灼眼のシャナⅢ（Final）
Shakugan no Shana III (Final) – 02

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis:

Sydonay faces the Flame Haze leader of the Shanghai Outlaw group, Guken, and her Crimson Lord partner-sword, Teikou, with whom he has known for sometime as she addresses him as Shiyuu. However, while her Shashin Kensei attack hits Sydonay before he can react, she is stunned to see the attack had no effect on him. He reveals a secret about his own Shintetsu Nyoi weapon as eyes and mouths appear all over. Sydonay then attacks, breaking Teikou and killing Guken. After saying a death poem, two of Sydonay’s subordinates approach, praising him for his work. He disagrees, saying he only took out a rogue Outlaw facility and that their tough battle will be in Europe against Sophie Sawallisch.

Shana comes home to find Wilhelmina waiting with a letter from Sophie. In it, Sophie talks of the loss of the Shanghai Outlaw and its effect in the coming crisis. However, her words for Shana regarding her personal situation is to stop deceiving herself and that she needs to become one with herself. During her training with Margery, Shana finds herself trying to understand what Sophie was trying to tell her. Elsewhere, some members of Bal Masqué gather.  The child-like Pirsoyn greets the furry monster-like Stolas and warns that Ribesal is not in a good mood. The beetle-like Ribesal is having great difficulties accepting a Mystes as their leader but decides that Stolas and Pirsoyn can do him a favor in this regard.

Elsewhere, Yuuji is on a mountain top with Bel Peol, Hecate, and another being, who acts like a bard and plays a stringed instrument. While Yuuji laments that it is not spring, Hecate remarks that she can see the beauty of things, even in winter. Yuuji understands that this is how Bal Masqué survived without “him” all this time. He then gets a briefing from Bel Peol on the fall of the Shanghai Outlaw and the bearer of the news, Stolas. Yuuji is pleased that Sydonay has lost none of his skills in the time “he” has been missing. With the Flame Haze scattered, he now plans to visit Shana, leaving Bel Peol to wonder why their leader would choose a Mystes as a vessel and obsess over a Flame Haze.

Fecor arrives to tell the group that the others have gathered at Seireiden. Back at Seireiden, Pirsoyn attempts to talk Ribesal out of whatever he’s planning, but he is not to be dissuaded, annoyed by the likes of Sabrac and others, whom have been given the run of the place. Yuuji arrives with Bel Peol and Hecate and immediately singles out Ribesal. Ribesal challenges Yuuji and summons clones of himself to attack. However, Yuuji easily dispels the clones and stops Ribesal’s attack, praising him on his growth in strength. Defeated, Ribesal takes a knee and the trio move on.  With that, Yuuji calls the Tomogara to attention and Bel Peol begins to explain their next move.

Back with Shana, Margery stops the training because Shana is not focused on it despite her weak protests. Wilhelmina suggests Shana give a name to this new ability of hers, as Shana’s predecessor had done for her special ability. Upon hearing that this skill and the naming of it is for herself, Shana activates the unrestricted spell with great intensity, so Margery decides to test her. Elsewhere, the old man Torch, Lamies, sees an energy mandala hovering at an angle and addresses it at “Decarabia.” Lamies assumes that from the blatant way he’s being contacted, “they” must want him and so he departs.

Satou gets final instructions from Margery for a mission she sends him on. She gives him a special bookmark, which Marchosias states is a Tomogara detector. As such, he is to run and not engage any Tomogara he might encounter or else Margery won’t forgive him. While on the train contemplating things, Satou senses a Tomogara approaching him at a rapid speed. He attempts to flee, as instructed, but there are limited cars and he cannot get out of the train. However, as another train passes in the opposite direction, he realizes that the Tomogara was on that train, but then understands it is heading to Misaki City.  There, Shana has a brief feeling as she helps Wilhelmina with reports as Yuuji, back in his old form, steps off the train.

Thoughts/Review:

I’m going to skip right to the ending for a moment and recall how in the last OVA series, Shana faced Yuuji on a bridge with Yuuji apparently now her opponent.  I don’t think it is much of a wild guess to say that this showdown is what I think will happen in the next episode since Yuuji appears in normal form.

Based on Bel Peol’s thoughts, I’m going to say that when Yuuji made an agreement with the Silver, he did it in part to protect Shana.  After all, Yuuji has always done things to try to help her or even protect her and it seems natural that if given an offer to protect Shana from death at the hands of Bal Masqué, he’d take it. We’ll see if I’m right or not.

For her part, I’ll be interested to see what Shana’s new ability does as far as the story goes.  I could see it somehow being used to free Yuuji from the influence of the Silver and bring the story to a conclusion.  The setup feels like this is how this power would be used but we’ll see.

I like how we get to see more members of Bal Masqué.  I especially like that there is distention in the ranks over a Mystes like Yuuji being in charge of the organization.  Interesting that Yuuji didn’t do anything sinister in defeating Ribesal. Everything he’s done as the new leader of Bal Masqué has not been in the cliched tradition of rulers of “evil.”

That aside, Sydonay seems to have become even stronger than before. I say this because the Flame Haze he battled clearly knew him for a long time and was no slouch. Indeed, she thought she’d won their fight but the ease with which he dispatched her means he will be a much tougher opponent.  I do wonder whom those two with him were. I don’t remember them from earlier series.

So, the setup for the battle between Yuuji and Shana is complete. I am looking forward to seeing how things go.