Summary: On the way to Eibos in Hipogriff, Favaro remembers when he was there ten years ago and said goodbye to Amira, the woman he loved and still loves.
Bacchus wonders what the king is up to, and Hamsa comments that nothing grows there since ten years ago.
Nina wants to go faster, but Bacchus tells her that Hippogriff will die if it goes any faster.
A green light springs up from the Eibos grounds as an artifact in the underground laboratory emits it.
The royal scholar tells Charioce that the artifact is like a pressure furnace containing the power needed to break the fissure and seal it and that it'll reach its critical point at any moment. When that happens, Eibos could blow up.
Charioce is aware of the risks and insists they'll break the seal and go ahead with the plan.
On the surface, gods, humans, and rebel demons have gathered on Mount Edith, just as Jeanne had instructed.
The saint appears in front of the crowd and tells them they all have suffered because of the king. And that as she lost her son because of him, victory will be hers.
The citizens evacuate the city, and at the royal castle, the Onyx Task Force leader gives the order to prioritize securing the safety of the prison-island and to forget about everything else, as they must be sure that no one gets close to Dromos.
The leader regrets having to face humans while coughing blackened blood, announcing his death.
The Orleans Knights comment that almost the entire second battalion joined Jeanne and that the remaining ones should have done the same since the guard disbanded for Alessand is their new captain, someone they always considered incompetent.
Alessand listens to everything that is said about him but does nothing but wonder where Dias is and torments himself for having killed Mugaro. He tries to convince himself that he has done nothing wrong.
On her way to the castle, Kaisar and Dias approach Jeanne.
Kaisar tells her that it wasn't the king who killed her son, but Alessand acting on his own and asks her to stop the war. However, Jeanne continues with the rebellion because none of that changes the fact that Charioce has repeatedly tried to capture and kill her son.
Arriving at the castle, Jeanne initiates the attack and claims the lives of several soldiers.
Hipogriff approaches Eibos, but its occupants can't see anything because of the fog they have encountered, which is an artificial barrier to prevent anyone from learning what's going on there.
Crossing it and seeing the green light springing up from the ground, Nina is sure that Charioce is there.
Bacchus and Favaro think that what Charioce is trying to do is to revive Bahamut and unleash chaos, so Favaro goes with Nina to take a look and verify if his theory is correct or not.
Simultaneously, Charioce removes the gauntlet from his left arm and rolls up his sleeve, revealing his charred arm and bracelet, which he'll use to break the seal.
After bringing his hand close to the device and activating it, he hears the warning of the presence of intruders in the place, which strikes him as he thinks they must be part of the rebels who managed to discover where he was.
Nina makes her way through the tunnels, showing her polished skill as Favaro's disciple, using the whip properly and giving accurate blows to the Onyx Soldiers who try to stop them.
When they finally reach Charioce and see that he's not paying attention to the intruders, Favaro shouts Nina's name for him to do so.
Charioce, in astonishment, turns around to verify with his own eyes if Nina is really there.
Upon seeing her, he lowers and covers his arm so Nina can't see it. And then, he proceeds to wield his sword as he walks down the steps to confront her.
Upon seeing the artifact and where Bahamut yields sealed, Favaro confirms his suspicion that what Charioce intends to do involves Bahamut. But upon asking him what exactly he wants to do, Nina intervenes by telling him that it doesn't matter what he wants to do because if he's trying to kill more people, she'll stop him.
Nina attacks Charioce, but he dodges her blows.
When he uses his sword against her, she stops, immobilizes, and strips him of his weapon, leaving him completely defenseless and in the perfect position to end his life by using his own blade against him.
Nina brings the tip of the sword close to his bracelet, but as she hesitates, Charioce asks her to kill him.
Nina's eyes fill with tears as she gathers the strength to kill him, but, again, she's unable to do so, driving the sword into the ground and not into Charioce's arm.
Sadness overcomes her as she falls to her knees on the ground.
Charioce stands up, full of shame, tearing his shirt as he pulls himself away from the blade.
Charioce gazes at Nina, who couldn't kill him even when he attempted to take her life by giving the order to kill the Red Dragon. Unable to say anything to her as he can't forgive himself, Charioce turns around to continue his suicidal plan.
Nina berates herself for not being able to hurt Charioce even when she had the chance to kill him with her own hands. She still loves him even though he's the man who ordered the killing of the Red Dragon.
As Nina is unable to do any harm to him and stop her beloved, Favaro confronts him and presses him to tell him the truth and what he intends to do once he has resurrected Bahamut. However, who answers him is the royal scholar, who corrects him and tells him that Charioce doesn't seek to bring said beast to life but the opposite. Favaro doesn't understand and threatens to kill Charioce if he doesn't explain what it's all about.
Favaro and Nina are puzzled to hear him say that Charioce wants to end Bahamut's life.
With this new information, Favaro concludes that the purpose of Charioce's weapon is to kill Bahamut and no other.
When asked for more details, the developer tells him that, ten years ago, the butler of the royal family —the Ony Task Force leader— found a secret room while remodeling the castle. This room belonged to a demon named Martinet, who was one of those responsible for the Bahamut incident at the time.
In it, the butler found a book containing information about some ancient magic capable of killing Bahamut the gods had sealed. After carefully studying the text, they discovered that, without any doubt, Bahamut would reappear. To avoid that danger, they needed a king with a great life force to ally with him and act together to kill Bahamut.
As the scholar relates the facts, Nina understands that Chris never had bad intentions. Favaro, for his part, understands the situation but finds it hard to believe that what he says is true, though he changes his mind when he hears Bahamut's roar.
Even so, Favaro still has questions to ask Charioce, the first of which is to tell him why his hand looks like those of the Onyx Soldiers.
Since it's visible, Charioce immediately hides his arm, mainly so Nina won't see it, and then tells Favaro that killing Bahamut comes at a cost.
Favaro understands what he means and wants to know if he plans to sacrifice himself by using Dromos to kill the beast.
These words take Nina by surprise. Favaro understands that the blindness of his left eye was part of the price to pay to carry out his plan, and Nina tries to find out if this is true by calling him by his real name: Chris.
Charioce replies that his fate was written when Bahamut took his mother's life.
Nina finally understands that Chris never told her his goal because he didn't want her to know he was fated to die. He didn't want her to join him in death since she had told him that she wanted to help him with whatever it was.
Charioce intends to continue breaking the seal, but Favaro interrupts him by asking him other questions. The first one is to tell him why he was surprised to see Nina when they arrived and if it was because the leader of the Onyx Task Force told him she had died. Charioce remains silent and holds his hand in response, giving his life energy to the artifact.
Favaro continues and remarks that the Onyx soldier lied to them when saying the king had ordered Nina killed, for if that had been the case, Charioce would never have let her escape from the palace on the night of the ball. Furthermore, he observes that he also never ordered Jeanne's son killed because if what he had been seeking all this time was to destroy Bahamut, the last thing he'd want would be to start a war against the gods by killing him.
Charioce remains silent as Nina finally understands that he protected her from knowing he'd die killing Bahamut and from all danger all along and that it was all a big misunderstanding.
Charioce continues giving part of his life energy to the seal until it breaks, releasing enough to break the fissure. Then he turns around and tells them they still have time to escape and leave before everything blows up.
Before going through the portal to accomplish his mission, Chris looks at Nina as asking for forgiveness and bidding farewell.
Nina can do nothing to stop him, but now that she knows what he'll do, she fears for his life.
After hearing another roar from Bahamut, Nina asks Favaro if there's anything they can do for Chris, but Favaro asks if she's crazy. Anyway, they flee the place first.
Bacchus and Hamsa see that Eibos is crumbling and, spotting Nina and Favaro, urge them to hurry. Favaro is the first to reach Hippogriff and extends his hand to Nina, who jumps in time to catch up and enter the chariot. From it, they watch as the fissure continues to expand and shoot down airships from Charioce's fleet.
From his ship, Charioce gives the order to guide Bahamut to Anatae, an indication that catches the attention of the navigators.
Finally, Bahamut emerges from the light emitted by the fissure, capturing the gazes of Charioce, Nina, and Favaro.
Style: The idea is delivered as soon as Nina arrives on Eibos and discovers that there's a secret laboratory. And it's maintained throughout the episode as she learns Charioce's objective and what he wishes to do with Dromos.
Point of view: Nina's, Charioce's, and Favaro's predominate as the three want to achieve something at all costs.
Tone: Determined
Fixed literary devices:
- Transversal themes:
- Love
- Identity & Secrecy
- Transversal symbols (motifs):
- Candle
- Cross
Mutable literary resources:
- Episode Themes:
- Mystery & Revelation
- Misunderstandings
Conflicts: Mystery vs. Revelation
Thematic elements:
- Mystery vs. Revelation:
- Nina, Favaro, Bacchus, and Hamsa discover a secret base camouflaged by artificial mist on Eibos.
- Chris/Charioce learns that Nina is alive.
- Nina and Favaro learn about the true purpose of Dromos from the scholar in charge of the weapon's development.
- Thanks to Favaro, Nina learns the reason Chris had for breaking her heart, and it was never his intention to hurt her or Mugaro but to hide from her that she would die, as he didn't want to make her suffer and preferred to protect her from that pain even if it meant she hated him.
- Misunderstandings:
- Charioce ordered the Onyx Task Force to kill the Red Dragon, not Nina.
Identities play a crucial role in Virgin Soul. Upon learning that the Red Dragon is Nina, the Onyx Soldier is the one who orders to kill her and not Charioce.It's worth mentioning that, regardless of that, Charioce recognizes that he's responsible for what happened because as he opens his hand, he gives his vital energy to the seal to break it, accepting his fatal destiny as his punishment for his actions. - Charioce didn't order to kill Mugaro either. In the beginning, when he learned about his existence, he gave the order to kill the Holy Child: El. And although he was looking for him, his purpose was to kill him after Jeanne saw him one last time. And he would not break his word. However, everything changes when El falls into the hands of the gods and Jeanne becomes a fugitive because Charioce only intended to imprison them. And he never again gives a death order for any of them because, having little life span left, the last thing he'd want is a new war against the gods by unleashing his wrath again by killing El or Jeanne.As Favaro mentions, since he has little time left to live because he has to face Bahamut, the last thing he would look for would be a new conflict.On the other hand, Charioce wouldn't harm them now that he knows they are Nina's friends. Moreover, the only times Charioce killed gods were when he stole the weapon they sealed in their temples and as a defense when Gabriel took revenge.His intention was never to declare war on the gods. In fact, he only sought to stop their worship because they refused when he asked for their help before taking Dromos by force. Charioce punishes the gods by not offering them devotion, not by killing them.It's worth noting that Charioce rushed the developers of Dromos to take action before a new attack by the gods and to protect Nina's life. For he and the Onyx Soldiers perished, the fugitives could live free in a world of peace with no one searching the streets of Anatae for them.The episode makes it clear that Charioce's intention was always to capture the fugitives and those he considered important on the prison-island to keep them safe from all danger. And so that, once he was dead, they could live and carry on and lead the survivors into a new world of peace. All this becomes even clearer when the leader of the Onyx Task Force mentions that he isn't used to fighting humans, feeling remorse about having to face Favaro and Kaisar. His character indicates that, although Charioce always gives the order to kill, he imprisons them first and then leaves it up to him to decide what to do with them. Nina is an exception as he didn't consider her human and that's why he attempted to take her life himself.
- Jeanne wants to kill Charioce even if he isn't the direct murderer of her son, as he had repeatedly ordered him killed. However, Jeanne ignores that Charioce's intention was never to murder anyone but to keep them imprisoned on the prison-island in order to protect them from Dromos' power, which he'd end up using sooner or later.
- Decisions and Consequences:
- Charioce doesn't fight back when Nina attacks him to take his life in revenge for having ordered to kill the Red Dragon and broken her heart, as he accepts it as a punishment for his decision.
- Charioce decided to kill Bahamut, and now he must accept that he cannot escape his fate, less so now that a war against him is taking place. All because of his actions.
- Love:
- Favaro remembers Amira, the woman he loves and had to let go to seal Bahamut ten years ago.
- Chris/Charioce learns that Nina is alive and allows her to seize him so she can take his life in revenge for ordering the Onyx Task Force to kill the Red Dragon. And also for had broken her heart.
- Still believing that Charioce ordered the Onyx Task Force to kill her and Mugaro, she's unable to take his life because she loves him.
- Upon learning that Nina is alive, Charioce will sacrifice himself for a better world for her and to defend himself from the rebels.
- Identity and Secrecy:
- Thanks to the royal scholar, it's learned that the leader of the Onyx Soldiers used to be the royal butler.
- Nina learns that what Chris/Charioce was hiding from her was his death by never telling her why they could never dance again and breaking her heart at the ball. Also, she learns that he never gave the order to kill her and Mugaro specifically, especially when he intended to sacrifice himself using Dromos.
Symbols:
- Paths: Symbolize destiny. Particularly, Charioce's.
Four different paths lead to the place where the artifact is, a place where Charioce is present. This symbol means that no matter what he does, his destiny is always to kill Bahamut.
- His first self-imposed destiny was to kill Bahamut to avenge his mother and bring peace to mankind.
- His second destiny was to kill Bahamut for Nina's sake and give her a peaceful world.
- His third destiny was to kill Bahamut as punishment for having caused Nina's death.
- His fourth destiny is to kill Bahamut for Nina's sake and his own by defending himself from all the species against him.
- Passageway: Symbolizes limbo, as it refers to the tunnel of death, where souls are torn between life and death.
Nina and Favaro cross a passageway to reach the place where Chris is. The emphasis is on Nina, as Chris thinks she's dead. As she exits the passage and walks down the stairs to meet him, it's interpreted as her coming back from the dead to life for Charioce.
This symbol is connected to the entrance to a dark tunnel/place from episode 21.
- Put to death by one's own sword: In most traditional legends, those who do evil get killed by their own swords.Charioce knows he has done something horrible by ordering his soldiers to kill the Red Dragon.And the interesting thing about this scene is that Nina is the one wielding Charioce's sword to kill him for what he allegedly did to her.
- Tearing clothing: It symbolizes two things related to Charioce:
- Tearing one's own clothes symbolizes pain and despair.
- It also symbolizes tragic situations, particularly death, shock, or shame.All things that represent Charioce's emotional state at that moment, who has been left wordless by seeing that Nina is alive; he feels shame and pain for having had the Red Dragon killed and for having broken her heart at the ball; hence the acceptance of his death at her hands.
- Candle: Symbolizes knowledge. This symbol is present while the scholar reads Martinet's book that the castle's butler found in a secret room, thus discovering the existence of an ancient weapon sealed by the gods.
- Echis: Symbolizes the forbidden. When the castle butler discovers Martinet's secret room, there are two wooden beams forming an X on the right, symbolizing the forbidden knowledge he'd find there.
- Open hand: Symbolizes the absence of bad intentions. Charioce extends his hand when Favaro begins to question him.
- Green light: Permission, go ahead.
Charioce grants permission to be asked questions.
It also symbolizes his giving of vital energy and a green light to sacrifice himself as he doesn't intend to stop. - Silence: Symbolizes affirmation as "Silence means consent."
Charioce remains silent when Favaro asks him closed questions —yes/no questions—, indicating that he doesn't object to any of his claims, as consensus is assumed when there's no evidence of disagreement.
Charioce is a character with very marked literary aspects. Theatrical. For this reason, it's necessary to analyze his movements, reactions, and words carefully. Silence has much greater relevance than might be thought at first glance.
Scenarios:
- Eibos
- Laboratory
- Royal City of Anatae
- Mount Edith
- Royal Castle
References:
- Tearing one's clothes: The tradition of tearing one's clothes began as an expression of deep pain or tribulation in ancient times. It was also a sacrifice, as clothing was relatively much more expensive in earlier times than it's today.It was a way of showing that status and respect should be set aside in the face of an unfortunate situation.
- Which Way the Wind Blows: Inspired by Favaro's saying, the episode title alludes to episode 19 of the second season of the old TV series titled '12 O'Clock High', in which the Russian bomber number 918 is helped to use weather patterns to attack, but an attractive weather captain rebels when her plane is shot down.The plot is similar to the events of Virgin Soul's episode 22, in which Charioce has plans to break the seal containing Bahamut, but Nina arrives on the scene to try to stop him.
Foreshadowing:
- Boarding net: Announces capture or hunting.
This element is present on a ship that crosses in front of Dromos, announcing that Nina will hunt Charioce. - Black Blood: Announces the Onyx Task Force leader's death.
- Correct use of the whip: Announces that Nina has become a bounty hunter with all her skills polished and that she'll get a big bounty, the one whose head everyone wants to claim: Charioce.
- Standing Cross: Announces a risk of death, but being on the right, means that the character involved in the scene will survive.
It's present behind Charioce when he stands looking at Nina once she has spared his life and he has sheathed his sword.
It should be noted that, unlike when this same element was used to foreshadow Mugaro's death, in this case, the cross isn't tilted, which also indicates that Charioce will survive.
Characters:
- Nina: She's determined to stop Chris/Charioce. Arriving at the base in Eibos, she infiltrates with Favaro.She gets rid of the Onyx Soldiers who try to stop her and Favaro by demonstrating exceptional use of the whip, a skill she hadn't polished until now. She's a bounty hunter who has finally finished her training and who's determined to hunt the biggest bounty ever: the king.Upon finding her Charioce and seeing that he has unsheathed his sword, Nina attacks him in order to end his life so that he won't continue killing more people important to her.Immobilizing him and rendering him helpless, she tries to pierce him with his own sword and destroy his bracelet, but she's unable to do so because, despite everything she thinks he has done, she can't help but love him. When Charioce gets up, she only cries because her feelings for him are stronger than she imagined.Thanks to Favaro, who knows that Bahamut lies in Eibos, Nina soon learns that Charioce intended to kill the beast, which makes her realize that his intention was never to kill more people with Dromos. She had been wrong to think it would be so. At this very moment, Nina understands why Charioce never knew when they might see each other again and why they could never dance again.All this time, he kept the secret from her so that she wouldn't suffer by knowing that he would sacrifice himself. And because he wanted to keep her away from him so that she wouldn't join him and die with him, as Nina had already expressed her intentions to support him in whatever he could face.Later, she learns that Charioce never ordered to kill her or Mugaro because, had he done so, he wouldn't have broken her heart on the day of the ball or given her the chance to escape. Besides, killing Mugaro would have meant unleashing a new war against the gods, which would be the worst scenario as he has little life left and little time to contain Bahamut before chaos breaks out.Nina finally understands that Charioce acted how he acted in order to protect her and that he never stopped being the same man who opened his heart to her in the grotto.This is a relief for her. But having now the certainty that Charioce will die, leaves her between a rock and a hard place.Charioce leaves to fulfill his destiny and asks Nina for forgiveness with his gaze before leaving.Nina refuses to accept that fate for both of them.Nina escapes from Eibos with Favaro and flees together to Hippogriff together with Bacchus and Hamsa, from where they watch Bahamut's awakening.
- Chris/Charioce: He has accepted his destiny and sacrifice as punishments for having caused Nina's death.The fact that Nina is still alive astonishes him enormously. It represents a relief for him and, at the same time, another form of punishment since he knows that Nina has come after his life and that he deserves it and accepts it for having ordered to kill the Red Dragon and having broken her heart.He incites Nina to end his life by unsheathing his sword upon seeing her. Nina responds as she attacks, immobilizes, and strips him of his weapon so she can take his life with it.Charioce shows no resistance whatsoever, and even his reason for killing Bahamut isn't enough to make him stand up and defend himself against Nina.He has accepted to die at the hands of the woman he loves and has hurt and waits for her to give him the final blow. However, when he sees Nina spare his life and weep for him, he realizes that she loves him too much to possibly harm him, which touches his heart and makes him feel guiltier for his actions.Charioce feels the same way about her, but he forbids himself from articulating a single word because he feels ashamed for all the damage he caused her. So, without further ado, he turns around to continue his suicidal plan, as he'll offer his life to protect Nina, especially from the threat that Bahamut represents.Charioce has recovered the woman he loves. He'll sacrifice himself for her to give her a better world while defending his honor as he must answer the attack of the rebels who want his head. He has no other choice.When Favaro asks him what he intends to do with Dromos, he just keeps quiet and lets the scholar and developer of Dromos be the one to answer, as he refuses to speak a single word about his intention to die to Nina. He doesn't want her to know, he doesn't want to continue hurting her any more than she is, nor does he want her to follow him to death. Charioce even hides his charred, spasming arm because he intends to hide his secret from his lover at all costs.Nina soon learns about his plan to kill Bahamut, the story behind Dromos thanks to Martinet's book (*) —one of those responsible for the incident ten years ago— and how Chris was the only possible candidate to use the weapon because of his life force (** + ?).(*): Charioce subdued the demons because they were directly responsible for Bahamut appearing ten years ago.(**): It's concluded that the only man capable of using Dromos was Chris/Charioce because, due to his physical, mental, and vital strength, he was the only man capable of supplying the cannon with the necessary power to equal Bahamut's. Chris' dragon ancestry plays a major role here since an ordinary human would possess neither the longevity nor the strength required to be able to use the ancient weapon. Chris was the only choice among the candidates for the king.
(?): There might also be a connection between the royal family and the activation of Dromos as the family is ancient and could have had something to do with the first Mistarcians who developed it. It may be that only those with royal blood could activate it and that's why the gods never understood how to use it, as Gabriel claims in episode 13. Regardless of that (since it's not known whether that's the case or not), what's strongly hinted is that Chris was the only one capable of using Dromos because, among all his step-siblings, he was the only different because of his dragon-like characteristics. It also makes sense that in episode 24 Nina could join him and survive because she's half-dragon and her life span and physical characteristics are beyond human.Nina learns that he lost an eye because he offered it to provide Dromos with his life force to face the gods —something he never planned—, and now he'll lose his life by using it a second time to fulfill his destiny. Nina wants to know if this is true and pushes him to say it himself by calling him by his real name, Chris, but he can only tell her that this is the destiny that was written on him at the very moment Bahamut took his mother's life. Then asks Nina not to try to stop him. From that moment on, Charioce no longer hides his arm from Nina because —although he tried to keep it a secret— she knows the truth now.Thanks to the clues up to episode 14, it's known that Chris is as strong as Nina; has golden eyes like the Dragon Village's elder, and has an unbreakable conviction thanks to his mother's death.He's able to use Dromos not only once but twice, something an ordinary human couldn't do.Logically, his dragon ancestry comes from the maternal side since, among all the descendants of the previous king, only Chris was the one who possessed all the dragon characteristics.All this happens to form a parallel with Nina, whose father was a dragon.Charioce wants to proceed with his plan and gives his life energy to the artifact. But Favaro interrupts him again and asks him some more questions. Favaro wants to know why he was surprised to see Nina arrive at the lab because the leader of the Onyx Task Force had told him that she had died. Charioce responds by opening his hand, momentarily stopping the delivery of vital energy that he was delivering to the artifact, and at the same time giving Favaro the reason with the gesture and silence since he doesn't object to anything of what he has deduced.Favaro continues and tells him that he thinks he didn't give the order to kill Nina because otherwise, he wouldn't have let her escape on the day of the ball. Something he has also correctly inferred, as Charioce unwillingly ordered the Red Dragon's death and not Nina's particularly.As mentioned in the thematic elements of the work, identities play a central role in Virgin Soul.Also, note that neither Charioce nor the Onyx Soldiers kill humans; the leader of the Soldiers attempted to kill the Red Dragon, though he betrayed Charioce by attacking Nina instead, as Nina isn't human at all.Favaro then tells him that he has figured out that he didn't order the death of Jeanne's son either. If he had, he would have caused the wrath of the gods and a war that doesn't need in his plans. The only thing that he seeks is to sacrifice himself and finish off Bahamut before the stone continues to consume his lifespan.Thanks to Favaro's information about Jeanne, he now understands that the reason for the rebellion isn't only because he attempted to kill the Red Dragon but because one of his men successfully took the Holy Child's life. Charioce continues in silence as he isn't objecting to anything Favaro has inferred.When he has fully grasped the situation, he proceeds to break Bahamut's seal after supplying him with more of his life energy.Before leaving to fulfill his mission, Charioce tells Nina and Favaro that they still have time to escape from the place before Bahamut's power destroys it. Charioce doesn't want them to follow him, especially Nina, so he asks them to leave. - Favaro: Eibos reminds him of Amira, whom he sacrificed in exchange for saving the world.Seeing that Nina has taken the initiative and has set off at full speed to find the king, he hurries and goes with her. Favaro wants to find out what Charioce intends to do with Bahamut.By infiltrating Eibos' facility and supporting Nina, he's the one who makes Charioce realize that Nina is there. Favaro notices that Nina's presence leaves him perplexed (*).(*): Remember that Favaro is the only character with a different reading of Charioce and his actions, as mentioned in the analysis of episodes 9 and 19.Favaro knows Charioce loves Nina and suspects his actions aren't malicious, but he must confirm it.Favaro confronts Charioce and asks him what he wants to do with Bahamut, but Charioce has no time to answer, as Nina attacks him to take his life.Favaro sees how Nina manages to render the king defenseless and how he does nothing to defend himself against her.Since Nina doesn't have the will to kill him, Favaro takes action and directly asks Charioce why he wants to resurrect Bahamut. As Charioce doesn't want to answer, Favaro listens to the royal scholar, who corrects him and says that what the king wants is to kill Bahamut.Here, Favaro begins to connect the dots and deduces that Dromos' goal was always to use him against Bahamut and no other.The scholar tells him that ten years ago, the family butler —now the leader of the Onyx Task Force— found a book of the demon Martinet in a secret room of the castle. The book contained information about the existence of an ancient weapon capable of ending the threat of Bahamut. They set out to obtain it after confirming that, without a doubt, Bahamut would appear again in the lands of Mistarcia very soon. But to use the weapon, they needed a king with a great vital force.Favaro doesn't believe him but doesn't doubt once he hears Bahamut's roar.He then proceeds to interrogate Charioce, whose arm darkened in the same way as the Onyx Soldiers. Charioce hides his arm as he doesn't want Nina to see and tells Favaro that every plan has a cost.Favaro figures out that the way the stones and Dromos work is through the consumption of life energy and that Charioce intends to give all of his own to kill Bahamut.To be sure of his conclusion, he asks Charioce if the cost of his plan was to lose his left eye and if he now intends to lose his life as well. Charioce, no longer able to hide anything, tells him that this is the only way to finish Bahamut.Before Charioce continues with his plan, he asks him three more questions for Nina's sake.First, to explain why he was surprised when he saw Nina, as he wants to know if the leader of the Onyx Task Force told him that Nina had died. As Charioce doesn't object to anything he says, Favaro proceeds with the confirmation of two other facts he deduced.The first one is that he didn't order the Onyx Task Force to kill Nina since if it had been something he wanted, he wouldn't have allowed her to escape the day of the ball.The second fact is that he didn't order to kill Mugaro either since the last thing he would want would be to provoke the gods at a time when he only has vital energy left to finish Bahamut.As Charioce doesn't object to any of his deductions, Favaro is sure he's correct.Once Charioce breaks the seal, he tells him and Nina to escape before everything blows up.Favaro sees that Nina intends to do something to stop Charioce from dying, but they cannot intervene yet, as they must go to safety first.Favaro returns with Nina to Hippogriff, where they watch Bahamut's release.
- Jeanne: She meets the rebels who are outraged by Charioce's rule and promises them victory since Charioce killed her son and she's thirsty for revenge.While leading the battalion to the castle, she encounters Kaisar and Dias on her way.Kaisar tries to convince her to stop the attack since the one who killed El wasn't Charioce, but Alessand, acting on his own. However, Jeanne doesn't do it because no matter who did it, it doesn't change the fact that Charioce always tried to take El's life (*).Jeanne leads the attack on the castle and kills several royal soldiers.(*): Jeanne hates Charioce, and she doesn't know, like most characters except Nina and Favaro, that he isn't the tyrant she thinks he is, as she had to live terrible moments because of him in the last two years.Jeanne never knew that Charioce was serious about killing her son until the panorama for him and the humans changed. Regardless, none of that matters to her because it was Charioce's original intentions that, in part, influenced Alessand to take the Holy Child's life.
- Kaisar: He tries to stop the war between gods, humans, and demons by telling Jeanne that it was Alessand who killed her son acting on his own and not Charioce. However, his hope dashes when Jeanne argues against it and tells him that, regardless of who took his son's life, it's a fact that Charioce tried to take his life repeatedly and that she's not going to back down from her rebellion.
- Dias: He accompanies Kaisar to persuade Jeanne and supports him when he's pushed around by a warrior god.
- Alessand: Now that he's captain of the unit, he leads the Orleans Knights. He knows quite well that his soldiers don't think he's the best man to guide them in battle, and he even hears them gossiping behind his back. He feels unfit for the position and wonders where Vice Captain Dias is. On the other hand, he tries to convince himself that he did nothing wrong in taking the Holy Child's life and that the rebellion that's going on isn't his fault.
- Bacchus: He drives Hipogriff to Eibos, having to pass through an artificial fog first. Upon arrival, he's sure that the king is up to something related to Bahamut.Bacchus helps Nina and Favaro flee before Bahamut's unleashed power destroys Eibos.
- Hamsa: He accompanies Bacchus, Nina, and Favaro to Eibos and wonders why there's a green light emanating from the ground.He's the one who spots Nina and Favaro escaping from Eibos and warns Bacchus to be on the lookout for their arrival.
- Royal Scholar: He explains to Charioce that the seal containing Bahamut works like a pressure cooker and will explode as soon as he supplies it with his vital energy.Later, seeing that there're intruders, he's obliged to answer Favaro's questions. He clarifies that Charioce doesn't seek to revive Bahamut but to kill it.He tells him that ten years ago, the one he now knows as the leader of the Onyx Task Force used to be a butler working on remodeling the castle. And that one day, he found a secret room that belonged to Martinet, a demon who had a book with information about the existence of Dromos, an ancient weapon capable of ending the threat of Bahamut.The book was so detailed that it even mentioned how the weapon worked and where the gods had sealed it. After reading the book, he and the butler verified that, indeed, Bahamut would reappear at any moment since they found a fissure in Eibos. However, to kill Bahamut, they needed a special king, enough to be able to offer all his vital energy to finish off the monster in question. That king is Charioce.
- Onyx Task Force Leader/Royal Butler: He leads the defense of the castle and orders that soldiers must prioritize keeping the prison-island safe and that they can forget about protecting anything else.After giving the order, he regrets having to fight humans, as he doesn't like nor is used to doing so. He even remembers when he fought Favaro and Kaisar, and it hurts him to have done so.After coughing up black blood, he understands that the end of his life is just around the corner.In this episode, it's revealed that he used to be the royal butler ten years ago and that he found a book belonging to the demon Martinet in a secret room while remodeling the castle.After taking it to the castle's royal scholar, he learned about the existence of an ancient weapon capable of ending the Bahamut threat. Upon confirming in Eibos that Bahamut would attack again, he focused on finding a king with enough strength to offer his life to end the threat.
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