide for our clan. Fubuki: Just as the True Mibu once did... This is our way of living... Our happiness is... in seizing power...!! Yuan: ...So this is what you really mean by "protecting the clan"...!! Hotaru: .... Akari: ...Don't you believe in anything!? Akari: You're not gods... you're demons!! Fubuki: ...That word suits us... Fubuki: If we are to save this clan... then we must once again seize that happiness as much as we can... Fubuki: If you want something to believe in, I'll give you an evil god...!! Fubuki: There's no need to keep falsely believing that we can save this clan!! 12 Fubuki: [Shinrei... do you know the true meaning of our water arts?] Fubuki: [Our skills are... our pride.] Fubuki: [The yin-yang doors that have remained closed for so long now beckon our people.] Fubuki: [We perform tonight in honor of the Aka no Ou who has sponsored us...] Fubuki: [For one day only, we put aside rank and work and schooling...] Fubuki: [Children and adults alike will scramble to be first at his feet...] Fubuki: [And under the guidance of masters, the water will dance...] Fubuki: And the laughter of our people will become a[ melody that ripples across the water's surface...] Fubuki: [To forget this time would be to forget our family... We wish for just a little happiness....] 13 Shinrei: Fubuki-sama, you must really love our clan and our Aka no Ou! Fubuki: Shinrei... it's what you might call "devotion." A special kind of "faith." Shinrei: Loyalty... Shinrei: Faith...!! Fubuki: We must be strong to protect the Aka no Ou and the clan. Fubuki: So we must be willing to risk anything... Akari: Sh... Akari: Shinrei... 14 Hotaru: Shin... Shinrei: Please... stop... 15 Shinrei: Please, Fubuki-sama, stop!! Shinrei: If you keep saying these things, you can't go back to the way things used to be... 16 Akari: Shinrei!! Hishigi: ...That's enough, Fubuki... Hishigi: Shinrei... Hishigi: You truly resemble Fubuki in his youth... Hishigi: So much that it hurts me to do this... 17 Hishigi: Together, we... Hishigi: Are the soldiers of the Mibu! Yuan: [Seven blades...!? But which one is real...!?] Yuan: Here I come!! I'll tear you apart...!! Akari: [Kyo...] 18 Akari: [Kyo... Please... Wake up... We need you to lead up...] Akari: [I don't want it to end like this...] Akari: [We can't...] Akari: [We can't die yet...] Akari: [We won't die yet...] Akari: [Because of you...] Akari: [Kyo...] 19 Ruru: That's it!! Ruru: Fubuki and Hishigi are the closest thing to those old "battle dolls, so they're totally going to win!! Ruru: Whoa, I bet that wiped them all out~~~!! Yuya: N... Yuya: No... Yuya: They can't be dead... Yuya: K...Kyoushirou!! It can't be true!! Yuya: Say something, Kyoushirou!! Aka-chan: ...He's here. 20 Akari: Kyo!! Text: For those who betrayed everyone's hopes... the last demon has come to challenge them!! Next chapter - Forbidden power!! And next week is a double issue!!