Summary:

After Stiyl leads Touma back into the cram school building, they find an unconscious Index with Aureolus and Himegami at the top. Keeping Touma from immediately charging forward, Stiyl tells Aureolus that he won’t be able to accomplish his goal of saving Index. As it turns out, Aureolus was Index’s partner three years ago, and because he still thinks that she needs her memories erased every year, he’s come up with a plan to turn her into a vampire because vampires can save an infinite amount of memory and not lose their self. Aureolus is thus shocked when Stiyl reveals that Touma has already saved Index from that problem using the Imagine Breaker. Stiyl feels that Aureolus’ efforts were completely in vain, and he cites how Index is quite happy with her current partner, just like Aureolus wanted. As if to prove that point, Index starts calling out to Touma in her sleep because she’s hungry. Furious at how his feelings have been trampled on, Aureolus uses his ability to force Touma and Stiyl onto the ground and prepares to kill them. Himegami once again steps in to stop him, but since Aureolus no longer needs her, he doesn’t hesitate to kill her.

While unconscious, Himegami remembers how she attracted vampires in the past and how they died when they bit her. She had agreed to help Aureolus because it would allow her to save instead of kill and because she could tell that his sole desire was to save the one he loved. The only thing that prevents her from dying from Aureolus’ command now is Touma using his right arm to free himself and then touching her with it. Touma is furious, and he counters whatever Aureolus throws at him – suffocation, electrocution, and death by crushing – with his right hand. Realizing that Touma can negate anything his right hand can touch, Aureolus conjures up a gun that can fire a bullet at a speed that exceeds human kinetic vision. His first shot is to the left of Touma though, and to make things more entertaining, he conjures up ten guns and fires them all at Touma’s body. He intentionally doesn’t do any damage to Touma, and as he gets ready to fire again, Stiyl interrupts him with the observation that he can distort reality with his words. Stiyl goes on to question why Aureolus needed Deep Blood if he could have just created a vampire with Ars Magna.

Before Stiyl can completely finish what he’s saying, Aureolus uses his ability to lift Stiyl into the air and rip off all his skin. Seeing this makes Touma want to throw up, but Stiyl’s words resonate within him, and he starts to question why Aureolus didn’t just order for Index to be saved. Touma suspects that Aureolus simply hadn’t thought that he could save Index, and from all this he realizes the true nature of Aureolus’ power. Aureolus acts first by cutting off Touma’s right arm, but Touma reacts by laughing, and none of Aureolus’ subsequent attacks hit their mark. As Touma slowly approaches and challenges Aureolus to use his power, the alchemist panics and thinks that his Ars Magna has lost its power. He tries to stop himself from thinking that, but it’s already too late. Touma already knows that Aureolus’ power is not the ability to distort reality with his words, but rather the ability to make his thoughts into reality. Based on that, Touma’s arm turns into a dragon’s head, and the sight of that puts an end to the battle for Aureolus.

In the aftermath, Touma finds himself back in the hospital with his hand reattached. Stiyl pays him a visit and notes that the dragon was the form of the despair that Aureolus had felt. Aureolus had subsequently lost all of his memories and his ability to use magic, but because putting an end to him would have made Stiyl feel guilty, Stiyl had changed Aureolus’ face and figure before setting him free. Stiyl knows that what Touma did was simply to make Aureolus self-destruct, and he makes Touma realize that he was similar to Aureolus in several ways. Index and Himegami then show up to visit Touma, so Stiyl leaves. Himegami wants to thank Touma, and when she questions why Touma saved her, he explains that he doesn’t need a reason to do so. Index ends up revealing that the church will be taking care of Himegami, and as she watches Touma yell at Index for bringing Sphinx to the hospital, Himegami smiles.

Preview

Well that was rather disappointing. Visually, the battle was very impressive to watch. In fact, with all the blood and Stiyl getting his skin ripped off, this episode had more grotesque stuff than CHAOS;HEAD has had in recent weeks (which says as much about CHAOS;HEAD as it does this series). The problem wasn’t with the production quality though, it was with the plot. They spent all this time making us wonder what Aureolus was after and how it was connected to Deep Blood, and it turned out to be simply something that had already been done. As a climax to the arc, I thought that was really weak. It’s not exciting to see a character realize that everything he did was in vain because he didn’t bother to keep tabs on Index and what was going on with her in the three years since he’d seen her. He was even too stupid to figure out that he could just use his amazing power to get what he wanted. It’s even worse when the audience had to partake in the buildup towards that, particularly in regard to the Deep Blood and Himegami angles. In fact, I’d say that all the Deep Blood and Himegami stuff was completely unnecessary given how irrelevant they were to the conclusion.

In the bigger picture, was there a purpose to this arc other than introducing Himegami and creating another challenge for Touma to overcome? Index’s involvement wasn’t all that deep, Aureolus is finished, and it looks like from the preview that we’re already moving on to the next part of the story with Mikoto and the guy who Touma fights in the OP. I’m not getting my hopes up, but for this next arc I’d like to see a bit less exposition and a better conclusion.

55 Comments

  1. Some info for the next arc:

    Show Spoiler ▼

    @Scroched: Yeah it seems like the series is centered more around Touma than index.

    zeromaxxx
  2. It’s been asked and answered 100s of times but they didn’t. so far for the anime version, it’s exactly the same order of episodes as the very original novel version. Manga version author changed the order.

    noman
  3. This is the great show!! Well, I don’t know about lolicon character ¬_¬ Put that a side, this is a great show. It has everything (well almost), you get these mixed feelings and emotion from the show. The next thing you know it was series part, then the next was back-to-normal. Well not normal normal. The balance is great. Untill next time.

    Broth3R @ Law
  4. In this ep. the anime struck a pretty good balance between exposition and action. The show’s been having quite a different feel to it, but I can’t quite put my finger on what…

    Nice ep!

    Quen
  5. You fellow jap-intellects out there need to read the novels if you guys haven’t already. You can’t really follow this from the manga, they cut the novel up in a terrible way to get the manga done.

    Now that Touma has his man-eating dragon arm, you can expect the action scenes to get a bit more intense. ~Itadakimasu~ I couldn’t help myself 😀

    Megas
  6. The anime has already caught up to the manga, well not surprising since
    1 month = 1 manga release = total 20 chapters – deep blood arc
    1 month = 4 episodes = 24 episodes total(I think)= following novel

    Twi
  7. Ooh, Misaka and Accelerator is next! Anyway, apparently Himegami does show up later way in the novels but just like how Izaak had said it, it seems that she also become part of his harem. Lol. From what I heard, even Kaori is part of it. Crazy.

    Silver
  8. @ Silver: from what I read, Kaori is definitely a part of it, sort of like the background-stalker type…it sort of blew my mind. I guess she into the type of guys that have huge amounts of inner hidden power. Himegami also appears here & there just to show that she’s still alive.

    Megas
  9. This is one more episode where I’m pretty confident that watchers with less-than-native-speaker language skills will enjoy it much more subbed. Otherwise I can’t explain why Omni might have said that he couldn’t understand the Deep Blood/Vampire involvement. It was VERY relevant in fact.

    Mentar
  10. dat dude pulled out guns like jim carrey, weird..cant wait!
    p.s- isnt it kinda funny how these small female protagonists stay getting knocked-out and carried by Touma & friends. they are the poster children for the “damsel in distress pose”.

    BROOKLYN otaku
  11. I’m sort of disspointed about the fact that the story wasn’t more focused on Index. I thought for sure since the last episode ending, it would be more focused on her rathar than just the fight. Also, since Styl’s skin was ripped off how did he appear perfectly fine within a couple minutes O_o I got so freaked out, I thought for sure he died.

    Index-chan
  12. I thought this episode was awesome! Loved how Izzard totally freaked and pissed himself. At first, I thought that alchemist would be more powerful than Accelerator, but it turns out that all he has are realistic illusions that may hurt someone.

    I have a feeling that Deep Blood’s gonna be freeloading too. After all, Index said that the “Church” would be taking care of her, what if she meant the “Walking Church” like Touma stated. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll see some vampires eventually. TaMnI has a lot of light novels, almost on par with Shakugan no Shana. Honestly, in the future, I expect a To Aru Majutsu no Index Second.

    Can’t wait for the next episode! We finally get to see more of Mikoto. I really, really hope they end up together in the end!

    magnumslinger
  13. Did anybody else get confused with Toaru getting his hand cut off and Stiyl loosing his skin? Why did his skin come back but Toaru’s hand had to be reattached surgically? (I might be too close to it.)

    NatGraphic
  14. While Touma figured out how the alchemist’s abilities function, did he really had to laugh like a maniac(though necessary to scare the crap out of the weakling)? That is so not like him.

    Karis
  15. What’s about that reattach his arm scene, didn’t it difficult ? It doesn’t fell realistic at all, that’s too easy. It almost like just cut it off the use the all-purpose latex glue stick it back in and that arm is back in action.

    Luminos
  16. @Luminous: that’s also another spoiler.

    Show Spoiler ▼

    Izaak
  17. @ Karis:
    Touma was ‘high’ on his own power at the time. It also came about partially as a shock from getting his arm sliced off. I thought that part was obvious. Stiyl even said so, even though he was really referring to why Touma didn’t feel any pain during the experience. I bet you’ll act a little ‘weird’ too if you’ve just had you arm taken clean off.

    Megas
  18. Thank you Aaron! If Izzard makes his own thoughts real, then when Stiyl got his skin “back”, then shouldn’t Touru’s hand had “came back” as well?!? I am as confused about the stuff Izzy did after he “sliced” that hand off, it was like Toaru had to take a slice to suddenly get missed or dodge the rest. It was clearly unclear and I wonder why no one is asking or answering this? Probably just going to use it to pull us into the story by explaining it later episodes, but….

    I mean he used Imagine Breaker without his hand! HELLO!!! Aaron help me yell this louder and add in some belligerence to shake lit up. “HELL-mucklucking-LO?

    I’m clearly to slow to desrve a response, i’m going back to Mensa with the rest of the overthinkers.

    Oh and thanks in advance this time!! This show is of some vast awe.

    NatGraphic
  19. From what I could tell Stiyl got fixed because Aureolus accidentally thought it, and Touma wasn’t actually using his Imagine Breaker, he just made Aureolus think he was a monster and couldn’t beat him or something like that…

    Wererat42
  20. Aureolus magic is basically his thoughts made into reality. So the moment he started to doubt his own power (basically once touma started hysterical laughter), things turn bad by his own doing. So stuff that looked like imagine breaker without the arm, stiyl reappearing unharmed and the arm turning into a monster was really his own spell. In reality Touma’s arm really did get chopped off.

    BlackBishop
  21. @ks: yeah, your own mind is quite troublesome… ^^

    well… it’s still good that they didn’t cut out something in the eps, like we’ve seen in other series… so let’s look forward for the “sister act” xD

    Nightflame
  22. @NatGraphic:

    I’m sorry, I make it a point not to talk with idiots. I don’t want to lower my intelligence.

    If you haven’t realized by now, wishing someone’s skin to be ripped apart and wishing for a blade that you will use in cutting off an arm are two different things. And you wonder why we don’t respond to you? Magic shredded Stiyl’s skin, whereas a Physical object summoned by magic slashed Touma’s arm off. Since the object that slashed Touma wasn’t Magic in the first place, and was simply summoned by it, why would Touma’s arm reattach itself when the magic disappeared???

    Oh god, I could feel my intelligence dwindling from just talking to you.

    Izaak
  23. In regards to the “He was even too stupid to figure out that he could just use his amazing power to get what he wanted. It’s even worse when the audience had to partake in the buildup towards that, particularly in regard to the Deep Blood and Himegami angles. In fact, I’d say that all the Deep Blood and Himegami stuff was completely unnecessary given how irrelevant they were to the conclusion.” part.

    What they found out later was that Aureoulus doesn’t make into reality what he SAY’S but rather what he THINKS. Even if he says one thing his mind will be thinking of something else that’s a lot more probable in happening. So even if he were to SAY “Release Index of the curse” (or rather something to that extent) he could be having doubts which would mean he would THINK that it would be impossible. Since he only makes into reality what he THINKS rather than what he SAYS.

    Deep Blood was connected to all this only for one reason. Aureoulus gained Deep Bloods trust (Remember Deep Blood is the Maiden. She’s Deep Blood). That we he would be able to have enough power (or rather he would now be able to THINK clearly because of some divine mystical bull shit power the maiden has) and would be able to do it. That we he could be the one to have saved Index and make sure she would always be happy with him. But because he was in a “cave” for most of the 3 years he did not know that Touma had actually found a way to get rid of the “curse” and that Index is doing pretty ok with Touma (well better than OK. More like GREAT).

    Man every episode keeps getting better and better. Kannagi is ALSO giving me that same feeling.

    ROFLWAFFLELAWL
  24. Err actually forget that part about Deep Blood. I was just saying bull shit apparently. The actual connection with Deep Blood (the maiden) was to call over the Vampires (since Deep Bloods…well blood is like bees to honey for the vampires). The reason he needed the vampires was to turn Index into one so that she’s immortal and won’t have to fear death. But the reason he couldn’t just SAY vampires exist (or well make a vampire) was because he doubted that they actually do and doubted the whole thing turning Index into a vampire wouldn’t work. Since his power is that whatever he thinks up becomes reality (ex:Aureoulus hoped/thought for Index so she can be cured and be happy with someone/partner, not necessarily him) instead of what he says becomes reality. So yes Deep Blood didn’t have a totally freaky connection to the story….but she was of some use. Hopefully later on.

    ROFLWAFFLELAWL
  25. @Izaak

    I’m sorry people in this thread are causing your intelligence to dwindle; however, your arguments make very little sense to someone of lesser intelligence like myself.

    The alchemist’s ability is to cause his own thoughts to become reality; therefore, the only way Stiyl’s skin could have become reattached after it was really torn off is if the alchemist wishes that to be so. Of course, as his mental state was deteriorating and he was doubting himself, the possibility exists that he believed that his ability was not working and that he had not actually injured Stiyl at all.

    With regard to Touma’s arm, I agree that it was not reattached because the alchemist did not wish for it to become reattached (and it really was cut-off by the blades). The dragon-like image cast from the arm was entirely due to the alchemist’s belief in what Touma said about his power not being linked to his right hand.

    Aaron
  26. @ Izaak and Aaron and NAT

    Aureolus’ power is to make into reality what he thinks not what he says. Since touma’s Imagine Breaker only works when touching anything with magic if he was hit where he could not touch it….it would work against him. The blade actually would be able to be stopped if Touma touched it (IE the car). Only reason he couldn’t (or even would try to) was because Aureolus made it move at a speed faster than that of which a human could react to it.

    As for the reason why Touma’s arm didn’t come back was because Aureolus already saw that it cut his arm and that the arm is gone. He doubted his magic for a second making his power disappear. But what happened was only the whole skin ripping off deal came back to normal. Not the arm. The reason for what is pretty straight forward. Nothing too deep. He saw the arm cut off and it’s bleeding and such. He didn’t doubt that. But he did have doubts of his powers AFTER wards. Since Touma told him it had nothing to do with his arm (total bull shit). Because of that he doubted his power and that it wasn’t working anymore which then released Stiyl.

    The reason why Touma’s arm was back to normal was just because the Doctor put it back on. They all use science. It surpasses our level of science by ten folds. Putting a limb back on? Totally fine. Though I’m sure some of it has to do with Aureolus forgetting everything and also about him doing any magic.

    ROFLWAFFLELAWL
  27. You are missing something there in your summary Omni.. he couldn’t save index by simply thinking it because he had some doubt in his mind that he could.. and not because he simply didn’t think of it.

    Thats why none of the final attacks worked on Touma and why Stiyl appeared with all his skin back on-its because Touma’s performance and over-dramatic yelling caused doubt in Aurelous’ mind and caused his magic thought based abilities to falter.

    Watcher
  28. @ Roflwafflelawl

    extending on what you were talking about, you could just say that when Aurelous was doubting himself at the end, and all his thought based magic was reverting itself, he could more easily doubt that stiyl’s skin really ripped off than he could the arm being cut off.

    Watcher

Leave a Reply to Huitzi Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *