Pumpkin Scissors 22

SPOILER Summary:

Alice moves in to attack despite the stuff on the bodyguard’s machete (or matchete…which I suppose is a foreign way of spelling it). The stuff gets on her and does her no harm.

Outside, the 4th Axe with the assistance of local police have the area cordoned off, but do allow a limo to pass through, the masked man from Silver Wheel is inside with another, and they talk of the incomplete infiltrating Section I. The masked man speaks of someone who didn’t learn the ethics of life as a lion cub would, but did have fangs and claws.

Back at the ball, the machete bodyguard talks of the substance on his blade — mud from his country where he will then be in his element. He smears some on his face knowing that the mud from the marshes will make him treat those around him (the peasants) as marsh weeds to be cut down.

Outside, Oland is still on the run and taking a beating from the flail bodyguard. He sees horses in a nearby stable and wonders what to do.

Inside, Alice presses the attack and discovers her opponent doesn’t fear her blade. She soon learns the purpose of the mud as she begins to hallucinate. She reminds herself that she’s not really in a swamp but in the ballroom on solid ground. However, the bodyguard catches the bottom of her skirt with an attack, preventing her from being able to dodge a slash from his blade. So, she takes her sword and slashes her own skirt to escape the death strike of her opponent.

The crowd is getting restless and moves in to attack Paul. Alice sees this and rushes to defend Paul from the peasants. Oland, running past the windows, sees Alice fighting and stops to watch. The flail bodyguard is amazed that she’s still alive and wonders if she seriously believes her actions will stop a riot. As Oland takes another blow from the flail and falls to the ground, he ponders things, realizing he’d been using her small body to lean on. Because she is who she is, Oland comes to a decision to protect her no matter what.

Inside, Alice gives a speech about not being on the side of the nobles or the side of the peasants. Her older blond sister comes in to shield Alice while the dark-haired sister prevents Oreld from doing anything rash. She is married to a soldier and as such is not afraid of death, even when peasants move in to threaten her and Oreld. Alice asks her blond sister to step aside since she’s still in the middle of a duel. The leader of the rebels isn’t convinced, but Alice speaks of standing against evil in whatever form it takes, even if it is the Emperor, which causes quite a stir.

Deciding to protect Alice with his large body, even if it means killing, Oland opens his lantern to expose the blue flame that turns him into a tank killer. His opponent is surprised by Oland’s sudden recovery and being shot in the arm makes him start to fear. Oland shoots again, missing his opponent but striking the stable. The flail bodyguard begins to panic as he sees that Oland is no longer a scared giant, but something big and fearless, realizing that his life is in danger. As the horses inside scream in fear and bust out of their enclosures, Oland holds his opponent until the horses, still attached to carriages, run them over.

As tensions are still high in the ballroom, Oland tosses the body of his opponent through the window to the amazement of the machete bodyguard. The machete bodyguard is not amused by this, but the flail bodyguard is deathly afraid as Oland enters through the busted window. Alice tries to get him to stop coming to her as she’s in the middle of a duel. He ignores it and she breaks down and tears up. He assures her that while he and she might remain in solitude forever, however, he wants to protect the lieutenant of Pumpkin Scissors as a member of that group. Alice is touched by this, but quickly gains her military bearing, asking Oland to give her his shirt. She order Machs to turn off the vehicle’s engine and get out to show that they will not run. She orders Oreld away from her other sister to protect Paul. Then she orders Oland to guard her back and make sure no one interferes with the duel.

Smelling Oland’s shirt, she now has her own territory and is ready to resume the fight with the machete bodyguard.

Thoughts: OK, I liked this one a lot better, mainly because you got that little hint of something between Alice and Oland again. I’m glad Oland’s brief period of indecision came to an end with him apparently having a bit more control over his lantern ability in that he didn’t kill the flail-wielding bodyguard. I guess that mud only makes one hallucinate just briefly since that’s all we saw onscreen. I suppose it was to be used to disorient the enemy long enough to make the kill, which didn’t happen here. Well, only two more episodes to drag this duel out over.