Whilst Teru-dad attacks Lector (apologies if I’m getting Lector and Thunder mixed up; their character designs are negligibly different), Weed’s ATB fills and he attacks Thunder. As battle resumes, Hiro, GB and the rest of Weed’s entourage arrives.
Hiro: Time to do what I do best- Ball Snatch!
Hiro tries to ‘ball-snatch’ Lector/Thunder but misses. The other Lector/Thunder tries to run away.
GB: Not so fast- fight me!
Lector/Thunder: Yeah right, like I’m going to fight a sidekick dog like you. You’re the equivalent of the playable character that no one ever wants to put in their party!
Hiro: You may be telling the truth, but that’s no reason to insult a comrade of mine! Double Takedown!
Hiro flings Lector/Thunder I at Lector/Thunder II. Thunder is stunned.
Lector: Brother!
Weed: Main character final attack!
Weed attacks Lector.
Hiro: Let’s finish him off.
Weed: Hiro, you should know by now that that isn’t the way of pure-hearted main character. We should let them go in the hopes that they’ll find the path of good, and not, as minor villains so often do, nurse the bitterness in their hearts, level up, and attack us again later in the series.
Weed’s party lets Lector and Thunder go just as Kyoushiro’s brown subordinates arrive. Teru-dad’s HP is low.
Kyoushiro: Two episodes, ago, I thought that violence was the only way to solve things, but the power of the main character has opened my eyes to the way of love and peace. Teru, even though I was the one who encouraged you to turn away from your father, I’m now telling you to go over there and make up with him before his untimely death.
Teru: No, I hate him…oh, all right then.
Teru goes to his father.
Teru-dad: I was a terrible father, I can see that now as I stare into the abyss of no return.
Teru: Dad, it’s okay! I always thought I hated you, but now I realise that I love you!
Teru-dad dies.
Kyoushiro: It was inevitable really, wasn’t it- the time has finally come for me to swear my allegiance to the main character. Weed, my brown dogs and I are at your disposal- although predictably, you can expect me to retaliate if you hurt my loyal brown friends.
End Kyoushiro arc- and that means it’s time to go and check on Mel and the others back in Gajou? Did you think it was a good idea to leave a handful of brown dogs, a puppy and an injured God Mode dog defending the ‘capital’ of Ohu? I didn’t either.
Hougen’s EVILZ advance force of black and white dogs kills three of the defending brown dogs before moving on and finding Mel just as he catches a bird.
EVILZ dog: Kid, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about a conspicuously large mound of earth called Gajou, would you?
Mel:Uh…I’ll just hesitate before deciding what to say…no, I don’t.
EVILZ dog: Well then, could you just direct us to Futago pass?
Mel: Sure, if you don’t mind me giving you incorrect directions to throw you off the trail for a bit.
EVILZ dog: That’s fine.
Meanwhile, Kurotora (I think), his tiger-striped allies, Ben and Cross are making their way to Gajou.
Kurotora: Ben, Cross, let’s face it- you haven’t aged so well and you’re slowing us down. We’ll go on ahead while you continue at your own snail-like pace.
Ben: Okay.
As Kurotora and the tiger-striped dogs go on ahead, Hook and Reika catch up with Ben and Cross.
Cross: Two females in one place- this is an unprecedented event for the series.
Hook: Useless oldies, exposition dog and token beautiful female, all together in one place. Will we be tucked away safely out of the heat of battle, or used as hostages?
Cut to Akame in the forest- he spots Hougen’s forces and hides.
Hougen-brother: I know there’s a God Mode dog hiding somewhere- and he won’t fail to react when I relate some tales about torturing Gin.
Akame does indeed react, and Hougen sends subordinates after him.
Akame: Flash step!
Akame jumps across a few trees before falling into the snow!
Akame: Activate special ability- Snow Tunnelling!
Akame tunnels through the snow and escapes.
Hougen-brother: Damn those God Mode dogs, they’ve got all kinds of special abilities.
Meanwhile, Mel has made it made it back to Gajou. He starts howling for reinforcements, but the only dogs that arrive are Hougen’s advance forces.
EVILZ dog: You’re not very smart, are you? You just led us right to this place.
Mel: My friends will be here soon!
EVILZ dog: Those brown dogs? We already killed them.
Mel: Poor brown friends…my Fury bar is filling!
EVILZ dog: What can you possibly do? You’re only at Level 2!
Mel: Perhaps, but I can’t let Weed down, so I shall fight you!
Mel attacks the EVILZ dogs. On his first turn, he inflicts damage, but also drains his Fury gauge- by the next turn he is getting owned.
Mel: Could it be my turn to die this episode?
But wait- who said deus ex machina was overdone? Kurotora’s forces arrive on the scene and Kurotora kills the EVILZ advance force leader. The battle for Gajou shall continue in the next episode, probably.
