Summary: Rita reaches the women's prison and frees Nina and Jeanne, helping them get rid of the guards as they make their way through the passageways.
In Vanaheimr, Gabriel gives a war speech to her army of warrior angels. She tells them that while they had a good relationship with the humans in the past and even joined forces to fight Bahamut ten years ago, they have recently shown insolence by assaulting their sacred temples and murdering their brothers. And now, they must teach them a lesson for being arrogant and not revering them to restore balance to the world.
Sofiel is worried about El and states that since they don't yet know his powers very well, it's uncertain whether he'll be able to resist a battle. Gabriel insists that everything will be fine since the boy has demonstrated that his power can deprive humans of their magic on several occasions and that they have no choice but to use him.
Anateans evacuate the city while others protest that Charioce must die, as many soldiers will perish in this war.
In their attack position, the Orleans Knights are waiting to fight. Alessand is happy because they'll be able to prove their worth on this occasion, but Dias doesn't think like him and is worried about what could happen. Alessand is annoyed by his vice-captain's pacifist attitude, and because the demons will be the ones on the front line, not humans.
In the dungeons, Nina, Jeanne, and Rita escape from the guards and go through unknown passages to lose them.
Nina momentarily separates from Jeanne and Rita and deals with guards chasing them. But while running away from them, she falls off a bridge that ends up bursting into flames because of a magic arrow aimed at her, falling into a mining cart that gains momentum through the rails, taking her to the place where Jeanne and Rita are.
Given the situation, they end up inside a drifting mining cart as they reach an area of the dungeons that Jeanne didn't know.
As the path is winding, Nina loses her balance and falls out of the cart, and has to use her whip to return to the transport.
As she seems to dance in the groundwater when she tries to rejoin her friends, Rita asks her if she danced for someone, and Nina can't help but think of Charioce and the dance request he made to her on the bridge.
The cart speeds to the end of the tracks, but they can't stop because the brake breaks as they handle it. As they shoot through the air and escape unharmed with Rita's help, they arrive at the men's prison, causing a stir that immediately draws the attention of the guards on that side.
The stir draws Favaro's and Kaisar's attention as well, who see Nina, Rita, and Jeanne run right past their cells.
On the surface, Charioce waits patiently for the gods to appear to initiate the attack against them.
Gabriel sends El to use his divine light to summon the power of the Onyx Soldiers present in all the human fleets.
Thanks to this, the gods have the advantage on all grounds.
Allesand and Dias conclude that the Onyx Task Force has no chance of winning against the light emitted by El and that this's the reason why the Royal Army has been defeated so easily.
With heavy casualties, the Orleans Knights ask Charioce to leave the castle, but he orders that they'll make use of the device.
His advisors warn him that the device isn't completed yet and that there's no telling what damage could be caused by using it while incomplete, but Charioce insists that he'll use it against the gods anyway.
After having used Kaisar's mechanical hand, which —to his surprise— turns out to be explosive after reciting a magic verse, Favaro and Kaisar manage to escape from their cells.
Kaisar doesn't understand how he could have carried something so dangerous in his body, and Favaro tells him that Rita designed it that way because she was worried about him. Kaisar understands, but he also thinks it's a bad joke.
In the subway laboratory of the prison island, the Onyx soldiers and the developers of the strange device that Rita saw when she infiltrated the prison load green stones with forbidden magic to make it work so that Charioce can use it.
The device grows in size and spirals up each level, destroying everything in its path to make its way to the surface.
Nina, Rita, and Jeanne hear a strange noise reverberating in the lower levels, but continue their breakout heading to the surface.
On their way, they meet Kaisar and Favaro.
Nina is excited to see Favaro, and Kaisar is happy to see Jeanne after so many years. Nevertheless, their reencounter greeting turns out to be brief, as it's interrupted by the device that continues to grow in size until it drags them all down with it.
Finally, the device reaches the surface, taking the shape of a pearl with several passages, inside which Nina, Rita, Jeanne, Kaisar, and Favaro end up trapped as if in a labyrinth.
Style: The idea is conveyed through Gabriel, who'll use El in the war as her wild card, despite being unaware of his power and limits. The idea is further structured by Charioce's decision to ask to prepare the developing device, although he doesn't know what damage it could cause to him.
Point of view: Gabriel's and Charioce's as opposites.
Tone: Reckless
Fixed literary devices:
- Transversal themes:
- Love
- Identity and Secrecy
- Transversal symbols (motifs):
- Flame
- Sword
- Bridge
- Blue light
Mutable literary devices:
- Episode Themes:
- Advantage and Detriment
- Recklessness and Prudence
- Reunion
Conflicts: Advantage vs. Detriment
Thematic elements:
- Advantage vs. Detriment:
- Gabriel decides to go to war using El as her ace up her sleeve, though she doesn't know the risks it could mean, as she doesn't know his capabilities and limits.
- Charioce makes the decision to make use of the device under development —Dromos— to fight the gods and save humanity, even knowing that he could end up harmed.
- Favaro makes Kaisar sacrifice his mechanical hand to escape from prison.
- Recklessness vs. Prudence:
- While Gabriel will use El in battle without knowing if he could be harmed in the process, Charioce, while also reckless, accepts that he may be injured by making use of the device. Charioce knows the risks, while Gabriel doesn't.
- Reunion:
- Nina is reunited with her master Favaro.
- Kaisar is reunited with his former captain Jeanne D'Arc.
- Love:
- Nina keeps thinking that she would like to dance with Chris again.
- Kaisar learns that Rita made her hand explosive for his safety because she loves and cares about him.
- Identity and Secrecy:
- Nina is still in shock from learning that Charioce and Chris are the same man, but she keeps his identity secret from her friends by not revealing who she was thinking about while 'dancing' in the water.
- The concept of secrecy is also present in elements that until then were unknown what they were for, such as Kaisar's hand, which turns out to be a weapon; and the device that Charioce will use to confront the gods, which is a weapon as well.
- El's powers and their limits are still unknown to both himself and the gods.
Symbols:
- Eternal Flame: It represents the courage and sacrifice of the brave, besides serving as a symbol of representation of serving a goal, such as peace. The flame is present when Gabriel encourages her army before going into battle against the humans.
- Eclipsed moon: Symbolizes a bad omen. It's present before the gods appear to start the war against humans.
- Red light (*): As in the previous episode, this light symbolizes the presence of the archangel Uriel, who, together with Michael, is helping Nina, Jeanne, and Rita escape from prison.
- Blue light (*): It illuminates the tunnels through which Nina, Jeanne, and Rita travel as they ride aimlessly in the mining cart. It symbolizes the presence of the archangel Michael watching over Jeanne and her friends on their escape route.
(*): The supernatural is some subtle although strong theme in Virgin Soul, as not only do amulets such as the red chili; the pendant Jeanne starts wearing from episode 14, and the cornicello (monster claw) Charioce gives Nina in episode 17 have actual and remarkable power, but also do the angels acting to help the characters, among them Michael and Uriel.
- Tilted sword: Symbolizes death. It's present when Alessand and Dias find a safe place. By appealing to the cross of Christ and being on its side, it represents the losses that humanity is suffering. It reappears later, along with other dead soldiers. The sword is a symbol that's always present in Virgin Soul and that not only symbolizes events but also announces them.
- Crushed helmet: The helmet is often seen as a symbol of invulnerability. When crushed, it represents the humans' vulnerability to the power of the gods.
- Right hand: It's present when Charioce is on his way to the prison-island to activate the device he'll use as a weapon against the gods. Humans are mostly right-handed, and it's the hand warriors use to hold the sword, symbolizing aggressiveness. Shown as the hand of a drowning man, it symbolizes that humans are losing against the gods.
- Bridge: In this episode, the bridge represents a meeting point. Nina, Jeanne, and Rita meet Favaro and Kaisar.
As an observation, it should be emphasized that only Nina and Charioce are the ones who have had a more intimate focus on a bridge by being on it, and not just at one end, as is the case of Nina with her friends when escaping. Being on the bridge implies romance, a literary device that's only employed with Charioce and Nina. - Water: It's often used as a symbol when the characters have to take important decisions or do a lot of introspection. Generally, clean water. However, it inevitably becomes a symbol when characters face difficult life scenarios.
Nina 'dances' on a subway lake when she escapes, reinforcing the idea of introspection about her relationship with Chris/Charioce.
Charioce navigates his way to the prison-island, having made the difficult decision to make use of the device even if there's no telling what damage it might do to him.
- Black pearl: Like the dragon, black pearls are considered a symbol of wisdom and strength. Read the reference section below for more information.
The shape of the device Charioce intends to use against the gods resembles a black pearl and can be associated with a weapon of great strength/power.The black pearl is also linked to Charioce's dragon side, which has been analyzed in previous episodes and expanded in depth in the next ones.
Scenarios:
- Royal City of Anatae
- Prison-Island
- Women's Prison
- Men's Prison
- Subway Laboratory
- Royal Castle
- Land of the gods
- Vanaheimr
References:
- Black pearl: According to the Chinese, pearls weren't formed in oysters, but in dragons' heads.
- The Great Escape: The title of the episode is inspired by the 1975 film 'Daidatsugoku' (大脱獄) directed by Teruo Ishii.The film revolves around a group of prisoners escaping from Abashiri Prison.As in the film, Nina, Jeanne, Kaisar and Favaro escape from the prison-island where they were sentenced to spend the rest of their days.
- Eternal Flame: Eternal flames are used to commemorate a person or event of national significance, or to remember the commitment to a common goal, such as international peace.
Foreshadowing:
- Foreshadowing lines:
- Sofiel: We still don't know El's power. Will he be able to resist this war?Gabriel: There's nothing to worry about. He has proven capable of stripping humans of their powers on multiple occasions.Sofiel: But...
- Charioce: We'll use the device.
Royal Advisor: With your permission, your majesty, the device is still under development. If used now, there's no way of knowing what it might do or what damage it might cause you.
Charioce: I haven't asked for your opinion. I have ordered you to get it ready.
Further acting as parallels between Gabriel and Charioce, these lines foreshadow that an impending disaster is about to happen, and it could cost the lives of El, Charioce, or both.
Characters:
- Chris/Charioce: He waits for the gods to appear before initiating the attack. Seeing his men slaughtered by the power of Gabriel's army, he has no choice but to make use of a weapon in development that could end up causing him harm, even death.
Charioce didn't expect El to be so powerful, so he has no choice but to use Dromos, something he wanted to avoid at all costs. - Nina: Thanks to Rita, she escapes along with her and Jeanne while facing the guards who appear in their way trying to stop them. As they run away, Nina can't help but think of Charioce and the dance invitation he made to her. That is, her feelings haven't changed simply because she knows that the man she fell in love with is Charioce. She's just conflicted.After a turbulent escape from the women's prison and having passed through subway tunnels unknown to Jeanne, they arrive at the men's prison, where they meet Favaro and Kaisar. Nina is surprised to see Favaro and asks him how he got into the dungeons, but when he only tells her that she's more voluptuous than before, she slaps him for looking where he shouldn't be.Their reunion is interrupted by the sudden appearance of a device that goes up through the subway levels of the prison-island to the surface, dragging Nina and her friends along with it.
- Gabriel: She gives a speech to encourage her army before facing Charioce and his men.In the past, humans and gods used to have a friendly relationship, and they even fought together against Bahamut ten years ago. However, despite all that, humans have lost their way and no longer offer them prayers. They dare to enter their temples and kill gods to get what is in them, and they can no longer tolerate such arrogance.Gabriel is confident that she'll win the battle even by making use of El's unknown power and neglecting the risk that means, although Sofiel tries to make her consider taking him to war.
- Sofiel: She disagrees with Gabriel's decision and worries about El's safety, as she doesn't know if he'll be able to resist war.
- El/Mugaro: He patiently waits for Gabriel's instructions to use his power.
- Jeanne: She escapes with Nina thanks to Rita's help.
Running away with them, they reach a place in the dungeon that she wasn't familiar with. After crossing it, she arrives at the men's prison and is reunited with Kaisar, whom she's happy to see.
Jeanne is dragged along with Nina, Rita, Kaisar, and Favaro to the surface by the secret device that was being developed in the secret laboratory. - Rita: She frees Nina and Jeanne with Rocky's help and arrives with them at the men's prison, where they meet Favaro and Kaisar.
- Favaro: Seeing Nina, Jeanne and Rita pass in front of his and Kaisar's cell, he decides to take the opportunity to escape with them.Favaro knows the secret of Kaisar's mechanical hand, so he tells him how to use it and then recites some magic verses that make it explode, destroying the lock of his friend's cell.Seeing that Kaisar was unaware of what his hand could do, he tells him that Rita designed it that way because she was looking after his safety.At the end of the episode, he reunites with his disciple, Nina, whose chest is bigger than the last time he saw her.Favaro is dragged to the surface along with his friends due to the growth of the artifact that was developing in the subway laboratory.
- Kaisar: He follows Favaro's instructions to make his iron hand explode his cell lock so he can escape from prison. He learns that Rita designed his hand that way because she was worried about him.While escaping, he's reunited with his former captain Jeanne, whom he deeply admires and esteems.Like her and the others, Favaro is pulled to the surface by the artifact that Charioce ordered to activate.
- Alessand: He's struck by the power of the gods and how they reduce the Royal Army.
- Dias: He understands that the humans' disadvantage against the gods is because of the Holy Child's light.
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