Well done, Belle.
That guy was something else.
Belle, from here on out, leave the vanguard and fight as you see fit.
Huh?
You mean...
So I can leave the band at any time?
Really, your scripts account for everything.
That's been your part in this band from the beginning.
I like it. This band, I mean.
I want to fight with you.
Bye Bye, Earth
It sounds like Adonis has taken Princess Sherry deep into Root Land.
The stolen sword of the Katakombe is probably with—
It's awfully chilly.
Wh-What's going on?
What bitter cold...
The wards!
It's eating them!
Close formation!
Focus! Do you want to freeze?!
That must be our enemy.
Why can't I cut her?!
What?!
Is she some tribe we've never seen before?
Let it o...! Let it o...!
Let it o...!
A mermaid.
Belle! Check that arm!
It's ice!
The whole arm is made of ice!
I see.
She took on too much mental pollution.
Gwyn, I've got her!
All hands on deck! Make sure you finish her!
Fire!
There!
We pierced her heart.
Above us!
Let it o...! Let it o...!
O... o... o...! O... o... o...!
Let it o...! Let it o...!
O... o... o...!
Even her heart is frozen solid.
O... o... o...!
I don't resent my destiny as a mermaid.
Stop, Belle!
Bennett?
She's already dead.
I wouldn't have minded giving her one of my arms.
Your arms belong to me as long as you're under my command.
See that shrine?
This marks the shortest route into god's core.
Huh?
It's the sword!
An obvious trap if I've ever seen one.
Make light!
This means we're in the god's inner sanctum.
It rejects all magic.
Doesn't that mean the Army can't use any, either?
The Army of Insatiable Emptiness is one of god's few blind spots.
What a predicament.
What's that?
What say you, conductor? They seem like toys to me.
They are toys.
They're walking on their own. And coming this way.
What the hell are they?
They're dead.
Oh, is that all?
Bennett, who in the world is controlling them?
Can't you see him with your eyes?
So he wants to see who conducts better?
Let it o...! Let it o...!
What tiresome conducting.
He's hopeless.
Vanguard, split into stage left and right!
Flanks, fall back to the rear!
Wait, you want to turn back?
Belle, jump!
What the...?
Let it o...!
This is the main force?
Charge at will!
All right!
So you have no need for broken toys, do you?
Gwyn! When did you...?
You joined the fray yourself?
Hardly approved conduct for a conductor.
You think she's that boy's mother?
Probably.
Secure the sword!
What is this thing?!
Bamboo, huh?
You don't let up, do you?!
I missed.
I don't believe it. She cut through a Rest-aurant?
I'm starting to fear what Belle and Runding will do next.
They're here to gain a different kind of strength than what they've had thus far.
Strength on a different level from ours.
Once she falls into a different category,
I'm sure trouble will break out in our path too.
Gwyn, do you mean...?
It looks like we've cleared out the "Fangs" or whatever they call themselves.
We've finally made it this far!
Only nobility are allowed to set foot beyond this point.
Even so, we will—
Halt, Conductor Gwyn!
Gaff?!
Why, if it isn't the lead solist!
Have you come to watch how we fight?
You've fought well.
Sheathe your swords at once!
We shall take things from here.
I'm amazed the Nothing followed that fellow like he was supposed to.
Are our wills attempting to align in god's roots?
I see.
What a state of affairs to wake up to.
Not bad at all.
I think not!
What's this about, Gaff?
Did you not hear me?
I did, lead solist.
If you will place every sword that fought here on the divine scales,
we will sheathe them this instant.
The scales, you say?
We have no other way to let our swords tell of their battles
or to claim the reward for our service from the king.
I refuse.
Oh? And may I ask why?
Swords that have clashed with shadows may not rest on the divine scales.
We made forbidden Schwert Musik with the Army of Insatiable Emptiness
because you yourself gave us the royal order to fight.
To think that obedience would land us all in prison as taboo-breaking paradoxes!
Paradoxes The Outlawed
You have only one way to avoid the stigma of paradox.
Discard our swords, you mean?
Yes. I understand how it must grieve you.
But you may return to the stage of proper Schwert Musik with new swords in hand.
What other choice do you have?
You want us to dump the blame on our swords and abandon them?
That is indeed the most commonsense way to preserve order peacefully.
Well then?
I have conditions.
What?!
First, approve our petition and recognize the Katakombe's neutrality.
Second, return the sword taken from the Katakombe to its rightful place.
I mean, that shouldn't be so hard, right?
Are you out of your minds?
Who can say?
I will brook no further argument!
Those who will do as I say, come forward at once.
Act otherwise,
and receive the stigma of paradox along with the bite of my sword!
Belle?
Who'd pitch their sword just because you said so?
You can't even put up a decent fight against the Army,
so shut up and back off!
Even you would harm this land, Belle?!
Now, at last, I perceive our god's true will!
I see why god wishes to destroy the key to journeys!
Remember what I told you once?
Your sword's the last one I'd ever want to die by.
Are you fine with this, Gwyn?
Those two are the leads in this battle.
We should follow Belle, whether she advances or retreats.
Who could keep up with her?
Bennett...
Belle.
This will be a parting of the ways.
Yours and ours.
That sword's made of steel from the divine tree, isn't it?
Which means your god is in your hands.
What?!
But you still won't listen to what your sword is saying.
I'm surprised.
I'll give my sword its proper station.
Your sword must want the same thing.
Cut in!
It's like a maze.
It's like the caves in the Katakombe.
Don't worry. We won't get lost.
Keep your wits about you in god's domain.
What?
Only those who truly question reason can pass this point.
What's gotten into you guys?
Advance slowly!
If you can't bear it, move to the rear!
Gwyn?
It's divine pressure!
Must be a hereditary trait.
When the gods created us in the time of legends,
they put special ears in our heads.
What for?
So we could hear the divine voice of the god-machine, Deus Ex Machina.
Even after all these generations, we still have them.
I don't have anything like that.
You again!
Out of my way!
Nice going!
Finally, the sword of the Katakombe is in our—
Nowhere...
What?
Nowhere...
Get away from the sword!
Nowhere...
Now he's done it.
Nowhere...
Do you see, sublater?
Aufheben Sublate
What?!
Do you see this other group of beings capable of aufheben?
This crucible of ecstatic hunger?
Adonis!
Huh?
Oh no!
Damn!
Stop! Don't use magic!
Then what?!
Oh, to hell with it!
Behold my newborn might!
Kitty the All!
Come, Belle! It's time for your cry of triumph!
Adonis!
You son of a bitch!
Can I cut him?
Trust Adonis to set such an elaborate trap.
Damn him!
What splendid wards.
Now we can cast all the magic we'd like.
I never expected a traveling Rabbitia to save our hides again.
No, I was careless.
I never dreamed the wolf lad had left the stink of his beliefs on the sword.
Well, we have the sword. What now?
Advancing any farther will prove exceedingly difficult.
I'm going.
I will accompany you.
I have a bit of unfinished business with the wolf lad.
See you around.
Belle Lablac!
Belle Lablac! The little one!
Belle Lablac! The reason for our victory!
My conducting stops here.
Go wild, Belle.
You bet.
Let's go.
We march as well!
Carry the sword wrapped in this.
The lead solist and his priests lie in wait outside the passage!
We're all getting out of here alive!
Make up your mind, conductor.
Bennett!
This was part of your script too.
She's already left our category.
And she'll come back as a disaster blocking our path.
You said so yourself.
I know you don't want to tear down this castle, Gwyn.
She'll cut god if we let her.
I couldn't ask for a better director.
Decide!
I admit Belle's choices will depend on what questions Adonis throws at god.
But I believe in her strength.
And in her sword.
Now matter how much she changes or how much power she gains,
I want to believe that, at least, will stay the same.
The threat of the Army has passed for now!
Belle will find out what's become of Princess Sherry!
Only one task remains for us:
win neutrality for the Katakombe!
Sorry, Bennett. I lean on you too much.
I should have given the order.
Don't mention it.
I needed that too.
It was all the farewell we needed.
Are you crying, Belle?
Huh? No way.
I won't pretend I'm used to it,
but everyone treats me like I'm something special.
Are they trying to give me a big head?!
I swear I'll be free someday.
Belle...
I'll find out all about where I come from.
I'll choke down every reason I'm here in this world!
Sixteenth Movement
Absurdity: Asking the Voices of Swords
As divine priestess, I tell you now.
We'll stop clinging to god!
I've been waiting for you, girl of reason.
I'm going to cut you.
Mania: Nowhere
Seventeenth Movement