Summary:
Kai is at the top of the Eiffel Towers thinking about earlier battle on the Red Shield ship and wondering what the Chiropterans are. He recognizes a cloaked girl nearby – Irene. A little boy bumps into her, so she helps him back up. He thanks her, but she seems to not understand what “thank you” means. Elsewhere in the city, Saya and Hagi are having a sparring match. After they finish up – with her being the apparent victor – Saya walks in on a conversation between Lewis and David about some recent deaths. They don’t know whether Chiropterans, the Shifu, the Chevaliers, or Diva is responsible. Saya says that she won’t allow any more victims and then heads out to the library.
Kai follows Irene around the city, watching as she takes in her surrounding, be it flowers in front of a florist, a dog on the street, or a clown handing out balloons. He sees her go into an alley and then the balloon come floating out. She gets mugged, but manages to restrain her Chiropteran urges. Kai beats up and scares off the thugs for her. He notices that she’s looking at the blood on the ground left by the thug and asks if she wants it. He also asks why she didn’t retaliate against her assailants, to which Irene responds that she doesn’t want to kill anyone anymore. The clouds then part to reveal the sun, causing Irene to try to scurry out of the light’s way. She collapses on the ground, and Kai wonders what she is. Irene has a vision of herself floating in water and reaching towards the sun. When she wakes up, Kai is still by her side, though he’s moved them into a tunnel. He asks her what the Shifu are, and she reveals that they were made by man in a place called Khirbet.
During this time, Saya researching something in the library’s microfilm archives. As she’s leaving, she passes by Okamura and Mao, though neither side sees the other. Okamura has finally made the connections between Goldsmith and Goldschmidt. He explains that in the 1830s when the zoo was being built, Goldsmith and Goldschmidt were just branch families. Goldschmidt had disappeared from history whereas Goldsmith stayed. Their fortunes were made during World War II, and now the Cinq Flèches Group, which is related to the Goldsmith family, has connections with hundreds of companies. Of course, Mao gets angry because none of this will lead them directly to Kai.
Irene explains to Kai that the Shifu were bred to fight and did so all the time against normal Chiropterans under watch of doctors in a lab setting. This included Amshel. And although they could regenerate their wounds, there was the Thorn stigma that plagued them. They watched as comrades crystallized and died one by one. Then one day, Moses said that they should break out. If they waited around, the Thorne will undoubtedly appear in each of them. Moses wanted to believe in the word “hope” that’s written in the books of man. They accomplished their escape, but in the process had learned that they were created as disposables. At this point, Irene shows Kai that she has developed the red cracks on her neck – that is Thorn. For the sake of curing themselves, they need the blood of their origin – Diva’s or Saya’s.
As the sun sets, Amshel tells Solomon not to worry about what happened back at the zoo. Solomon is actually more concerned about the Shifu and why Amshel secretly created them. Amshel’s answer is that the Shifu are one of their insurances for the future, and that Solomon should just leave everything to him. Solomon starts to protest, but the arrival of Diva interrupts their conversation. She has a new dress and wishes to go out to play. Meanwhile, Kai tells Irene that he can asks Saya for her blood; that way, she won’t have to kill. He suggests that she only has to say “thank you” after receiving it. Irene still doesn’t understand what that phrase means since it wasn’t important enough for them to be taught about. Kai carries her on his back to Saya and starts talking about his own role and how Riku became a Chevalier. Irene says that she’d be happy if a person like him was waiting for her return. She’s happy that they were able to talk today and then says her first “thank you” to Kai.
Saya gets a call about Riku and gets ready to head back, but she starts to hear a song. Irene hears the same thing, and she sees Diva pass by in a car. She starts running in the other direction, with Kai chasing after her. On the other side of the road, Saya sees Diva getting out of the car, but she also sees Kai chasing after Irene. She’s seems split about whether to go after Kai or to go after Diva. Kai chases Irene until she finally stops out of range of the song. The other Shifu appear to take Irene back, and she asks them not to kill Kai. Saya, who had chosen Kai over Diva, appears, but gets attacked by one of the Shifu. When Hagi also joins the battle, Moses and the others retreat with Irene. Kai asks Saya to believe in him when he says that the Shifu are not their enemy. Back at the library, Okamura has made a discovery: the photo, dating back to the 1800s, of Saya and Hagi.

If I didn’t think that Irene was going to die, I’d say that she and Kai make a good couple. Especially since, for once, Kai was actually able to protect someone and looking cool doing it to boot. They also had those tender moments when Kai was giving her a piggy-back ride. In general, she acts like a curious little kid and he seems perfect for the role of teaching her how to live as a normal person. But I have a feeling that she’ll die, partly because I don’t think Kai will be able to attain any happiness this soon and partly because the Shifu were originally cast as antagonists.
The story of the Shifu raised two interesting thoughts in my head. The first is similar to the Solomon’s concerns of why Amshel created the Shifu and what his ultimate purpose for them is. The other thing I noticed is how Moses is talking about breaking free and believing in hope. I’m far from being a religious person, but I found it very fitting that these words are coming from the guy named Moses.
Well the pieces are finally falling into place for Okamura and Mao. Maybe she’ll finally be able to see her beloved Kai next episode.

34 Comments

  1. For the first time Kai actually protected someone-something successfully. (Okay I may be exaggerated a bit). I hope Irene won’t die. I really do like her. And yeah, seriously, Kai and Irene should hook up.

    Ori
  2. i just read the spoilers on wikiepedia and it says :

    Show Spoiler ▼

    kurotsuki
  3. I’m not sure if Diva is the prettier one. They are really mirror images of one another. She’s just prissy, enjoys doing her hair and wearing pretty dresses. Saya’s look is more modern and warrior like.

    Christy
  4. I’m starting to like the Shifu group more and more. They’re a pretty tragic bunch, killing innocents is wrong but they are just trying to survive.

    This is pretty much the only episode where i liked Kai. His interaction with Irene, his supposed ‘enemy’, was a good way for him to develop his own opinions on the situation and gain info on both sides of the conflict.

    As for my favourite characters right now, Irene > Diva > Saya. I really hope Irene survives or at least interact with Kai a little bit more.

    Sorael
  5. I also hope the Wikipedia is wrong. You have to take what you read there with a grain of salt.
    I also love the Irene x kai couple. I’ve never hated Kai, I don’t get why people dislike him so much.
    HE is doing the best he can for a human, Devid doesn’t do much better again Diva or chavaliers and nobody call him useless. If it was not for Kai, Riku would be dead because he was the one that convinced saya to make revive riku. How many of you will let a vampire suck your blood, regardless of the relationship. Anyway, I love this episode for the Irene-Kai interaction.

    golthin
  6. Saya doesn’t look that ugly. She is just more sporty, and cares less of her own appearance. O wait, can someone briefly explain to me why Hagi is having a pose with the previous Saya (who almost looks like Diva).

    Diva is Saya’s sister, right? Why hasn’t she showed up in Saya’s past lives?

    I’m so confused!

    windows
  7. This episode is kind of a distraction from Riku. After Riku started feeding on Kai in the last episode I really wanted to see more of Riku. I really don’t care much for the Shifu’s back story or their struggle but more Irene interaction would be nice.

    Diva isn’t proving to be that threating to the fate of the world. Anshel is though. Diva isn’t the slightest bit worried about Saya at all. Now she’s got a chevalier entourage.

    ChuChu
  8. I’m not so sure the summaries on wikipedia are wrong since there are monthly anime magazines in Japan that publish summaries for each episode that’s suppose to air that month. If someone played a pank and put up false information then that’s another matter.

    mangaka-chan
  9. I’m not so sure the summaries on wikipedia are wrong since there are monthly anime magazines in Japan that publish summaries for each episode that’s suppose to air that month.
    If I had to guess, I’d say that whoever is keeping the wikipedia entry updated is using NewType Japan’s upcoming episode summary, which says basically what the wiki says.

  10. I am seriously getting fed up with saya… She’s quite an uncool character… Her undecisiveness is on par with those harem main protagonists and it is really starting to get on my nerves…She still didn’t get the point her father made back in episode 6 something. Hopefully, she seems to mature a bit in those last episodes you’ve been blogging… I can’t wait for a Saya that kicks asses, it was the main appeal of the movie after all

    Boulayman
  11. Well, I kind of feel the same way that Saya’s coming around a little bit late but she’s getting there.
    I’m hoping she starts to act like Last Vampire Saya—confident, smart, powerful, expert vampire slayer who doesn’t take crap from anyone.

    Having Hagi constantly around to bail her out and enable her lean on him doesn’t help. Does Hagi have anything to say to Saya about what they’re up against? No comments on the Schiff, Hagi???
    Anshel, Diva, Solomon?…Hagi knows Solomon and Karl from Vietnam. And Karl must have been transformed by Diva sometime after berserk Saya stabbed his arm and did something so horrible to human Karl that Karl never forgot Saya (even Solomon forgot Saya for a time—yet he remembered Hagi like yesterday???).

    ChuChu
  12. Do you think Kai and the current Jacob are clones of the original Jacob? Maybe the original Jacob took Saya and Diva to discover immortality and Anschel betrayed him. What do you think?

    El Guapo
  13. About the hands:
    I think that the problem with the hands of Karl and Hagi it is that in some point of the fight Saya cut the hand of Karl (just like in Jungke Paradise) that is why it doesn’t return to it original form, and the same happened to Hagi, but with Diva. That is why Karl fell pain when he pass close to Saya, and why he hates her so much, maybe… or does he loved her? However, that is the same reason of Hagi’s arm.

    BTW, It was said that Solomon met Hagi in Vietnam, but it may not include Saya.

    Kaede Kei
  14. well…that’s it, time to make another fanfic…
    yes, an alternate ending on the fate of the Schiff…
    er, mostly about Irene x Kai, Karman x Moses…
    Fine, I’ll take out the gay relationship!

    Jervy

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