Shinya and Guren (Episode)

"Shinya and Guren" (深夜とグレン) is the seventh episode of Seraph of the End: Battle in Nagoya, nineteenth episode of the first season, and nineteenth episode overall of the Seraph of the End anime series.

Synopsis
The Moon Demon Company discusses their hostage situation and decides to attack Crowley Eusford, Chess Belle, and Horn Skuld. Yoichi attempts to snipe Crowley, but Crowley catches the manifested demon and throws it aside without so much as a scratch.

Shinya and Guren distract the nobles while the other company members focus on rescuing the hostages. Crowley beats Guren and Shinya easily and manages to capture Guren.

In the meantime, Shinoa Squad launches their plan to assist Guren. Yu jumps through the floor and attacks Crowley, who immediately counterattacks.

Summary
As René and Lacus head to the botanical gardens to reinforce seventeenth progenitor Zane Lindau on false information, Mika brings five soldiers under his command to investigate city hall where he knows Yu is headed, and smiles as he announces he's coming for him.

Shinoa, Yu and the rest of their squad, in addition to an elite team consisting of Narumi squad and the commanding Moon Demon Company prepare for the attack on the three vampire nobles who have occupied the Nagoya city hall. Guren observes the twenty-six hostages tied to crosses outside with vampires standing guard. Whilst everyone is well aware of the trap, Yu is steadfast in rescuing the hostages. Guren decides to snipe at them from where they are situated to test the vampire reaction. The vampire noble targets are thirteenth progenitor Crowley Eusford and seventeenth progenitors Chess Belle, and Horn Skuld. The plan is to give up on the hostages if the enemy proves too strong for them. Shinoa asks Yu to calm down with his reaction to this plan, and asks the Lieutenant Colonel what the priority is for this mission. Maintaining the current head count then saving and freeing the hostages is the priority. They are not to fight if they have the possibility of dying, and Narumi infers that there is another mission after this one. Right now they are to keep he vampires in Nagoya as long as they can, stalling for time in order for the main Shibuya army unit of the Japanese Imperial Demon Army to get ready to be on their way to Shinjuku. Kimizuki points out their recent missions are in fact ultimately decoy missions, with the noble extermination mission being a phase one of a grander plan.

Despite the bleak possibilities, thinking that defeating Crowley may be out the question, Shinya resolves to do this mission as best they can. Shinya tells Yoichi to come with him, as they are both marksman who can snipe foes from a distance. Squad leaders Narumi and Shinoa order their teams into attack formation.

Shinya targets the fourth floor of the city hall and instructs Yoichi to spy on the fifth floor. Using Gekkōin's line of sight Yoichi gets a visual of a vampire noble on the fifth floor. It is lord Crowley, who has his back turned to them as he reads some documents. Yoichi asks for the green light to fire before Crowley motices them and Guren immediately grants it. Yoichi fires a manifestation of Gekkōin, a spectral green avian projectile that flies into and crashes straight though the window where Crowley is located. After the explosion, with a large hole in the size of the building from the attack, Crowley emerges unscathed, gripping the cursed gear manifestation in his hand. He had picked up on it  milliseconds before impact and commented how it was weird before tossing it aside, where it broke apart into nothing. Yoichi says the target was missed, with nearby Horn and Chess also avoiding any damage. Shinya and Guren note how strong Crowley must be to avoid an attack like the one Yoichi just fired. Realising how nine elite teams were wiped out, Yoichi tells Yu he's the same vampire noble from Shinjuku, and Yu recalls how Crowley effortlessly stopped a speeding truck dead in it’s tracks using only his hand. They are also aware how it was these three progenitors that had drank from Shinoa, Yoichi and Kimizuki before when they lost the battle against them. Yu seizes the eyepiece to see.

Whilst Chess asks Crowley what it was that weird thing was just now, Yu confirms it’s him acknowledging that Crowley was super strong. Guren notes the zero chance at winning if they attack these particular nobles head on. Shinya notes two choices, shoot the hostages before they’re tortured and run. Yu flatly rejects this option, and tying to calm him, Shinoa asks what the other option Shinya has is. Namely it is to split the enemies up, save the hostages and retreat. Yu turns to Guren for the decision; Narumi makes his pragmatic solution known of killing the hostages and retreating. He observes that the vampires are currently not attacking back, unconcerned about them even after their sneak attack. Yu runs to him in anger, Narumi counters that it is Yu who is not taking the situation seriously when Yu levels this accusation at him. Narumi has friends within the ranks of the hostages and says he is more shaken up than Yu is. Shinoa turns to Guren and points out this is a decoy mission to keep the enemy sight away from the Shibuya main unit. Guren has finalised the plan at hand, specifically to attack big to make the vampires think that they are the min unit, and tells Shinya they will retreat if they can’t win, then move to another location.

Staying put, Horn notes there has been no second wave and Chess asks if they should go and attack them. Crowley, thinking their enemies want them to go to them, opts to wait patiently for their arrival instead. He contemplates that whilst humans are dull in the medium and long term, the same cannot be said for them in the short term. Crowley is sure they shall attack again as they have orchestrated plans to defeat the vampire nobles, and he suspects another agenda at foot. He is aware that Ferid desires information and so wants to gather intel, and to attain this Crowley makes his own plan, to capture the commander who probably has said mission intelligence.

Transferring to an abandoned building, Guren squad and Shinya plan to attack Crowley and his comrade’s head on, whilst Narumi and Shinoa squad rescue the hostages. Yu asks him if he’ll be all right, but Guren has a practical plan of fighting whilst running away to ensure both the priority of rescuing the captive soldiers and surviving can occur. Exactly five minutes is set aside to rescue to hostages, timed on the stopwatch, after which they are to retreat and join other squads at Nagoya airport where a carrier helicopter and directive will be waiting for them. With the attack timed for 1505 hours the combined squads take their positions. Shinya is monitoring the building, with no movements he deduces the vampires are probably waiting for their first move. Shinoa and Narumi decide to split the teams to rescue as many hostages as they can and Narumi parts company by telling them not to die.

With the city hall clock tower stopped at 1.55pm, team Shinoa set their alarms to 15.10 hours at which point they are retreat without question, an order Shinoa emphasises with Yu. This rule applies even if it means leaving one of the team behind. Silencing Yu with a finger to his lips Shinoa insists, as squad leader she wants no one killed on account of her perceived mistakes. Yu takes her hand and agrees with the order. Mitsuba shares Yu’s enthusiasm that everyone can be saved despite the odds vastly against them, noting that their teamwork has gotten better, Yoichi agrees as they’ve become good friends.

A bright flash and explosion signal the commencement of the mission as the squad looks up to see smoke though either side of the city hall’s clock tower. Guren is leading the assault, and begins by dispatching vampires with his sword, Mito punches straight through them. Sayuri, using a spell tag created sword can also cut through vampires with ease. Shigure uses the green wires created by Kuronagi to slam vampires into the ground where they disintegrate from the power of the cursed gear. Some of the nearby captured soldiers implore Guren not to come, but the squad continue undaunted. Shinya covers Goshi to allow him to get in range where his illusion spell can be successful. It works, Goshi’s power gives vampires the hallucination that an additional two hundred soldiers are attacking the city hall alongside them. The ploy keeps the oncoming vampires occupied as they lock swords blocking the attacks of illusionary soldiers, and Guren squad can infiltrate further.

Greater success comes in that Narumi has managed to free a hostage and instructs Kagiyama, Yayoi and Rika to free members they know such as Kato’s squad. Narumi orders Shūsaku with him and Shinoa squad also enter the fray as Crowley and the other two progenitors oversee the battle below. Crowley notes that things are getting interesting as he spots Guren making the jump to engage him and Crowley recognises both his face, and his status as commander. He swings his sword of which the power repels Guren, who responds with a barrage of explosive spell tags. Whilst strong, they are not enough for this progenitor as Crowley deflects the attack with his sword and promptly grabs Guren by the arm mid air. He swings Guren into a suddenly appeared Shinya who tried to flank him to the right and sends them both crashing into the city hall building. Despite the danger the two are in, Goshi stops Mito from joining as right now they would only drag them down if they interfered, besides Goshi has a plan. Narumi continues to rescue as many hostages as they can, Mitsuba asks an uncertain Shinoa what to do whilst Yu, Kimizuki and Yoichi think to help Guren and Shinya. Shinoa agrees but just for the remaining three minutes that they have.

Guren and Shinya recover after their encounter with Crowley. Shinya acknowledges that his power is on another level compared to other nobles. Guren puts his doubts to rest by saying the plan is going as arranged, and that by acting as bait they have successfully drawn all three nobles attention. Crowley arrives interrupting their plan to escape, and Skull and Chess appear as well.

Shinoa squad are running to the fourth floor, but Shinoa orders them to follow her as part of her plan, of which time and circumstances do not allow her to explain, Kimizuki tells Yu to follow. A master at combat, Crowley effortlessly parries Guren’s sword attacks whilst an in control of the situation Chess and Horn prevent Shinya from interfering with his rifle fire. Crowley is comfortable that he can handle the Lieutenant Colonel’s level of skill, but see's that Guren is getting stronger. Guren activates his Mahiru cursed gear and Shinya manages to shoot systematically but Crowley repels his fire, of which some of the rebounding energy falls back onto Shinya. Crowley says they’re repeating the same attacks but it dawns on him that this one was a diversion for Guren to blow a hole through the wall to allow him and Shinya to escape this round.

Guren helps Shinya walk though Crowley finds them right away, deflecting and evading Shinya’s covering fire. They both leave Crowley behind them and are running but Crowley smashes through the wall appearing in front of their path. Guren throws Shinya aside to defend him but can’t stop Crowley from connecting his sword into Guren’s shoulder. Crowley remembers he is not supposed to kill him as he has questions for him. With nothing left for it, Guren states he’s done for and for Shinya to retreat and assume command of the mission. Grabbing a hold of Guren he tells Shinya he should listen him him before he changes his mind. At that moment Yu erupts from the floor below them and attacks Crowley, who simply blocks then swings his sword at the newly arrived Yu.

Characters
List of characters in order of appearance:

Gallery
Anime images provide a visual overview of the events of Episode 19 with depictions of the characters, Seraph of the End world, scenarios, artistic style among other areas.