Everyone is searching for a new world
to attain that overflowing dream.
They all jump over the horizon,
regardless of what lies beyond.
We've run,
we've dived into hope,
and forgotten only courage.
And we've been swept away by the crowd
only to lose something dear to us.
I smile with a twisted face,
and it was the best smile I could put on.
The inside of my mask overflowed with tears
so I covered my wet mask with yet another mask.
I continue to walk through the flat battleground,
and I struggle, unable to warp.
The dream waits quietly on a cape far away.
Even if I fumble around clumsily,
I'm sure I'll still be able to make it there.
Hi!
Good morning, Madoka! Is Ayumu awake?
Actually, he's sleeping. But that's not a problem.
Great, thanks!
Ayumu, wake up! You've got a visitor.
Oh, who?
It's that girl with the weird song.
Tell her I'm not home.
Excuse me!
What's her deal? It's Sunday!
Ayumu!
Your attitude really stinks! I'm here to help you,
and this is the thanks that I get, Mr. Lazy?
What? What are you saying?
You can't remember anything.
We made plans to sit down, put together all of the clues so far,
and figure out what this Blade Children thing is!
Have fun. You don't need me. You got your little book and all of its info.
Ayumu!
Okay! Okay, I'll help!
I'm leaving for work, Ayumu. Lock the door behind me.
Cool.
Going to work on a Sunday? I thought everyone was off today.
Maybe for those who don't have cases piling up at their desk.
You two have fun.
'Kay. You, too.
Sure, like that'll happen.
Wow. Your sister-in-law is such a modern woman.
You think so? All I ever see her do is work.
And she doesn't act very lady-like.
You don't get it. We've entered a time when women can be strong.
Finally, it's okay for a woman to bring home the bacon.
I want to be just like her,
fearless in the face of this man's world.
Whatever.
Dog poo!
Just try not to be too much like her. You're fine the way you are.
Never mind. Let's get started.
Okay.
If I'm not missing anything, the first incident we know of was two years ago
when your brother Kiyotaka disappeared.
I am going to pursue the mystery of the Blade Children.
Until I can touch with my own two hands the unseen truth out there,
I will not return. Please tell Madoka.
And with those words, your brother vanished,
leaving no other evidence behind.
A couple years passed, and you began your freshman year at Tsukiomi Academy.
And it was then that the first incident occurred,
the attempted murder of Sayoko Shiranagatani.
Oh, no! Are you okay?! Come on, young lady, say something!
Hello? Talk about dangerous! The guard rail's missing.
Did you do this? Did you push her off of there?
After the suspicion was placed on you, you focused on finding the real culprit.
Then with your unrivaled skills of deduction,
you revealed the truth behind Sayoko's fall.
Well, I couldn't have done it without your help.
The melody of logic always plays the notes of truth, Professor.
That's right! The person who did all this...
It was you.
Well, right after that, Sonobe ran.
But he didn't get too far before he was attacked himself.
We know that every incident has something to do with these Blade Children.
It wasn't until later that we'd learn Sayoko is one of them.
From then on, the Blade Children began to stir things up
with one horrifying event after another.
It began with Kousuke Asazuki and Rio Takeuchi.
So you...
Killed Sonobe?
Sonobe had been shadowing us for quite some time now.
He wanted to kill us all.
Wait! You mean you're...
My name is Kousuke Asazuki. And yes, I am one of the Blade Children.
You're determined to stand in our way no matter what, Mr. Imazato.
You're a...
Member of the Blade Children, Rio Takeuchi.
What do you want from me?
Simple. I have to be sure you won't tell Ayumu Narumi
what you know about the Blade Children.
Don't you think that's a little unfair to him?
Do you actually believe that fate is fair?
If it was,
then I wonder if the Blade Children ever would have been born at all.
I won't stand by and let you kill Ayumu!
I would gladly give my life to stop you Blade Children.
Well, if that's the way you want it, then that's the way you'll get it.
Mr. Imazato?
Goodbye.
I'm thirsty. Do you have anything to drink?
Yeah. Sure.
A gentleman would get it for me.
Your highness.
Wow, hot cocoa! The perfect little pick-me-up for such a cold winter's day!
Delicious!
Ayumu, you're amazing.
This cocoa tastes like a cup of happiness that you've brought
from some far-away, tropical land!
It's so good, it makes me want to sing!
; Outside the window, Kira, kira, kira, ki. ;
; A shooting star streaks. Kira, kira, kira, ki. ;
Okay, enough. Can we just continue?
Oh, fine. At this point in the story, we move to your life-or-death struggle
with Rio Takeuchi.
Is there something we can do for you?
Well, you see, I just found this stuffed animal
downstairs in the school cafeteria. It had this note stuck to its head.
"Take me to the Newspaper Office"
Don't tell me there's a bomb in there!
I know you're one of the Blade Children. You won't get away.
I should have expected this from Kiyotaka's younger brother.
But I am impressed you discovered I'm one of the Blade Children.
However, if we keep butting our heads like this, as equally matched opponents,
I don't think we'll ever see this thing through to the end.
Okay, Kousuke!
This is one messed up situation. You sure you want to go through with it?
I've always known that it would come down to something like this.
So, the time has now come to begin our final game.
You wouldn't take that chance. These glasses are only sugar water.
Ayumu!
Impossible. That tongue-piercing bitterness! Strychnine!
That's just what I expected.
You talk big, but when it came down to it,
you hardly touched the glass to your lips before you gave way to caution.
You didn't drink nearly enough to kill yourself.
That's no way to go about changing your fate.
You believe me now? I promised a fair game.
She really is willing to risk everything.
Killing Imazato was easy, and killing you will be easier.
Before you knew it, you were eyebrow deep in the mystery of the Blade Children.
As far as we know,
your brother might have fallen into the mystery in the same kind of way,
by accident.
"Dragged in" would be more precise.
We still don't know the secret behind what the Blade Children are,
and why they continue to cause so many problems all the time.
Nor do we know the identities of the "Hunters" who target them.
Go Ayumu! I'll be fine!
The biggest mystery, the one we have no leads on,
is why all of them seem to attach so much importance to you.
I'm hungry. Can we stop for lunch now?
Sure. Why not?
You're such a good cook, will you make it for me?
And what would you like to eat?
Curry!
Yes, your highness.
Oh! I'm so bored.
I can't believe that I've got a day off and I can't even go anywhere.
But I'm here. Doesn't that make it any better?
I'd rather lose a kidney.
What are you so pissy about?
I'm annoyed by guys who show up to my hospital bed with no presents
and then lounge around like they own the place.
Sorry, princess.
If Eyes were here, he would have bought me a present. Something melony!
Again with the melon? No way I could afford such an expensive gift.
You're such a cheapskate, Kousuke. Just go home!
Have you completely lost your edge? What happened to you?
Hard to believe you're the same person
who risked her life in that battle with Little Narumi.
Will you accept my challenge? Or run away?
Which is it?
Fine, I accept.
But you'll regret this attitude put-on you've got.
Try and make me.
The object of this game is to get both the tape and you,
which are located in different parts of town.
But there are no complicated rules.
What's this for?
It disarms a bomb that has been placed in a certain location.
What is this certain location?
Around Little Narumi's neck.
It may be small, but it's powerful enough to blow your head clean off.
And let the game begin.
It's all over if you're caught.
So keep away from them until I get the tape.
If you're near Shumari Station, then get on a train.
A train?
The safest place for you right now is on a moving train.
They gave you a bit of a head start, right?
Yeah.
You don't have to worry about getting caught now.
I can tell what he's thinking for the most part. So, listen.
He'll put himself at risk somehow and wait until the last half to get the key.
Right.
You go straight for that tape, Kousuke.
Oh, no!
Bye bye!
I am so, so sorry, Ayumu!
Rio was already there, and she pushed me onto some weird train!
So sorry, Little Narumi. The tape is mine.
What the hell?
Aw, sorry about that.
Guess I forgot to mention I sent a bunch of dummy tapes to confuse you.
Pretty sweet, huh?
You serious?
He's trying to act innocent, but he's cooking something up here.
You shouldn't let your guard down! See ya!
There's something you wish to find. This, right?
So you brought it? Thanks a bunch.
I absolutely will not press it for you. You are going to die.
No.
I absolutely will not die.
Kerosene. If the bomb explodes, I'm gonna burn up pretty good.
As will this.
You won't be fully satisfied unless you have my head as well as the tape,
and I know how bad you need it.
So unless you press that disarm button,
you will die.
You're right, assuming it is filled with kerosene.
I replaced the kerosene with water. Now all you have for yourself is death.
You can have it if you want. It's a dummy.
The real one's still in the mailbox at my apartment.
All I did was show Asazuki one of the dummy tapes, and he was fooled.
Even you were tricked into thinking it was the real thing. How disappointing.
Let us welcome the moment of truth together.
Seven seconds, six, five, four, three, two, one...
Zero!
No way! What dumb luck!
Stay back!
Just as I thought. You set your watch two minutes ahead.
Confuse me while you still have some time to spare,
trying to paralyze my sense of time. It was a well thought out plan,
though not completely unexpexted from the little brother of Kiotaka.
Looks like I'm victorious. I have won.
I saw through you and won!
All I can do now is pray. I beseech you, oh Lord, hear my prayer.
Save this pitiful sinner.
There's no such thing as god.
Are you so sure?
Look.
My goddess has arrived.
My prayers have been answered.
Ayumu, here!
Hallelujah!
You lost, but I have to say you fought rather well
for someone with life-threatening injuries, anyway.
You're a real piece of work, Rio.
So was the winner of the fight.
In terms of actual skill, I lost. I was just lucky.
That's not true.
I know myself well enough. I always run around, doing things randomly,
never thinking of the consequences I may incur.
It's only after the fact that I actually rack my brain
and make sense of what's happened. Hindsight is 20/20.
It wasn't just luck. Ayumu, please don't deny that courage.
Maybe you're right. But my brother wouldn't tremble like me.
If anyone is capable of going where Kiyotaka couldn't, it's him.
Our fate may change after all.
Rutherford.
Eyes, it's you!
Last time I checked, dear.
I was nearby and I thought I'd bring a gift.
You didn't!
Oh, you did, its...
Anyone for some dried fish?
And then there's Eyes Rutherford.
I would never have guessed he was one of the Blade Children, as well.
Come to think of it, it was kind of strange how he first tried to meet you.
I have a demand.
Somebody bring to me the younger brother of Kiyotaka Narumi.
Play for me.
What do you mean?
I want to hear you play the piano. I'm very curious to see
if the Narumi namesake can live up to the myths that seem to surround you.
Sorry to disappoint you, but I gave up the piano years ago.
Of what are you so afraid? Is the recognition
that you're no comparison to your brother that frightening to you?
You've been blessed with a gift,
but you must be aware that your skills are at best an imitation of Kiyotaka's.
You don't even begin to compare to the original.
You're merely a cheap recreation of one of the best talents to ever live.
Ayumu Narumi.
You will forever be a loser.
I can't believe you're actually eating dried fish. What, are you a cat?
Yeah, I'm a cat, and I'm gonna scratch your eyes out!
Oh, I get it! Those must be melon flavored dried fish!
Kanone.
Eyes, you're simply too nice. So, you should cry.
Even if you are one of the Blade Children,
you don't want to lose what's important to you.
Annihilation is our destiny.
We Blade Children are children who must not live.
Don't be caught by the darkness, Kanone.
The darkness of your own heart.
Oh, I can't thank you enough!
I'm so full I could just pop!
Five bowls would make anybody pop.
You're still just gonna sit there and sip tea?
Hmm. Yeah. We tend to eat dinner pretty late around here.
Ooh, it's late. I oughtta go.
Want me to walk you home?
No, thanks, I can handle myself.
I'll see you at school first thing tomorrow!
Sure. Be careful.
I always am.
...really pissin' me off.
Sorry. Geez.
Not you.
Who then?
The old man.
I'm talking about our commissioner,
not that dancing drunken idiot behind us, you moron!
Uh, right, I knew that.
Of course you did, Detective.
He keeps starting arguments with me for no reason,
like he's trying to get me booted, you know.
Of course, it's always news to me.
If he's got a problem with me, why can't he just tell me?
That way we can fix it.
Are you making fun of me?
- I asked if you were making fun of me with that smug attitude of yours! - No! No!
No, why would I?
Sorry, honey, but I think I'm gonna be home a little bit later than normal.
One cucumber salad!
A sweet scent washes into my throat
and my feelings continuously overflow...
Don't look at me with that same gaze
that's like you're following a soccer ball.
I've already grown used to my third year at the office,
but did I lose something instead?
Those days long ago when we would talk about anything...
We're finally old enough now
to have those slightly awkward discussions about love.
A single day seems so long, but a whole year ends so quickly.
A whole year seems so short,
but how well will I be able to live the rest of my life?
Time for Hiyono's Useful News Report!
If you know the enemy and you know yourself,
you needn't fear the result of a hundred battles!
Next episode's highlight is
when Ayumu and Hiyono take a romantic walk while eating!
Sweets don't fill you up!
On the next Spiral: Like a Swan
Don't look only at your finger as you point to the moon!
Does that make sense?
That's all for today's Hiyono's Playhouse!