Star Driver Ep. 13: The Red Sword in Love

Sugata, Wako and Takuto eat at Sugata’s house. Wako comments on how many weekends Takuto has spent here and the two argue over how often the both of them come to Sugata’s home. The conversation moves to dorm rules and Takuto comments on how his DA, Benio doesn’t run that tight a ship. He comments on how she recently was crowned girl’s champion in a kendo championship. Sugata says she has been skilled since she was a kid. Sugata is told by Tiger that Benio has arrived and is requesting a match with him. Sugata, Takuto and Wako sit before Benio in Sugata’s dojo. Benio pulls out a wooden stick and says she’s come for training. Sugata congratulates her but upon hearing her challenge says his apprentice Takuto, who he considers stronger than him will fight her first. Takuto is rather surprised to have been called Sugata’s apprentice. The two begin their duel and Benio gets herself behind Takuto within seconds, causing Sugata to call a stop to things. Sugata says he would like her to take on Takuto one more time before she takes him on, and is confident that Takuto will win this time. Benio, frustrated by this, leaves. Jaguar comments to Sugata on how she came here to fight him. That night in the hot spring, Takuto thinks of his fight with Benio and how he lost sight of her for a second. Takuto is surprised to find Benio in the hot spring with him. When he complains about her breaking the rules, she comments on how she has let his breaking of curfew slide. She asks if he really thinks he’d have won if they fought again. She comments on being surprised at Sugata being friends with him. The door opens as more enter and Takuto finds that Benio has disappeared. That night Takuto sleeps in his room and is surprised when Benio arrives and kisses him. Benio is disappointed to find that her first phase power is no longer working. She climbs onto Takuto’s bed and comes on to him while thinking internally about how she wants to control him. Takuto’s neighbor in the next room asks what’s going on and he says he just saw a rat. Takuto refuses to kiss Benio, asking if there is someone she has real feelings for. She says she wouldn’t mess around like this if she did. Later in the cafeteria, a boy tells Benio he is in love with her. She rejects him. He says he heard everything she said the night before in Takuto’s room and to come to his room if she’s ever feeling lonely. He says he fell in love after seeing a secret video of her spinning around 100 times. She is angry to hear that such a video exists and goes to see Tetsuya, who is working on his motorcycle. She asks him about Joji, who has remained in his room after being defeated by Kanako. She thinks of a recent Glittering Crux meeting where Marino asks what the purpose of Benio’s Filament Brigade is without any Cybodies. Midori says that while they can regenerate Cybodies, it is at great risk to the Star Driver. That evening Benio runs by the shore where she is met by Keito. Keito says this used to be a shrine but is now the best place on the island to see the sunshine. They flash their Glittering Crux signals at each other and realize who each other is. Keito asks if Benio is okay with the way things are. Meanwhile, Reiji is met by Sugata again, and is painting, saying he is doing so due to his meetings with Sugata, which have rekindled his desire to do so. Reiji says he was scared he wouldn’t be able to paint again, but still had the motivation to paint inside and the vitality to create. Keito comments on how special Samekh’s Star Driver is and that he’s on a whole other level. She comments on a family without its emblem not being able to accomplish something like he did. Benio flashes back to being kids with Joji and Tetsuya. All three of their families inherited emblems but lost them. The three of them joined Glittering Crux and formed the Filament Brigade. Keito asks if she was simply going to wave goodbye to Sugata when the day of departure came for him.

Midori performs a restoration experiment in the Glittering Crux headquarters as Marino, Kanako and Keito watch. Benio sits within the Electric Bier, being tested on the power of her libido. The group permits the restoration of her emblem pin, which appears on her chest. Benio, saying she has nothing to lose, apprivoises. The restoration project begins on her Cybody Pageant. Benio screams in pain and feels herself floating through an ethereal tunnel. She flashes back to herself and Sugata, fighting each other in a match as children, where Sugata was victorious. She recalls a conversation where she was told that Sugata will be marrying a shrine maiden and will have nothing to do with her since her family has lost its emblem. She feels that she can still pilot a Cybody and sees her family’s emblem appear before her, which she grabs. Benio’s Cybody is regenerated and Zero-Time appears. Takuto, Wako and Sugata appear in Zero-Time. Takuto apprivoises with the Tauburn, which appears and he turns into the Galactic Pretty Boy. The Pageant jumps down behind the Tauburn. Sugata believes the Cybody is the one he piloted before, but it had been destroyed. He realizes it’s been regenerated. Benio summons the Star Sword Rubis while Takuto summons the Star Swords Emerald and Sapphire. Benio thinks of how she has yearned for power to change herself and the world since she was a child and was attracted to Sugata, thinking he might change that for her. She charges at the Tauburn with Pageant, and the two duel. Sugata realizes Benio is piloting the Cybody. Benio dodges Takuto’s attack. Sugata comments on how she’s shown Takuto her attack before and there won’t be a second chance. She appears behind him but being ready for her, he sticks out his Star Sword, defeating her. The Pageant explodes. Time returns to normal. Later at school, Takuto takes on Benio in a match in front of her entire club. He admits to not being Sugata’s apprentice for real but agrees to take her on, holding two wooden swords. Benio attacks Takuto with the same style of attack from behind again and he defeats her. The entire club stands and claps for him. Benio feels that unless she took him out with her first attack she’d have lost anyway. She congratulates Takuto for defeating her. A boy comments on the two of them having chemistry between them, embarrassing Benio.