Original subtitles

How absolutely revolting.

Not only do they constantly stand in the way of our noble Eastern Expedition,

they kidnap our heroes, besmirching humanity's glorious history.

When they are mere barbarians, living beyond the light of civilization.

It's the bird again!

But we can't put up much of a fight with this equipment.

Fear not.

We carry with us the most potent of God's miracles.

More than enough to vanquish some beast.

Be that as it may, Retinue Priest Malcius,

if we don't resupply soon, our chances of surviving...

You want to run back to base, is that it?

You gentlemen are knights of the Eastern Expedition.

I thought that meant honorable, distinguished service.

But if your efforts

end in no better results than the expedition from 20 years ago...

There is only one way to avoid such shame:

the rescue of Lady Serafina de Lavillant!

For both your honor as knights

and so that the The Order of Commoneras

can see our long-held dream of eastern conquest fulfilled!

The Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King

What a fine edge.

That should do for today's firewood.

Really? We're done already?

You say that, but in the past three days, you've cut two weeks' worth.

If all I do is eat and sleep, my body will lose its edge.

And I obviously want to familiarize myself with such a fine weapon.

Should I take that to mean your restlessness from the past few days

has been due to boredom, then?

So much time without any meetings or exercise...

is quite the change of pace from how my life used to be.

And yet, you've never helped with household tasks before.

Honestly, I should have done my share of that sort of thing as a squire...

But my grandfather

apparently put some degree of pressure on the knight I apprenticed to.

The idea of a major noble bending the rules like that is scary.

Well, I doubt you'll be bored today.

Considering... Oh, look.

Hey, Sera! Care to spar with the village's warriors?

He mentioned some bright idea he had to resolve your frustration.

I wasn't expecting something so... meat-headed.

Look how many of them there are! I can't just send them away.

Oh, well!

Speaking of meatheads...

Sorry, Cersei, but could you bring Sera's armor out?

Sure! Just a moment.

You had my armor all along?

Once it was off of you, I wiped the blood and mud away,

but I've only done the bare minimum of daily maintenance.

No. That should suffice.

I suppose the helmet couldn't be fixed.

I'll help you put it on.

You know how?

More or less.

Considering I was the one who took it off you.

Most can't remove and equip armor without experience...

I apologize for the wait.

I am a knight commander of the kingdom of Illdoren...

But you know me better as the Crystal Helmet.

Let's see if you can alleviate my boredom!

Getting to fight the Crystal Helmet... It's like a dream!

Me! I wanna go first!

There's no need to rush.

We'll be doing this with wooden swords, Sera.

I thought as much.

Our first challenge for the famous Crystal Helmet is the young warrior

who experienced battle for the first time in the most recent conflict...

Warrior Raham, son of Gamelan, the Blue Fang!

Comport yourselves with honor, and begin!

Don't hold back on my account!

Raham!

He said not to hold back!

Next is Gamelan the Blue Fang!

I will avenge my boy's little boy...

as his father!

- My own little boy!

- Dad!

You both fight the same way!

Let me go next.

Very well. Next is Two-Necked Sero!

Crystal Helmet.

First, I want thank you.

When the Tsukebikeshi attacked the village...

you protected my sister and nephew.

They're your family?

I'm grateful that you kept Yufa and Gatar alive.

That said, the spar's a separate matter.

Show no restraint!

Right.

Here I come!

Gamelan and Sero were both taken down with ease!

Now I'm really fired up!

Sh-She's so strong.

These are all skilled warriors, but...

Well, considering how much willpower Illdoren is using, it's no surprise.

Lady Vyufumec, Master Veor explained it to me before

but I'm still not sure what this "willpower" is.

It's not that complicated.

Willpower is just what it sounds like; the strength of one's will.

Their desire to achieve something.

Birds being able to fly, fish being able to swim,

dragons being powerful, we Tefyu being as free as we are,

it all comes from the same source.

We Tefyu don't have flowing blood or bodies of flesh.

We're sort of the living dreams of the wind, water, clouds, earth, and flames.

The Ixt, Quefto, and Kufuwek all have bodies of flesh,

but have long, long lifespans.

But... the Cornem live for such a short time.

With not nearly enough time to accomplish the things they want to.

Which is why Cornem warriors have such strong, strong willpower.

It sharpens their technique, increases their strength,

and gives life to their fighting techniques.

And techniques strengthened with willpower can only be contested with willpower.

Then if their martial and physical prowess are both equal,

it's willpower that determines who wins a fight?

Right.

That powerful desire to accomplish something in their brief lives...

It's something that seems truly dazzling to the rest of us.

It almost seems to shine.

It's a draw!

It seems I didn't manage to win.

Seeing how I lost last time, I could hardly risk doing so again.

What? Are you still worried about what I said the other day?

Oh, no...

But how about it? Did that help ease your boredom?

Yeah! I'm feeling pretty relieved right now.

And I have you to thank.

And this after they were fighting seriously seconds ago...

Now, that was some lively willpower!

There's nothing I enjoy more.

A Tefyu being impressed with someone else's vigor...

Is that why you're visiting today?

Some booze would make the outing even better.

Hey! We've got trouble!

What's wrong?

We've got an injured Morisuberi heading this way from the western woods!

What?!

Is it another dragon?

From what I can tell, these dragon attacks are out of the ordinary.

But it's strange. The Tsukebikeshi around here don't approach villages.

They've learned how they'll be attacked, if they do.

The Tsukebikeshi incident, and now this...

From what the other lookouts tell me, it's not just this Morisuberi!

There's been a bunch of other dragons that have injuries from humans!

That's odd.

No one who lives in these parts would let a wounded dragon get away...

Something bad is going on in the western woods.

It's different from the intense look he has during battle.

I didn't expect to see such a face on Veor...

I've got a bad feeling.

It's beginning!

This way!

Now tie it down!

Sera!

I've got it!

Nicely done.

The Crystal Helmet finished it off!

Hey, I could use some rope!

What'll we do with the tail?

It won't be enough, at this rate.

That's one big dragon...

It's a Morisuberi.

Unlike the Tsukebikeshi and other flying dragons, it's a type of True Dragon.

True Dragons? What is the difference?

The number of legs. See how it has six?

According to Ixt sages, the center pair used to be wings.

In the distant past, they apparently flew via willpower.

Something this heavy used to fly?

That really would be like a dragon from out of a fantasy tale.

There are other breeds whose wings are still intact.

The Fire Dragon that dwells in the Quefto's mountains, for example.

That sounds even more fantastical.

Hey! Come take a look at this!

Here's the wound we heard about.

It's a burn, but it looks odd, doesn't it?

It's pretty deep, but there's not much soot at all.

Ordinary flame didn't do this.

It reminds me of the Rijutsu that the Ixt use...

Rijutsu? Is that some kind of magic?

It is.

Normally, for burns, it'd require some sulfur or volcanic stone as a catalyst.

But if that was the case, there'd be more charring...

Sera, are there people in the west who use this kind of sorcery?

In Illdoren?

I can say for certain that no one of these lands did this.

I can't think of anyone in the Eastern Expedition who uses magic...

Wait. Could it be?

Did someone come to mind?

The clergy of the Order of Commoneras, from the western kingdoms.

A number of them have accompanied the Eastern Expedition as retinue priests.

Their duty is to perform simple masses and funerary writes with the

power of light in camps to soothe the spirits of the eastern knights...

But I've never heard of their miracles having any combat potential.

Illdoren! Orkfiem! There's trouble!

The Ixt have found the maniacs who've been using Rijutsu without a catalyst!

Are they mad?! They're actually doing such a thing?

And because of that, a blight will be showing up any time now!

A blight?

Hear me well, warriors!

Excluding those with second names,

I want half of you to collect and clean the dragon!

The rest are to return to the village and prepare for the worst-case scenario!

Those who have a second name, brace yourselves, and come with me!

Veor, what are these blights?

Blights are what happens when natural law becomes stagnate.

They become antithetical to the natural world... Fiends, in other words.

Fiends?

There is a type of monster... we call them Fiends.

As you live here, you'll encounter them sooner or later.

They're a bit like a living disaster.

We cannot turn back after having come so far.

No matter what price we must pay...

This way!

Malcius!

Retinue Priest Malcius!

Lady Serafina?

Lady Serafina! You're not hurt!

Lady Lavillant!

They don't seem like they'd be completely incompatible with our way of life...

Sera, do you know them?

She was the priest assigned to my First Division of knights.

L-L-Lady Serafina!

That savage! He's one of those wretched barbarians!

He needs to die!

Calm yourself, Malcius. Do not be so wantonly aggressive.

Consider your situation.

You say that, after all this time?!

We have been warring for 700 years... This is the 17th expedition!

Justice is with those of us from the east!

How could the Lavillant princess have forgotten this?!

Did these lowborn creatures violate you?!

No! It's not like that!

Damned barbarians!

Omgab! Feu louv! Vefshiv!

Am Fyuek!

Stop it! What do you think you're doing?!

In Vif!

That must've been what injured the Morisuberi.

Then the source of the commotion...

Did you see that, Lady Serafina?!

In these foul barbarian lands,

God's miracles have grown all the more potent!

What could this prove other than our righteousness?! We are righteous!

Of all the asinine mistakes to make.

You should not take such pride

in absconding with the power of the earth and the trees.

Come, Lady Serafina. Let's return home together.

What's the matter?

Malcius, is it? For Sera's sake, I'm going to ask only once...

Can we not discuss this matter?

Stop talking, you savage!

Wait! Even if you do this—

I was willing to show mercy by simply demonstrating God's power,

but you had to get uppity!

So be it! You may feel His wrath for yourself, and repent!

Feuk Um! Feu louv! Omgab! Vefshiv!

That fool!

In Vif!

Veor?!

God's wrath finds it's mark!

Come along now, Lady Serafina!

Lukewarm.

Veor...

Your projectiles are not nearly enough to pierce armor

that is fortified with willpower.

If you want to kill me...

then take up a blade and use it to sever my head from my shoulders!

I was happy to see that you were in no rush to return home, Sera.

G-G-Get away from Lady Serafina, you ignorant barbarian!

Cease this foolishness, before you come to regret it!

Begging for your life will not save you!

Omgab!

Feu louv!

Vefshiv! Feuk Um!

What's happening?

The vitality of the land is being used up...

The nature of the earth and trees is becoming twisted...

Forgive me, Sera. That woman cannot be saved, at this point.

Time is up.

Let God's wrath fall upon the barbarian!

What is this?

Malcius!

Retinue Priest Malcius!

Is this barbarian sorcery?! How revolting! Unhand me!

Malcius, I'll save you!

Don't, Sera!

Don't stop me, Veor!

The blame may be hers, but I can't simply watch as one of my people is killed!

It isn't a matter of blame.

The blight... has manifested.

No!

That's a Fiend.

A Fiend?

So, this is a Fiend...