「研がれたヤイバ」 (Togareta Yaiba)
"Sharpened Sword"

As the precursor to the finale next time, there sure were a lot of loose ends tied up in this episode. Problem is, a lot of them were concluded rather conveniently, propping up amidst everything else that was going on.

「アオイの記憶」 (Aoi no Kioku)
"Memories of Aoi"

Ten episodes later, it finally feels like we're reaching the climax of the series. The ultimate antagonist may have been a tad predictable, but the flashback to six years ago puts everything in a slightly different light.

「転石するイシ」 (Tenseki Suru Ishi)
"Rolling Darkstone"

It may have been a little cliche and predictable, but for a series that's going for the reluctant superhero approach, it's hard to fault Sunrise for using some of the staples of the genre. This includes the tried and true mustering strength out of nowhere and coming in the nick of time to save the heroine.

「マゴコロを込めて」 (Magokoro wo Komete)
"With Sincerity"

Ask and I shall receive, as Onigawara sets Alma up on a date with Ruri so that he can finally get a clue. It's just too bad that it revolved around a misunderstanding over Alma's overuse of the phrase "for now", since it made him come off as an insensitive jerk for most of the episode.

「真実のヨシアシ」 (Shinjitsu no Yoshi Ashi)
"The True Yoshi and Ashi"

I've never seen an anime swap its opening and ending themes with new sequences to go for each, but somebody at Sunrise seems to have had a change of heart seven episodes later. Surprisingly, Nanri Yuuka's "Miracle" seems to be better suited as an opening theme.

「ワンモアナイト」 (Wan Moa Naito)
"One More Night"

Given Alma's past, it's easy to see why he's not used to being close to other people, but I can't see how anyone in their right mind can impose a one-meter comfort zone on Ruri -- especially when she comes with a lunch packed for two.

「心のカガミ」 (Kokoro no Kagami)
"Mirror of the Heart"

When there's a big f--king gun that's only good for one shot, it's an absolute tease if it's never fired. The rational side of me understands Makoto's hesitation to use it when Ruri's right next to him, but come on... shoot the Corundum Laser Cannon. With a name like that and an expensive ruby burned in the process, it's just begging to have its trigger pulled.

「学園祭のオニ」 (Gakuensai no Oni)
"Demon of the School Festival"

We had a school-life episode like the preview last time suggested, along with some minor Ashi involvement to stir up the school festival preparations. The best part of it all was Alma calling Ruri to the rooftop, leaving the latter with some hopeful expectations.

「クレイジーナイト」 (Kureijii Naito)
"Crazy Night"

Much like the preview suggested, the action picked up a fair bit with the formal introduction of Kijima Night (Okamoto Nobuhiko) and Lau Fei Zui (Nomizu Iori).