Chaika the Coffin Princess
Get lost, you mutts!
Are you all right?
Didn't they tell you in town that this area is dangerous?
Who are you?
I'm a traveler. My name is Toru.
I sort of got lost...
I see. I'm Dominica Scoda.
Thank you for saving me.
There'll be trouble if the Orthros come back.
If it suits you, why don't you come to my mansion?
Thank you.
Damn...
We have to steal the remains from her?
The Dragoon's Wish
Not very well guarded, for a ruler's mansion...
With a dragoon, it wouldn't have to be.
And she's no weakling herself.
Now that she's seen our faces, a surprise attack won't work.
What?
Ask for lodging.
Peaceful sleep, bath, request!
Have you forgotten why you came here?
What about gathering the remains?
Remember! Of course, remember! Forget, impossible!
You did forget, didn't you?
Surprise... Transformed...
Is that the dragoon's magic?
That's handy.
By the way, what connection do you kids have?
Ah... um...
I'm not surprised you asked that.
We're actually siblings.
And, though we are related by blood,
we've fallen into unforgivable, forbidden love.
Wha—
But, of course, there's no way our family
would permit such immoral love.
The more they oppose us, the stronger the flames of passion burn.
Ah, they burn stronger and stronger...
Roaring, roaring...
Hey...
We couldn't bear to be apart,
so we decided to be together forever in death,
and came up with a suicide pact, but we couldn't go through with it.
So we joined hands and resolved to elope.
To shake off our pursuers,
we decided to pass through this forest, knowing it was dangerous.
Uh... Actually...
Forbidden love, huh?
I wouldn't mind experiencing what that sort of yearning feels like.
Eh?
Forbidden love?
If that's the case, you should stay here until your pursuers are gone.
Toru and Akari, forbidden love, didn't know!
Come on, cut it out.
We are siblings, but not by blood.
We just grew up together.
Brother.
I can't offer much hospitality, but use the rooms as you like.
I don't like this place. I feel like we're being watched.
She seems quite fond of herself.
I don't see anyone else around, though.
Does she live here by herself?
Shall we look around?
Yeah. Chaika, wait here and—
Stay alone, can't!
Creepy... Scared...
Doesn't look like it's been used.
No food, either.
Not even a mouse to be found.
Yeah. Hard to believe a ruler would live this way.
A magic projector?
A person can only be so narcissistic.
Cat!
Cat found!
Cat, not scared.
Cute!
So it looks like there really are no other people here.
Nor any sign of a dragoon.
Dominica used magic, didn't she?
So it must be close by...
Could it be hiding somewhere in the mansion?
If it's not, that works out for us.
Chaika, what do we do?
Do? Unclear. Need explanation.
I intend to start by asking her up-front to give us the remains.
If she resists, we'll take it by force.
Is that okay?
Saved from Orthros. Gave shelter.
Dominica, good person. No fight.
Yeah.
Use force, not good. Ungrateful.
That is true, but aren't you forgetting something important?
Dominica is your enemy.
And as I see it, how good she is and
what the circumstances are don't matter.
My objective is to fulfill your wishes.
Toru, I...
I'll think of a way to do it,
but as our employer, it's your job to decide.
Master, we need you to keep it together.
Tenmu... An... Gulv... Iyaf... Oul... Alou...
Bring warmth, The Boiler!
Dominica is your enemy.
Toru, correct. Me, mistake...
I want remains.
Suicide pact, complicated...
Dominica, savior.
I don't want fight...
Akari...
You got the spiderweb out, I see.
Chaika, Brother and I are both saboteurs.
So our master's word is our command.
Already know.
Brother is thinking only of fulfilling your objective as our master.
That's why he presses you for a decision.
He's not trying to make things difficult for you.
Please understand that.
I'm going to rinse you off.
Akari...
grateful.
Okay.
It's delicious.
I don't know if it suits your tastes.
No, I spent a very long time on the battlefield,
so I'm not a picky eater.
I've heard that you're a dragoon cavalier.
Where is the dragoon now?
Oh, that? It's not here now, for various reasons.
I see...
But that must be ideal for you.
I'm sure you'd have a hard time relaxing with a
dragoon roaming around.
You're right. That would be scary.
On that subject, there's something I'd like to ask you.
You are one of the eight heroes who subjugated Emperor Gaz, aren't you?
Yes.
Then you have some of his remains, right?
Could I trouble you to give them to me?
Why would you want those?
To fulfill the objective of someone precious to me.
Not your own?
My objective is to fulfill that person's wishes.
Now I understand.
I thought you seemed like no amateur.
I do indeed have some of the emperor's remains.
If you want them, you'll have to defeat me and take them.
It just so happens I've been looking for someone to fight.
Someone precious... Someone precious... Someone precious...
Akari, what's with you?
Someone precious... Someone precious... Someone precious...
Okay, I'm sorry for turning the discussion toward fighting!
What choice did I have?
I doubt you ever would have made the decision to fight Dominica.
If we dawdle around here,
that cavalier called Gillette may catch up to us.
What?
Aren't you angry that I volunteered us to fight?
N-No!
Brother.
Oh, Akari! About our battle strategy...
You like that flat-chested, waistless little stump?
What are you talking about?
I don't understand you.
Oh, yeah... When I said "someone precious to me,"
it was just a figure of speech.
Figure...
Yet another body you're chasing?
No!
I mean... Chaika gave me a goal to strive for.
I thought I was just a washed-up saboteur,
doomed to rot away for the rest of my life,
never using the techniques I learned...
Plus, I feel like I owe her.
That's all.
Toru...
Love... confession?
You need to learn to listen!
Toru... About last night...
Apology.
Said... use force, not good, ungrateful.
Oh... it's okay.
I'm sorry.
I was a little harsh, too.
Okay,
shall we work out a plan, then?
Yes!
Did you wait long?
Not at all. Ready?
Anytime.
We may end up killing you by mistake.
Would you tell us where we can find the remains?
Don't worry.
I won't be killed by kids like you.
You saw the magic projector in the courtyard, didn't you?
Yeah. The thing projecting your image, right?
They're inside that.
Understood.
Now, let us fight in earnest.
I am steel.
Steel knows no fear. Steel knows no doubt.
When faced with my enemy, I hesitate not.
I am a weapon to destroy these.
Iron-Blood Transformation!
Something strange about Dominica?
Yeah. That thing isn't Dominica.
If she's one of the eight heroes,
why wasn't she surprised to see Chaika alive?
Remember, Count Abarth was shocked.
You have a point.
Chaika, how'd your magic investigation go?
Magic investigation, inside mansion.
Something big here.
That can't be right.
We searched every corner of the mansion.
That's exactly why it's strange.
Well-dodged.
Was that not supposed to be fatal?
As I expected, you leave no openings.
I could say the same for you.
Too bad for you, though.
Her power allows her to heal instantly when wounded.
The dragoon's magic, eh?
My weak point is my forehead. Aim here.
However, just stabbing me is meaningless.
Unless you gouge deep enough to destroy my brain, I can heal.
You sure you should be telling me that?
It's not as if you can do anything with that knowledge, anyway!
Chaika!
This thing's gotta go!
What are you doing?!
No! Stop!
I thought you were just a narcissist at first.
But your reaction proves that you're exactly what I imagined.
How long are you going to keep up the human act?
Where's the real Dominica?!
Did she leave you after the war?
Maybe she abandoned you,
but you still can't forget that Dominica fought by your side,
so you live surrounded by your master's image?
Poor creature!
You're wrong!
How am I wrong?!
Go now, suffering creature taking refuge inside.
The Intruder!
So that's your true form?
No... This is the form you sought.
Looks like it's finally starting to work.
Your body can't move anymore.
The poison Akari planted in you should be starting to take effect.
Poison can't affect me!
Fly, blade! The Ripper!
I am man.
You said your forehead was your weak point, right?
Where's the real Dominica?
She's dead.
Did you kill her?
No. She was ill.
The end of the war changed us.
Left with no purpose after the war,
Dominica prematurely died of illness.
I was left alone.
The dragoon that was so sought-after during the war was
no longer wanted by anyone.
I didn't want to forget the sight of Dominica,
the one person who needed me.
Dominica longed to fight, even until her final moments.
And that's why you wanted to fight, too?
Yes.
If you wanted to fulfill Dominica's wish,
that must have become your purpose.
I'm very much the same.
Why won't you finish me off?
The point of this fight wasn't to kill you.
As promised, I'll be taking the remains.
Let's go.
Really, I wonder what I should do now.
I'd like to have something to live for, you know?
So, Toru, I've decided that my new goal will be to kill you.
At any rate, I am no longer Dominica, but Fredrica. It's a pleasure!
Ow!
Huh?
I'll heal your wounds for now,
so I can beat you fair and square later.
Wait, doesn't that mean she overheard everything we said?!
Toru, cat, innocent.
That's not a cat! It's Fredrica!
And why is someone who said she'd kill me riding with us?
More company, journey twice as fun!
Fredrica, new friend!
Dragoon, strongest!
Double encouraging!
But Fredrica, very willful.
Sometimes, wanders off alone.
Next week, episode 5: "The Pursuer and the Pursued."
The Pursuer and the Pursued