Summary

Shana and Yuuji continue their fight, and Kazumi decides to use the Giralda and summon Pheles to change the battle situation, who ends up telling her that she will not die as a result of using it. Pheles releases Johan from the Reiji Maigo, and Johan removes Yuuji’s detection ability but leaves the Reiji Maigo with him, saying that he understands his reasons but cannot agree with them. Both escape with Khamsin’s help after putting a dent in Yuuji’s plans, and as the tower’s tuning finishes in preparation for Xanadu’s creation, the Tomogara cannot understand the reasoning behind the Flame Hazes plan.

Impression

I’m disappointed. I really am. Here I was, thinking that Kazumi would actually die (though she came close when Sydonay’s Shintetsu Nyoi nearly got her) and Pheles tells her that she would still live, despite the Hougu usually using up all of the existence that a human usually has. My only theory would be that since Kazumi’s spent a lot of time around Yuuji and Shana, she became resistant somehow and so not all her existence was used, or she gained larger reserves or something. I don’t know, it ended up kinda cheap, since the idea was that she would be a noble sacrifice to change the tide of battle, but she didn’t die? Everything sounded so noble too, with the “I’ll make my life worth something”, “testing how big a miracle my feelings can create” and stopping Yuuji and Shana from fighting. Coupled with a tearjerking OST (Kawada Mami music I’m sure) I actually felt sorry for her and her helpless unrequited feelings. And then, Pheles goes up to her and tells her she won’t die.

FACEPALM

I’m not too sure what to think of Johan, since I remembered him as a distinctly nice guy, though this time he seemed like he was about to go yandere any moment. Maybe it’s something to do with the fact that Yuuji’s on the enemy side and contracted to a god. Either way, he evidently hints that there’s something Yuuji’s hiding from Shana, which he’s not revealing because she’ll be against it – but to be honest, she’s already heavily against his ideals of Xanadu and the long term effect it causes. He also hints that the end of the plan will not be a good thing for Sakai Yuuji but only Sairei no Hebi, which brings about more foreshadowing. I actually took a better look at the OP after Guilty Crown 17 and its OP, and while I won’t make any guesses, Yuuji flying away from Shana and two parallel worlds clashing may actually be as literal as it seems.

Also Pheles went completely deredere once Johan left Yuuji’s body (that was nice of him to leave the Reiji Maigo by the way) which was nothing like how she usually acts o.O I was sorta reminded of the Yukkii and Yuno pairing from Mirai Nikki where Yuno would do anything for Yukiteru, but obviously Pheles is a lot more sane, if only slightly.

Yuuji seemed really pissed at the random minibus that popped out and took Pheles, Johan and Kazumi away, and apparently they did some major damage too, though I didn’t really see the extent of that other than even more chaos caused by Westshore, Chiara and Sale. Trying to bring down the tower involved with the creation of Xanadu sounds like a good idea, though I don’t think they’ll get very far now that Dantalion reinforced it with more giant metal objects.

We still don’t know what creating Xanadu exactly involves, though it’s something to do with a World Egg and that mysterious bard that was following Yuuji and the Trinity around, but seemingly never fighting or talking. Also Flieder and some of the other Flame Haze make a reappearance, I actually almost forgot they even existed xD