When Menou lands on the balcony, she doesn’t expect Tokitou Akari to walk out and face her. Despite this, her skills as an executioner are put to the test admirably when they finally meet. By asking for her class number, Menou gets Akari to confirm that she is a Lost One. In the next instant, she makes it clear that she is on Menou’s side and is actively working to rescue the girl.
Now that we’ve seen her do this to poor Mitsuki, it’s interesting to hear Menou tell lies like they’re airing this week. As a prisoner in a fancy cage, why wouldn’t Akari agree to help Menou escape? Akari’s Pure Concept, however, reverses the flow of time and prevents Menou from killing her.
For the second time, Menou must improvise and ask Momo to deflect attention away from Akari. As far as Akari is concerned, Menou is playing the heroic knight who is saving her from certain death, right down to the princess carry in mid-air. Having Menou’s firm grasp on Akari, she can’t help but blush. Menou reports to Orwell that night while Akari sleeps, and he tells her to take her to the cathedral in Garm, where there is a ceremonial execution room that should do the trick.
On the following morning, Menou is all smiles with Akari, basically following her target’s lead by embracing their chemistry together and strengthening the illusion that she has Akari’s best interests in mind, rather than preparing to deliver her to her elimination The tension and unusualness of this situation cannot be overstated. That Menou has to be what she is, and that she believes Akari must die, annoys me on one level. Or perhaps Akari’s death is necessary for the sake of everyone else.
Her obsession with her big sister figure/eternal crush was a little one-dimensional last week, but here we see her jealousy over Akari’s sudden proximity to Menou, coupled with genuine fear that Menou might be in over her head. It’s possible that Momo knows more about Menou than most people, and that Menou has a nice and decent side that could be the undoing of a Lost One Executioner. She insists adamantly on riding the train with Menou and Akari, albeit out of sight.
A less forgiving and less understanding superior would have refused Momo’s request and most likely disciplined her for defying orders. As the trains run on ether and magecraft is more of a technology than magic, Menou has an opportunity to provide some world-building exposition when he and Akari arrive at the station. When Akari heals a lost youngster who trips, Menou realizes that he must execute an ordinary good person.
It’s clear from the start that Akari has feelings for Menou, which makes sense given her heroic and kind nature. But as endearing as Akari is, with her references to an epic adventure and shoujo-ai romantic undertones…
Menou hasn’t changed his mind about killing Akari by the end of this episode.
Because she truly believes that even Akari, who is so sweet, could bring about the apocalypse if left unchecked. That doesn’t mean she won’t have more serious doubts about her actions in the future.
If the “ceremonial room” doesn’t work and Akari still can’t be killed, what’s the next step in the process? Menou will only grow closer to Akari—and possibly further away from the certainty of her organization’s cause—in the absence of the means to kill her and any indication that she has become a threat.
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