By Joseph is knocked into the river by a spear and catches up with Mayalito. She tells him to take off his jacket so she can tend to his wounds. He asks her why she serves the Adeska king if she is from the Maba tribe. She asks him how he knows that, and he explains that he lived with the Maba tribe until he was three. Parents were slaughtered in attack, and he wandered in the mountains until he was found by Sid. He asks why she would help a cowardly king the people hate, and Mayalito says that Quoatl is no coward. She tells Joseph that he has to get moving or all his friends will die. Quoatl is brought before Taruka. The people tell him that the end of the world is Quoatl’s fault and that he must kill Quoatl and become the new king. The people tell Quoatl to pick up a sword and fight Taruka, but he refuses. They bring out Loran and the others and threaten to kill them. Loran says that the prophecy of the red sky and white devil is not Quoatl’s fault, and they are stupid if they think it is. Quoatl refuses to pick up the sword, and a guard raises his sword to behead Loran. Just then Joseph runs into the shrine and distracts everyone by throwing explosives everywhere. Taruka attacks Quoatl, and Quoatl fights back with the sword. Mayalito runs into the shrine and sets Loran and the others free. As they all escape, Taruka shouts out to Quoatl that the Adeska people will be destroyed if he doesn’t fight. The group runs into a cave and splits up so that Quoatl can get them a boat. The others reach a dead end next to the river, and Aims wonders if Quoatl abandoned them. Taruka attacks them, but Joseph disables him. Taruka says that Quoatl is a coward, and Mayalito explains that he isn’t. She says that when Taruka challenged Quoatl as dictated by tradition, Quoatl knew that Taruka wasn’t ready to be king yet and refused the challenge. Taruka sees that he was wrong, but he his men burst through the door to fight. Everyone jumps into Quoatl’s boat, and Mayalito is hit with a spear and falls into the river. Joseph rescues her, and they head for the shrine in Manupichi. Outside, John tells Sochie that Aims and Loran will die if they don’t do something. Nearby, Miashei helps light up the area so that Hip Heavy and Bull One planes can land.
The group hides in the abandoned ruins and plans out their strategy. Joseph and Aims will destroy three of the cannons, leaving the rest to everyone else. Quoatl and Mayalito attack Dianna Counter soldiers so that Loran and Sid can plant the explosives on the cannons. As they scope the area, Aims asks Joseph if he has a crush on Mayalito, and he answers no. On the Willghem, Guin is informed that the Almaiya is approaching. He can’t wait any longer and tells Horace to fire the mega beam cannon. Kihel sees the beam cannon being activated and distracts her guard so she can escape. Joseph and Aims plant their explosives and wait for the others. Kihel runs to the bridge and tells Horace not to fire the cannon. She tells Guin that they are the target and that if they back off there shouldn’t be any trouble. Guin says he has no choice because he needs to take control of the mass driver in Manupichi to get into space. Kihel asks what happens to Loran, and Guin says he told Loran exactly how much time he would have. Horace is unable to fire because the Suicide Squad is climbing the mountainside with their Borjarnons. Wads attack, but Loran is helped by Taruka and the Borjarnons. Miashei and the planes fly overhead and drop smoke bombs to distract the cannons and Wodoms. Loran plants the final explosives, but Dianna Counter soldiers grab him and Quoatl. One of them shoots Quoatl, and Mayalito attacks them both. The bombs begin to explode and destroy five of the cannons. Quoatl tells Loran he has to keep his vow and knocks him off the side of the cannon. He takes off his mask and tells Taruka to shoot him because he is ready. Quoatl tells Mayalito to leave, but she wants to stay with him. Taruka fires a flaming arrow that sets of the explosives and blows up the cannon, along with Quoatl and Mayalito. Joseph can’t believe that Mayalito sacrificed herself. With tears in his eyes, Taruka puts on the mask and becomes the new king. He tells Loran to go up to the Adeska branch, and he points up into the sky at Sackträger.
This is probably one of the most fast-paced and suspenseful episodes of the show so far. There’s quite a lot going on here. First, we get an explanation about Joseph’s mysterious origins. Despite what he tells Aims, it looks like he was indeed attracted to Mayalito, and he takes her death pretty hard. The conflict between Quoatl and Taruka is settled, and Taruka sees the error of his ways and changes. I was quite surprised by Quoatl’s sacrifice, but I knew something was suspicious when he knocked Loran off the cannon. Also, Guin shows just how ruthless he can be to achieve his ambitions. He really was ready to sacrifice Loran had Sochie and Kihel not interfered. Now that the battle at Manupichi is over, it looks like it’s time to finally go into space.
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