Congratulations on making the final round.
I look forward to seeing you do well!
I'm going to give it my best shot.
Although it's a formidable field... so it's gonna be an uphill battle.
There's a lot riding on my shoulders, since I'll be drawing your matchups.
Still...
It's been quite a while since I got to spend quality time with you.
Uh...
Julis and the others have been monopolizing you lately...
And I've missed you greatly...
Uh, well... but...
Whoops, sorry, Claudia!
Um... Ayato-senpai, sorry to bother you all of a sudden.
Is something wrong?
S-Somewhere along the way, I lost sight of Saya-san...
Oh, I see.
A-And when I called Saya-san's portable terminal, she said she was lost!
Gotcha. I'll help you look for her, too. You're in the Business District now right?
I'll be right there.
Th-Thank you very much!
Sorry, Claudia. As you just heard...
But we're finally getting to spend quality time together...
I-I'm really sorry!
I promise I'll make it up to you!
Humph!
Claudia...
Please forgive me. I see I went a little overboard there.
Come on, give me a break, Claudia.
I meant it when I said I was looking forward to this, so please allow me at least this much fun.
Uh...
That said, it wouldn't do to leave poor lost Ms. Sasamiya in the lurch, would it?
I'll be looking forward to your atonement.
...Roger that.
Power and Its Price
Around here, maybe?
Come back here!
Be a good girl and let us catch you!
Whoa!
I'm sorry!
Huh? Wait, you're...
Come back here, dammit!
Who the hell are you?
Hand that girl over!
I know that guy from somewhere...
Guess there's no way out of it!
Come back here, you bastard!
Where'd they go? Dammit!
Uh... um?
Oh, sorry!
Oh, no, not at all! Thank you so much for rescuing me from such danger!
No problem... But what got you into that mess?
I believe those people are from the casino.
Y-You see...
...my elder sister apparently caused a huge commotion there a little while ago...
U-Uh, but please don't get the wrong idea!
Sister... no, I mean my elder sister can be a bit violent and short-tempered at times,
but deep down, she's a really, really kind-hearted person!
When I contacted her just now, she said she'd come save me right away!
Oh, is that right...? Huh? Come save you?
Hey, you!
What the hell are you doing?
Sister!
I'm warning you... you better not have laid a hand on Priscilla!
Th-That's not what happened!
Amagiri-san saved me, all right?
Keep quiet, Priscilla.
First of all, why would Ayato Amagiri save you?
This guy has no obligation to save his enemies.
You can't fool me!
I'm your enemy? Come on...
Oh, crap.
Sister!
Don't tell me you mean that seriously?
A-All right! Don't get riled up!
Really? You really won't do anything violent to Amagiri-san?
I-I won't, I won't!
Can you promise me on your life?
I can! I promise you!
Okay, then fine.
Yeah, but then why were you walking through an alleyway like this?
Sister?
I'm just asking! Just asking!
Uh...
...excuse me!
Saya, where are you right now?
It's all right. My problem was just solved a minute ago.
I just met up with Saya-san now.
All right, glad to hear it.
Okay, then, Kirin-chan, how about we meet up in the Business District?
All right!
Copy that.
See you then.
So as you can see, I was looking for a friend who got lost.
Hear that, Sister?
Damn. Okay, then. I owe you one now, huh?
Hey, I know you'd do the same for me.
Except that's not gonna fly...
We need to settle the score right away, or it's gonna be awkward as hell.
These are the matchups for the final.
Oh, so they've already been announced...
What the hell are you doing?
Irene Urzaiz?
That's what I'm here to ask you!
Priscilla got attacked today!
Oh, that?
One of the conditions of my contract with you was Priscilla's safety!
Sure, I remember.
But there are still people at Le Wolfe who don't take kindly to following my orders.
When I'm not by her side, aren't the Cats supposed to be guarding Priscilla?
She's just a Regenerative.
Who cares if she sustains a scratch here and there?
Screw you.
Huh! Who knew it had consumed you to this degree?
Dammit, is that a Cat?
Cat?
Where?
Hey, Irene. Who would be the one in trouble if I wasn't around?
This time around, the Cats were simply unable to make a move
because that punk from Seidoukan butted in.
Those guys can't allow themselves to be seen, understand?
But it's also a fact that she got rescued by that bastard, so now I owe him.
So what do you want me to do?
I can't fight him like this —it's crimping my style.
I'm gonna straighten this out, so you stay the hell out of it!
Do whatever you want.
Humph...
So terrifying!
Hey, Korona.
Oh! Y-Yes?
Do a reading.
What?
All right!
Good news, Chairman! I'm seeing the Urzaiz sisters' victory!
Humph, no surprises there.
Korona, bring one of the vice-chairmen here—I don't care who.
Uh, right.
Very well!
The results of that reading are absolute...
Guess I'll make sure I'm ready.
Connect me to the Seventh Golden Eye.
You've been invited to dinner?
Don't tell me you actually accepted?
Well, yeah.
You do know that Irene and Priscilla are our next opponents, right?
Well, yeah.
But since they said they wanted to thank me...
You're hopeless, you know that?
Oh, wait... If I'm going to hang around with you,
I'll have to get used to this kind of thing.
Fine...
Then I'll join you at their table!
What?
You said they'd invited you to dinner, but why at their apartment, rather than a restaurant?
Well, don't ask me...
But it sure is a nice place, huh?
Just where you'd expect a Page One from Le Wolfe to live.
Yes?
Uh, it's me, Amagiri.
Just a moment, please!
Welcome!
Oh, you're Ms. Riessfeld, right?
I never got a chance to introduce myself the other day.
Oh, uh, likewise...
All right, no need to be shy... please come in!
I'll have our meal ready in no time.
Yo.
What a crock, Tyrant Vampire Princess.
You invite us here and that's your attitude?
I don't remember inviting you, Glühen Rose.
Humph! As you know, Mr. Nice Guy here happens to be my partner.
I'd be in a bind if something were to happen to him.
Jeez, what a worrywart you are! Who are you, Amagiri's mom?
H-His mom? What the hell...
Thanks for waiting!
Here's a chickpea-and-tomato salad!
Wow!
This is it, this is it!
Sister! You know that's rude!
What's the problem? Just a bite...
Come on, you guys eat up, too. Priscilla's cooking rules!
Really, now! Sister!
Ah, this is delicious.
Wow! Thank you very much!
Heh, heh! What did I tell you?
You know, it's not like I was complimenting you.
Looks like you've got a comfortable place, huh?
Well, yeah, it's pretty convenient. Plus it's close to the casino.
Meaning it's conducive to enjoying the nightlife, eh?
It's not like I'm out there playing. I'm out earning money because I need it.
Money?
If it's money you want, you can earn it from the Phoenix Festa, can't you?
Um, I'm going to go check on the oven, all right?
Years ago, I borrowed a vast sum of money from Dirk Eberweine.
And I've been paying it off little by little by obeying his every order.
The Tyrant, eh?
The contract I signed at the time restricts my participation in the Festas,
and I can't use the prize money towards paying down my debt.
I'm telling you, he's one vile bastard, that dude.
So I take it you have something other than winning in mind?
How perceptive. The order I received from Dirk this time around was...
To destroy you, Ayato Amagiri!
What the...?
Why would you tell us that?
I owe you one for saving Priscilla.
So sit yourself down, Glühen Rose. I'm not gonna start anything here.
Why would he go after Ayato?
According to Dirk, the Ogre Lux Amagiri uses is a thorn in his side,
so he wants to destroy it now while he has the chance.
You mean the Ser=Veresta?
I admit it's powerful, but why would he go that far?
I don't know what he's got in mind, but from what I've heard him say...
It seems like he's seen another person wielding that same Ogre Lux.
The data for "a certain female student" who once attended this school.
She matriculated five years ago, and six months later, due to personal reasons, she withdrew.
Despite there being no record of the Ser=Veresta being checked out, parts of its combat data do remain.
Well, I thought that might have something to do with why he's targeting you...
Yeah...
It probably does. Thanks.
All right, now I've done my duty by you.
Thanks for waiting! Here's my seafood and mushroom paella!
Heh, heh! Priscilla's paella is one of her ultimate dishes.
Consider yourselves warned!
Now, now, Sister. Never mind that, just divide it up, please.
Whaaaat?
What a pain in the ass!
For shame! You're being rude to our guests!
Sister, huh?
Um, sorry about all the trouble my sister's caused you.
No, no, we're opponents who'll be battling all-out tomorrow.
Don't give it another thought.
I... understand that.
Priscilla, I can see you don't really care for battles.
My sister is fighting for my sake. So I can't very well run away.
Even if she sucks away your living blood?
That doesn't bother me at all.
In fact, I'm actually glad to be of some use to her.
It's just that... whenever she wields the Gravi-Sheath, my sister scares me a little.
She somehow seems so ferocious... like a totally different person...
And lately, it seems to be escalating...
I-I'm so sorry! I can't believe I said such a thing...
What do you think, Julis?
About the Gravi-Sheath?
Don't tell me you're suddenly overcome by some unnecessary compassion?
No, I'm not... Well, actually, maybe I am, but that's not what I'm talking about.
Heh, heh, just kidding.
I understand what you're trying to say, but you and I have a battle to wage.
Focusing on that should be our priority.
Yeah.
Well, well! What can I do for you at such a late hour?
Sorry to ambush you.
There's something I want to talk to you about...
Claudia?
Claudia...
H-Hey, hold up a second!
Claudia!
Aya...to?
F-Forgive me, Ayato!
I...!
I truly apologize for what just happened.
No, no, I'm the one who wanted to talk to you on such short notice.
But...what was that?
Before I answer that, will you do me one favor?
I want you to enter next year's Gryps Festa as a member of my team.
Sure. As long as Julis joins me, that is.
I knew that would be your reply... Honestly, it makes me jealous.
But that won't be an issue. Because I also intend to ask Julis.
So what does what just happened have to do with the Gryps Festa?
The fact that I'm not averse to revealing a secret if you're my teammate.
Ayato, have you ever experienced death?
Um...?
I myself have already died over 1,200 times.
Huh?
What this one seeks in return from its wielder is "to experience my own death."
Every time I fall asleep, I experience "the moment of my eventual death" in my dreams.
What makes this Ogre Lux so cruel is how it never shows me the same kind of death twice.
Illness, accidents, starvation, freezing, suicide, and... Death inflicted by another.
That's the reason why no one has been able to master this Ogre Lux,
even those blessed with a tremendous skill like precognition.
None of the wielders who came before me could withstand more than three days of that.
It's amazing that you can take it, Claudia.
Yes. It's actually something you can get used to.
But...
Now that makes me happy. Are you worried about me?
But of course I am!
I have a wish that I want to come true.
To achieve that, I absolutely need this Ogre Lux.
What is it that you wish for, Claudia?
That's... still a secret.
Claudia, what do you think of the Gravi-Sheath?
Let's see...
As you know, every Ogre Lux has its own personality, just like human beings.
For example, Ogre Luxes with good personalities, and those with bad personalities.
Then what about the Ser=Veresta?
I believe it to have one of the better personalities.
Well, although it does seem to be somewhat perversed.
Then how about the Pan-Dora?
Oh, this one has the absolute worst personality! As bad as my own, probably.
Then... What about the Gravi-Sheath?
I'd rather not speak negatively about another school's Ogre Lux,
but that one gives off a slight sense of danger.
You do think that, after all?
All too often, Ogre Luxes tend to interfere with their wielders.
Interfere?
At times, an Ogre Lux will change its wielder's mindset, personality,
even her physical body, to suit its own preferences.
Thanks, that really helped!
You're quite welcome.
My match is tomorrow, so I'll be leaving now.
Oh, my...
But you're more than welcome to spend the night here, you know...
N-No, I'll take a pass on that!
Good luck with your match tomorrow.
Right!
Sister...
The most dangerous opponent of Round 4...
Lamirexia - Irene Urzaiz.
Though there's no doubt that it will be quite the slugfest,
Ayato of all people will surely... surely...!
Episode 12 - The Gravi-Sheath
Surely... surely!
He will surely win for my sake!