Star Driver Ep. 14: Ayingot’s Eyes

Mizuno rides the top of a bus, thinking of Marino telling her that she’s here to protect her and to not worry. She comments on the wind blowing across her feeling good. When the bus stops under a tree she climbs up onto it, seeing a crow there. She doesn’t realize until the bus has driven away that she left her shoes on the roof. Meanwhile Marino looks in Mizuno’s sketchbook in their room. Takuto comes to the door, with Mizuno on his back and the three drink in their room. Mizuno flashes back to when Takuto came across her, sitting in a tree. She says she can’t go without her shoes and asks him to carry her home. Upon seeing a bus pass by outside, Takuto asks if that’s how she gets to school. Marino says she keeps telling Mizuno to stop but she will not. Takuto gets embarrassed upon hearing a cell phone alarm go off from the dresser. He says he isn’t used to being in a girl’s room, surprising Marino and admits he doesn’t have a girlfriend. This excites both Mizuno and Marino, who imagine riding on a bus and hitting a baseball respectively. They invite him to stay for dinner but he declines. Takuto tells Mizuno to not do things that make Marino worry about her. Meanwhile, Wako gets a haircut and Mizuno shows up next to her. Mizuno’s hairdresser thinks that Mizuno is in love, surprising her and Wako. Mizuno asks what to do and the two give her advice. Meanwhile Sarina announces there will be a kissing scene in their upcoming play. Wako fantasizes about Sugata and Takuto kissing each other. Sarina says sorry to burst her bubble, but it will be boy and girl. She wants to attract an audience to their play. Sarina thinks it may not be good to have Wako, a shrine maiden be involved with the kiss and Mizuno gleefully volunteers. Later, Wako and Ruri go out to drink some tea at the cafe. Ruri is excited about the news of the kiss and jealous of Wako and anyone who will have a chance to kiss Takuto in the play. Ruri notices that Wako is rather flustered. Meanwhile Midori announces to the rest of Glittering Crux that they will be working on regenerating Ayingot soon. Ayingot’s, ability, Ayingot’s Eyes only works at Phase 2 and they’ll need its Star Driver to get in the Electric Bier for it to work. They talk about trying to find the Western Shrine Maiden and getting to Phase 3. Midori tells Marino that it will be ready tomorrow, but will be dependent on her libido. Takeo, Gina, Tsukihiko and Ryousuke sit in the Vanishing Age lounge and Ryousuke comments on Head/Reiji returning. Reiji comes in and says the second festival is about to begin. The five of them signal Glittering Crux to each other.

The next day, Sarina announces her decision for the kissing scene, saying it will be between Takuto and Mizuno. Mizuno is ecstatic at the news. Sarina says it’s already in the news at the school. Tiger and Jaguar speculate and Sugata asks Wako if she is bummed about it. Wako says no. Mizuno tells Marino the news. Marino imagines herself striking out. Keito watches the two of them from the window above. Ruri and Wako eat again at the cafe and Ruri can tell Wako didn’t get it by the large amount of sugar she’s putting in her coffee. Sugata sees Reiji painting the sunset again and they comment on how blissful it is for him to do so. Reiji says he’d like to paint a portrait of Sugata sometime. Mizuno draws in her room and Marino comes to bring the two of them some mango ice cream. Upon noticing that Mizuno is drawing her and Takuto kissing, Marino thinks of how strange it will be to see the spitting image of herself kissing him. She is dedicated to protecting Mizuno. Marino heads into the Electric Bier and apprivoises. Marino sees herself in a glowing field where a black humanoid grabs her and starts turning her entire body black before absorbing her entirely. Marino is committed to not being defeated and the black figure shatters. Ayingot is restored in its stone doll form, then as a Cybody. A woman comments on how strange it is to see Takuto on his own, sitting on the bench. Even the woman knows about Takuto being part of a kissing scene in the upcoming play. Suddenly time stops, with only Takuto, Wako and Sugata sensing it. The three of them appear in Zero-Time. Ayingot appears before Takuto, but stands completely still. Wako and Sugata recognize it as Ayingot but wonder how they know its name. Wako has a really bad feeling. Reiji appears to watch along with Kanako and Midori. Kanako thinks they are getting close to Phase 3. They activate Ayingot’s eyes, which appear on its shoulders. Kanako comments on how Ayingot’s ability allows it to identify Shrine Maidens, but wonders if there’s a connection with it being the one Cybody that had always been destroyed. Marino sees images of the Shrine Maidens including images of Mizuno when she was younger. She thinks about how she will protect her. She is surprised at not seeing any image of herself and finds Ayingot consuming her. A third eye appears on both her head and that of Ayingot’s. Ayingot tries to crush Takuto with its legs. Keito comments on Ayingot going on a rampage and not being controlled by Manticore/Marino. It screams out and swats at the Glittering Crux members, who are protected by the spheres they are standing in. Takuto apprivoises with the Tauburn, which appears. The Ayingot charges at the Tauburn and holds it to the ground, punching at it relentlessly. Takuto can sense Marino asking for help within the Ayingot. Sugata comments on Ayingot being malevolent and how they never should have let it regenerate. Ayingot starts dripping black liquid from its body towards the Tauburn. Sugata rises his arms and summons the King’s Pillar which blows up the eyes in Ayingot’s shoulders. The Tauburn gets up and Takuto summons the Star Swords Emerald and Sapphire. Takuto attacks with the Dynamic Galactic Cross Slash, defeating the Ayingot and freeing Marino. Time returns to normal. Ruri asks Wako if she’s ever been kissed and she says that’s a secret. Sugata notices that Reiji has vanished and is surprised that he did so during Zero-Time. Marino announces to Glittering Crux that the Western Shrine Maiden didn’t appear and must not exist. Keito asks about herself and Marino stays quiet. Later Reiji and Keito talk about Keito being a Shrine Maiden and Keito says she wouldn’t have minded if it had been divulged to everyone. She comments on her no longer being a blabbermouth. Reiji thinks Ayingot’s eyes worked properly. Keito says Marino doesn’t realize that all four Shrine Maidens were born the same year as the heir to Samekh’s emblem, on this island and that shows that she was lying. In the tub with Mizuno, Marino says it will be alright and that she will keep on protecting Mizuno forever. Reiji asks how they are going to get Marino to talk and that the girl she tries to keep hidden is the Shrine Maiden, Mizuno.