"Those Lurking in the Darkness" (暗がりに潜む者) is the sixth episode of the Legend of the Legendary Heroes anime. It was originally aired in Japan on August 5, 2010.
Opening Song: "Lament - Yagate Yorokobi wo (やがて喜びを)" by Aira Yuki
Ending Song: "Truth Of My Destiny" by Ceui
Plot Summary
The episode starts with Sion daydreaming of the day in his youth when his mother told him how proud she was of him, that he would always find someone to keep him company. Iris wakes him up to inform him of Ryner and Ferris ' deeds so far. She says that in Nelpha there is a dumb prince, who nobody likes, and a good prince, who everyone loves, was able to tame the evil beast (Ryner) by giving it dessert, and allowed the two travelers to stay with him. There is a picture included in the report, drawn by Iris herself.
As Claugh and Calne affirm to Sion that the goodwill mission to Nelpha is both approved by many and a trap that must be discarded, Miran argues the necessity of the king's trip to Nelpha in order to bring to light the traitors and dispose of them. A tense situation arises as Claugh and Calne argue with disapproval of Miran's plan due to Sion's vulnerability and questioning of Miran's loyalty, but Miran assures that if he is to escort his majesty, there is nothing to be afraid of. Sion accepts Miran's plan.
Sion arrives at the Imperial Nelpha Royal Palace with Miran escorting him with the fear of the soldiers for Sions possible invasion and Emperor Gread Nelphi's respects. After the two monarchs court each other, Prince Starnel of Nelpha appears with elegant insults at Sion regarding his original social class to the dispraise of all presents, but Sion ignores his manners and introduces himself with all respects. Starnel mocks Sion one more time, winning his own removal of the hall from Emperor Gread. Gread apologizes for Starnel's manners, and Sion forgives him immediately agreeing to the truth of Starnel's words. The night finishes with Emperor Gread inviting Sion to a ball.
Next morning, Sion is reading Fiole's letter to Eslina one more time as Miran catches him. Sion seals the letter in an envelope to be sent to Eslina and jumps through the window saying that he wants to visit someone after leaving the matter of the Nelphan complot eradication to Miran, who assures the king of an infallible success.
In Toale's Imperial Residence, Ryner wakes up to unexpectedly meet Sion, but Ryner thinks instead that he has not slept enough, and as the sleepy man attempts to go back to bed, Ferris kicks him out of her way into the room where Sion is. The duo starts fighting again as Sion laughs at their "beautiful" friendship, so both tell Sion to shut up. As Ryner starts talking of all the injustice he is exposed by Ferris, he wins himself a set of kicks from the lady. Still, Sion assures that they get along since Ferris is more delicate at dealing with Ryner than with himself. The battle finally over, all three sit down in a table and are served breakfast by Toale, who thinks Sion to be Ryner's cousin, and Ryner, who does not get Sion's lie, gets kicked many times under the table by Ferris and Sion in order for him to play along. Ryner then tries to retreat to his bed once more, being mocked by Sion and falling to another pervert accusation of Ferris, ending in the alliance of the lady and the king to mock him badly. Toale cannot help to smile at their beautiful friendship. After the heat is low, Sion talks with Toale about his royal issues, talents, and skills, and although Toale agrees to Sion's comments, he denies any interest in the crown of Nelpha. Finally, Sion reveals the true intentions of his visit.
In the night, during the ball, assassins sneak on the roof of the Ball Room and are defeated by Ryner and Ferris, who agreed to protect Sion under the threat of destroying the Wynnit Dango Shop. After a well done job, they are pursued out of the roof.
Sion retires to his room to find Miran and his report on the complot. It turns out that Count Werius of Roland (who lies dead at Miran's feet) had a deal with Prince Starnel of Nelpha; Werius was to kill Emperor Gread so that Starnel would rise immediately to power, in return, Starnel was to kill Sion. Roland's King forbids his Coronel of disposing of Prince Starnel, alleging that the matter of the traitor prince must be decided by Emperor Gread.
Miran leaves to dispose of all the Nelphan conspirators and moves to kill Toale, but Ryner and Ferris come to his encounter. At the beginning, Miran mistakes Ryner for Toale and is taken off-guard for not having information on this guard. Miran reveals his name and intentions of preventing Nelpha to have a ruler that would boost its power by killing Toale to Ryner and Ferris, but he does not reveal his title nor the kingdom of his loyalty. So the battle starts with shadow beasts emerging from Miran's ring; beasts that cannot be identified by the Alpha Stigma, but can be destroyed by Ferris' sword and Ryner's fire magic Kurenai and Izuchi. After seeing Ryner use Estabul and Roland's magic, Miran realizes that Ryner is not Toale and commends both of them by their skills. Ferris is then reached by a claw of darkness and falls hurt to the ground with a shadow in her back. Miran mocks her for being weak but Ryner defends her assuring she is even stronger than himself to the effect of boosting Miran's morale because Ryner would be an easier victory. Ryner then reveals Miran's secret over the hero relic ring he bears: "I remember the legend of the Great Emperor Kokuei. The legend of the shadow king who enshrouded the world. That king bestowed upon his subordinate a ring with a strange power inside of it. It was the power to control shadows. That subordinate used the ring's power to assassinate high-ranking people in enemy nations, but... a certain knight cut off the finger that bore the ring with a sword. The name of that knight, that legendary hero, was... That's right, Halford Miran." Miran and Ryner doubt that the magician might be capable of accomplishing the same deed as the legendary hero in their situation, but as Ryner is about to reveal his confidence in Ferris for that task, she punches him and scolds him on wasting time instead of fighting, he scolds back saying that he was distracting Miran so she could cut the finger, then she blames and threatens Ryner for his uselessness. When they finally decide to fight seriously again, Miran decides to withdraw to the relief of Ferris and Ryner, who reveal to be just bluffing and gaining time ever since Ferris; wound, which makes her collapse. Ferris comes up with another accusation to Ryner of being a pervert, but he silences her.
Back in Roland, Field Admiral Claugh Klom presents all the information he could gather on Miran, but he regrets to say that there is nothing before his adoption by Duke Froaude. Claugh tries to convince Sion of forsaking Miran before it is too late, but Miran interrupts and is told to his face of the research on his past, but instead of being angry, Sion reveals to be very glad with Miran's work. Miran reports then of his encounter with Ryner and Ferris to the stress of Sion in the moral implication of sending his own men to fight each other.
The next day Ryner and Ferris decide to leave Toale before he notices and Ferris compliments Ryner on his healing skills as they keep on their trip and Milk catches up woth their trail.
Quotes
- "Ok, clearly I haven't had enough sleep yet" Ian Sinclair (Ryner's voice actor).
- "Ferris was nowhere near so unreserved around me." Sion Astal.
- "With all the women you attack on the streets at night, it's no wonder you'd be so tired." Ferris.
- "You are still up to that?" Eric Vale (Sion's voice actor).
- "Is there an actual point to you being here or you just come here to badger me?" Ian Sinclair.
- "It is rather fun to watch you over react." Eric Vale.
- "I need a better reason than that!" Ian Sinclair.
- "Let there be darkness!" Miran Froaude.
- "I offer up this contract to bear the wicked spirit beast which sleeps in the earth" Ryner Lute.
- "What I seek is the burning field, Kurenai!" Ryner Lute.
- "I remember the legend of the Great Emperor Kokuei. The legend of the shadow king who enshrouded the world. That king bestowed upon his subordinate a ring with a strange power inside of it. It was the power to control shadows. That subordinate used the ring's power to assassinate high-ranking people in enemy nations, but... a certain knight cut off the finger that bore the ring with a sword. The name of that knight, that legendary hero, was... That's right, Halford Miran." Ryner Lute.
- "You think I've been tutoring this creep on his own magic relic for the past five minutes? I've been trying to distract him so you could rush in unexpectedly and chop the stupid thing off his finger!" Ian Sinclair.
- "Then, with a hero relic in front of us, what are you doing lying around like an idiot?" Ferris Eris.
- Each quote is numbered so that conversations can be grouped together
1. Claugh: “Froaude, you’re saying that you’re going with Sion, but what happens if you’re the killer?”
Miran: “Fum, at that moment… you can kill me, the bodyguard, Major General Claugh. Or…you don’t have the confidence yourself?”
Claugh: “If I know that you may kill Sion in Nelpha…I’ll definitely kill you here.”
Miran: “Then, Your Majesty, please make your decision, I’ve said what I wanted to say, but the decision lies with you, Your Majesty.”
2. Ryner to Miran about Ferris: “Weak? That woman? …That woman’s not someone who should collapse onto the ground like this!
Miran: “Fm, then what do you intend to do?”
Ryner: “I’ll beat you and make the shadows disappear.”
Miran: “You can’t do that”
Ryner: “I won’t know if I don’t try. You’re…using that ring to manipulate the shadows, right?”
Miran (after Ryner reveals he knows he’s using the ring to control the shadows): “…You’re really a scary person. How did you realize that?”
Ryner: “What did you say? Just instinct, that’s all. Whenever you swing the hand, for some reason, my eyes would hurt. I don’t actually understand…but I noticed your hand, and saw that ring. At that moment, I remembered the legend of the Great Emperor ‘Dark Emperor’…”
3. Miran: “But I will have to kill you one day. You two are too dangerous. If I let the two of you live, you will become an obstacle to my master, a powerful obstacle even Toale Nelphi won’t be able to match… I’ll retreat for now this time. Ahh, but don’t worry. I won’t take action on Toale-sama. That’s because I have the huge issue of having to kill you two…then, that will be all for today…but we will meet in the near future.”
4. Ryner: “…You’ve worked hard. Leave the rest to me, take a nap for now.”
Ferris: “…Nn. Don’t you dare attack me when I’m asleep…”
Ryner: “OF COURSE I WON’T!!”
5. Sion to Miran: “You did a good job at Nelpha. Why must I dismiss you?”
6. Ferris: “The wound on my back has recovered to an extent where there’re no problems. It could have healed faster for me without that messy treatment of yours…”