story Episodes 7 & 8

Episodes 7 & 8

STORY (By Episode) Episode 7: The Stone Guardian Deathgame! Last time, Recca awakened to find out that Tatesako-sensei and Yanagi were taken to a hidden building in the mountains. Recca decided to go save his Hime. Fuuko and Domon chose to accompany him on his quest. Kurei tries to stop them by killing them on the path to the building but fails to do so. Presently, Recca, Fuuko and Domon are trying to get past the statue Maria that shoots a laser at anything that moves. The three stare at the statue, motionless. Annoyed, Recca grabs some fireworks from a hidden pocket and lifts them into the air, ready to throw them. Maria shoots out a laser and the three are encompassed in smoke. Fuuko demands that Recca and Domon stop arguing about Recca's stupidity and stop moving. Puzzled, Fuuko observes Maria wondering why she didn't shoot at Recca and Domon although they were moving. She recalls the first time Maria attacked them. Her needle wasn't eliminated until after she threw it. Fuuko tests her theory. She holds out on of her needles in her right hand. Maria fires a laser at her hand causing her to wince. Quickly, she flings another needle at Maria with her left hand. The needle soars toward the statue. Maria annihilates the needle when it nearly strikes. Recca reprimands her for moving when she told him and Domon not to. Smiling, she retorts that her needle hit closer than Recca had. Maria has a flaw. Kurei watches them on the TV screens. He asks Koganei how many elemental masters there are. Four. He orders Koganei to get them ready. Koganei protests, but Kurei cuts him off, saying that there's something about the three of them. Fuuko told that the laser can't shoot swiftly. With teamwork, they can defeat it. Fuuko acts as the bait. She dashes at Maria eluding the laser. Recca leaps into the air, wrapping a chain with a sickle around Maria. When she shoots her next laser, he jerks her off balance so her laser hits the statues instead of himself. Domon headbutts Maria, breaking her into several small pieces. Game over. We win. The glare of bright lights shine down on the trio. Kurei taunts them, asking if they think they can beat the rest of his followers. He announces that in the adjoining room awaits their next opponent, Katashiro Reiran. Recca scoffs at Kurei and proceeds through the door. Yanagi lays on a table covered with a large cloth. An assembly of men in white coats gathers around her. Yanagi whispers one phrase in her unconscious state. Recca-kun. Recca pushes open the door leading to their next rival. They are taken back by what they see. The lights are turned on and pleasant music infiltrates the atmosphere. The room is strewn with mannequins. All moving on their own. The trio walk among the mannequins. A doll walks up to them. It beckons them to follow her to her master. She leads them to a table where a beautiful lady rises to greet them. Katashiro Reiran. Recca and Domon gape at her beauty while an exasperated Fuuko cuts straight to the point. Where's Kurei? Reiran sighs and stands. Such a pity they can't enjoy their last moments on earth. With golden threads streaming from her fingertips, she causes the mannequins behind the trio to take on a life (seemingly) of their own. Swords drawn, the army of dummies advances on Recca, Domon and Fuuko. They fight the dummies, however, attacks that would hurt humans, fail to affect the marionettes. Kurei watches as Recca, Domon, and Fuuko are pushed back by the dummies. So, they shall be defeated by this weak attack? It seems he worries too much. The living mannequins advance on the three friends, directing them onto the balcony where they are trapped. Reiran smiles. She carries the talking doll, Primela, in her arms who proclaims to them that she feels sorry for them. They've lost. Fuuko smiles smugly. Think again. Fuuko's Fujin glows on her arm. She instructs Recca and Domon to get out of the way. Reiran and Kurei watch Fuuko, mesmerized. Fuuko invokes the power of her Fujin, using it to obliterate all of Reiran's mannequins. In doing so, she confirms Kurei's suspicion that she does indeed possess the elemental weapon, Fujin. Kurei demands that the experiments on Yanagi be postponed. Reiran gazes at the myriad pieces which are all that remain of her former army. She procures a sword from the ground and challenges Fuuko for destroying her precious dolls. Fuuko orders Recca and Domon to refrain from interrupting. They charge. Yanagi sits on a plush red couch. Her eyes slowly open. Kurei stands in front of her, his back to her. Behind him is a large frame which shows the fight between Reiran and Fuuko. He informs Yanagi that the tests in her have already begun. He faces her and asks her one question that would determine her survival. Who were the people who came to save her? Fuuko tosses her needles with deadly accuracy at Reiran. Nevertheless, she always manages to dodge the throw. Fuuko tosses another needle and it cuts Reiran, but she remains oblivious. Reiran retaliates and Fuuko evades her assault. Fuuko uses her Fujin to assail Reiran but succeeds only in blowing back Recca and Domon. Yanagi watches her friends battle to save her, happy that they're all unharmed. Kurei demands to know who they are. She remembers Kage Houshi telling her of Kurei. The Flame master that all of them would have to band together to defeat. She responds that they are her friends. Kurei questions if that is her answer, and she nods. Behind her, Mokuren grabs her shoulders beseeching Kurei to allow him to beat the answer out of Yanagi. Fuuko knocks Reiran back, scoffing at her inability to fight with the sword. It doesn't have any greater effect whether she holds it or not, so why not just drop it. To Fuuko's surprise, Reiran complies and the sword clangs to the floor. Bewildered, Fuuko asks what she is doing. Reiran smiles. From her hands, the golden threads appear anew. This time, they are attached to Fuuko. "You are now my marionette." Episode 8: Dollhouse! Fuuko's Deathmatch! Last time, Recca, Fuuko and Domon successfully defeated the Kurei's statue, Maria, shattering it into several pieces. They proceeded onwards to meet the elemental master Katashiro Reiran who controlled the elemental weapon Kato Kugutsu. Her mannequins were all destroyed by Fuuko's Fujin. However, the group's luck turned as Reiran trapped Fuuko with her elemental attaching golden threads to all parts of Fuuko's body, rendering her immobile. The group watches Reiran in stunned silence. Fuuko informs Domon and Recca that she can't move. Reiran laughs at this, explaining that when she was fighting Fuuko, she used the golden threads and tied her up bit by bit. This took away Fuuko's control of her own body and gave that control to Reiran. Domon charges at Reiran, but she only smirks, placing her fingers lightly on the elemental weapon at her forearm. Fuuko's leg connects with Domon's stomach, knocking him back Recca shouts Fuuko's name questioningly. Fuuko insists that she's incapable of controlling her body. Reiran smiles and touches the Kugutsu again. Fuuko lunges at Recca, her needles held like claws, surprising him. Recca sputters at Fuuko, demanding her to stop. She weakly protests that she can't control it. Domon stands up, determined to stop all this nonsense. However, when he takes a step forward, he freezes. Recca is distracted as he glances briefly at Domon, asking what was wrong with him. He made a move towards Domon but found numerous threads wrapped around his limbs, keeping him from going any further. Reiran smiles, saying that she tied them up as well while they focused on Fuuko. Kurei watches the fight, his slight uneasiness extinguished as he saw the group lose to Reiran. He stops Mokuren from touching Yanagi since it was no longer a concern to discover the identities of the three teens. Reiran moves her hand to the Kugutsu, calling for Primela to rise up. Primela picks up a sword and slowly gazes from one person to another. Who would be the first to die? Her eyes fall on Fuuko. Primela advances. Her sword pierces through Fuuko's skin, and Fuuko screams in pain. Primela steps back. It was only a graze on the shoulder. Reiran apologizes, "Gomen nasai (I'm very sorry). Primela is too small to use a sword. It may take a while for you to die." Recca and Domon protest, horrified as Primela continues to stab Fuuko, unable to help because of the threads holding them in place. They strain at their bondage. Fuuko's vision blurs. She looks at the mocking Reiran and recalls their fight. Why didn't she act hurt when I slashed her across the shoulders? Did she dodge? No, that's not possible, so why? Reiran's voice drifts into her thoughts interrupting her. "Primela, you can kill her now." Fuuko looks down at Primela and gasps. The slices through the air at Fuuko. Domon and Recca protest. Laughter fills the room. The sword stops in its path and Primela steps back from the giggling girl. "I see." Fuuko summons her Fujin. The force of the wind snaps the golden threads. Reiran smirks. Sure, you can break my thread, but can you still fight? She lashes out with her threads again, but Fuuko leaps at her, knocking off the elemental weapon. Domon and Recca cheer. Reiran falls to the floor, eyes blank. Just another mannequin. Recca and Domon stare in disbelief. So who's the real elemental master? Fuuko turns ad glares. "It's you, over there!" "Primela, you're the elemental master!" Primela trembles, collapsing to her knees. How'd she figure it out? She played the perfect doll, without blinking or anything! Fuuko tells her she only knew because Reiran didn't act hurt earlier and she saw Primela hesitate before stabbing her. Primela silently gets to her feet and walks over to the mannequin of Reiran, kneeling by it. She places her arms on the doll's chest and sobs "MAMA!!!" The three regard her inquisitively. Primela explains how she can to be an elemental master. "My mom died about a year ago. After that, all I could do was cry. The kids made fun of me. One day, I was walking through the streets and I saw her! (It was a mannequin in a store window that appeared uncannily like her mom. I say it was a stalker who kept following her around, taking pictures of her and eventually gave the photos to the store owner and they made a mannequin.) I visited her everyday. One day, a man came to me. It was Kurei. (Kurei holds out the Kugutsu. It attaches to the mannequin and it comes alive, hugging Primela.) He said I could have the Kato Kugutsu if I helped him." Primela apologizes for what she did. Fuuko kneels and hugs her. Primela hesitates, then smiles and returns the hug. She suddenly pulls back. Kurei would punish her if he found out they were friends! Recca ceases her worrying assuring her that they would defeat Kurei. Koganei races toward Kurei that Reiran was defeated. Mokuren grins evilly. Now he'd be allowed to torture the girl. Kurei stops him again, instead telling Koganei to open the prison downstairs. Mokuren informs Yanagi that a deadly murderer was confined down there. If he weren't, he'd kill them all in their sleep. She gasps. Kage Houshi stares at the swirling purple in the Eikai ball. "Such an ominous aura, they may not survive" The person she's talking to turns away. "That's of no concern to me." Kage Houshi watches Tokiya's retreating back. "His power would be a great asset to Recca's team." Koganei opens the doors to the prison. "Oops. Forgot the key. Oh well." His Kougon Anki arcs through the air, easily shattering the lock. A huge figure sits hunched before Koganei. Koganei tells him that he's finally being let out, but he needs to get rid of three nuisances first. The giant's growl echoes through the sky. Fuuko finishes bandaging her wounds. Domon tells "chibi' to lead the way. She indignantly glares at him. "THAT ISN'T MY NAME!!!!!!" Recca, Domon, and Fuuko look at her expectantly, waiting for her to give them her real name. Her face flushes bright red, Recca and Domon lean in as she whispers the words into their ears. "Morikawa Ganko." She nods slightly, looking down. Recca and Domon freeze in place for a moment.. then explode into laughter. "BWAHAHAHAHA!!!! GANKO MEANS STUBBORN!!" "GANKO MEAN PIGHEADED!!!" They circle around Ganko chanting her name. Fuuko smiles at their antics. This must be their way of being nice to her. Ganko's face turns red again, only this time in fury. A cloud of dust encompasses the three of them as she beats up Recca and Domon. Fuuko sweatdrops. Maybe not. Recca lifts Ganko onto his shoulders. Ganko states that Yanagi is probably on the fourth floor. They ground shakes as they hear heavy footsteps above them The group races up the stairs. They throw the doors open only to be met by a dark room of stone. A huge, muscled man slowly strides to them, towering over them intimidatingly. Sekioh. Sekioh breaks off a thick pillar and tosses it at them. They scatter out of the way. Recca and Fuuko observe him warily, but Domon immediately step up to the challenge. He rushes at Sekioh, fist bared.