覇王大系リューナイト Episode 42
Lord of Lords Ryu Knight Episode 42

SPOILER Summary:

With Gimel gone, Doan returns with two other humanoid Jya-ryuzoku to attack the barrier surrounding Eldogia. Meanwhile Paffy, Katze, and Hittel train with a hologram Doom unit. White Dragon decides to let the group know the real reason for the urgency of getting their Ryu units to class-change. Besides stopping the Jya-ryuzoku invasion, the Jya-ryuzoku plan to destroy the Mystic Shield surrounding Earth Tear once and for all. They will install a jamming device at the peak of Earth Blade when the Mystic Shield is at its weakest. They almost succeeded 1000 years before and were only stopped by the Ryu riders of the time.

Gratches asks to get a look at his Spirit Stone, which is supplying power to the barrier around Eldogia. White Dragon agrees and as Gratches looks, the three Doom units arrive and attack the barrier. Their weapons are formidable and look to be able to eventually penetrate the barrier. Adeu decides to attack them now that Ryu Paladin can fly. White Dragon allows it, opening a small hole in the barrier for him to depart. As he leaves, he tells Gratches that things are in his hands.

Doan is surprised to see that Ryu Paladin can fly but tells the other two to keep attacking while he takes care of Adeu. Because of his greater experience, Doan gives Adeu a beating while the barrier continues to be assaulted. Realizing that Adeu’s life is on the line, Gratches tells White Dragon he’ll be taking his Spirit Stone “Axe of Guiding Power” and will go to help Adeu. That means the barrier will drop but its the only way to save Adeu. The others agree to help saying they’d sacrifice Eldogia to save Adeu. White Dragon concedes but tells Gratches that the Spirit Stone will have to accept him. It does, apparently believing that saving Adeu’s life is the key to also saving Eldogia and Earth Tear.

The barrier drops and the group emerge in their Ryu units. However, the other Doom units have no trouble with the Ryu units since they can’t class-change and Adeu takes a heavy wound. White Dragon enters the fray to assist Gratches and the group manage to get more out of their Spirit Stone weapons, enough to actually defeat the Dooms. Izumi heals Adeu and White Dragon gives the group a flying ship as a parting gift.

Thoughts:

Well, Gratches got his Spirit Stone finally, and yet the Ryu riders are all still “weak as water” as the expression goes. Since there are only ten more episodes, I guess that’s about to change.

What I want to know is what happened to the “real” Jya-ryuzoku? Did the anime writers do a focus group and decide that the Jya-ryuzoku needed to be humanoids in mecha units rather than powerful dragonoid creatures?