The Many Faces of Lapis

Lapis once again mentions some twisted principles Wernhard taught him, with a smile painted on her face. She didn’t say anything about wanting to become human, or becoming like Tsuoi Rin for that matter. Kazuma could no longer tolerate Lapis saying all this wickedness with Tsuoi Rin’s face and voice, to which she sneers at how he seems to perceive Rin as a saintly being who’s not capable of being this wicked. I’ve also mentioned about this in a little deep frying I did in the last episode, where Kazuma says that he doesn’t really see Rin as a saint, but firmly believes that she’s not the kind of girl who delights in people’s mishaps. Lapis heeds Kazuma’s request, since the sacrifices needed for summoning Belial have been completed.

And well, Lapis successfully deceives them, after she denies what Ayano mentioned about her doing all this simply to buy some time. She actually said sorry for lying to them (or for her mischievousness rather), and sticks out her tongue in a playful manner. “I tricked you this time”, she says, smiling like an angel under the tutelage of a demon, according to the novel. Seeing how Lapis is able to smile, I believe Kazuma really did saw her smiling during their first encounter. We also see much of her other expressions in the novel, may it be sad, happy, or lost… which should’ve made Lapis seem a more 3d character than she was portrayed in the anime. She was pretty much an expressionless girl in the anime, even in that scene by the fountains where she was gazing at the moon.

On the Ayano vs Lapis Battle

As the summoning of Belial commences, Kazuma decides to attack Lapis, thinking that it’ll put a stop to this. The same sequence of events happen where Kazuma gets distracted by what Lapis said, and Ayano attacking her in his behalf. There were just some differences in how the fight went about, since I’m imagining the fight in the novel as a one-on-one fight between the two girls similar to how it was in their previous fight. Kazuma didn’t step in the fight to help Ayano. Instead, after a few exchange of blows between Ayano and Lapis, he puts Ayano’s hand in shackles. He carries her like some luggage, dragging him away from Lapis as he senses the presence of Belial looming from the depths of the underworld. He takes Ren as well as both Yukari and Nanase up into the air as they prepare to attack Belial.

Oh, and the “last words” scene between Ayano and Kazuma before attacking Belial is an anime-only scene, which isn’t really worth all the other antics they omitted, in my opinion.

More on Ayano’s Sensitivity

Before attacking, Ayano remembers one little detail the anime didn’t really paid much attention to, and that is, the fact that Kirika might still be in the grounds of Central Park. It’s just a little detail but it makes you have more respect for Ayano who actually thought about the welfare of Kirika that time. Kazuma assures Ayano that Kirika is in a safe place, outside the premises of the park. In the same way as she thought about her friends’ safety in all aspects, this all the more shows her sensitivity with regards to other people.

On the Battle Aftermath, Novel Version

After the “battle” with Belial which lasted only for a few minutes, Wernhard congratulates them for this “victory”, and so Kazuma takes back the cliché remark he gave Lapis since he’s been deceived (yet again). Similar to the anime, he tells them not to fret since he doesn’t have any intention of fighting them. Genma however wasn’t in the scene as was shown in the episode so it’s quite puzzling for Wernhard to tell them that he’s not confident that he’ll win against them, when in fact, his opponents are now out of energy to fight back. I’m thinking that perhaps Wernhard feels that it won’t be a “grand battle” if he fights against Kazuma and the others right then and there in their weakened state, or that he really thinks that they are so powerful and have this hidden strength within them that’ll be triggered if he fights against them…

Wernhard also tells them, “…allow me to escape with the data gathered from the experiment, since everything turned out good [for you] after all. All the seeds have died, Pandemonium is obliterated, and the mastermind has fled the country. The matter is resolved without any problems, all is fine and dandy.” I don’t know if Wernhard simply said this to taunt Kazuma or what, since having the mastermind escape doesn’t resolve the matter at all. To think that the gathered data will be used Wernhard later on, for whatever gimmicks he has in store for them next makes this all the more worse. Up until this point, the real intention of Wernhard behind all this is yet to be unraveled.

Before leaving, Kazuma demands Lapis to tell him what Tsuoi Rin’s last words are, to which she teases him first by saying “I’m not telling you” before finally revealing what those last words are.

On Kazuma and Ayano’s Private Moment

After the fight and everyone heads home, Kazuma first spends some time alone in the garden by himself, contemplating about Tsuoi Rin. How he wanted to protect her, but wasn’t able to. How he wasn’t able to repay anything for much of the things she has given him. Tsuoi Rin, the 12-year old girl who saved him from the abyss of despair he was in. The same girl whom he allowed to die in the fits of despair as well. He thinks of a similar incident that happened to Ren, with Ayumi. Contrary to Tsuoi Rin, Ayumi died with a smile on her face… that’s why he really commends Ren for what he did. “You did a great job [Ren], a thousand fold better than what I did”, Kazuma thinks. He wasn’t able to do anything to Tsuoi Rin up until the end, and he can’t help but think of the “last words” that Lapis said.

Deep in these thoughts, Kazuma contemplates on what he should do the next time he meets Lapis. He finds this answer in himself, but what really bothers him if Lapis / Tsuoi Rin really is capable of killing him… While Kazuma is all dazed, Ayano pulls on his sleeves, making him get back to reality. She stutters for a second, trying to find words of comforting to tell Kazuma. Until finally, she tells him, “I’m sure it’s a lie. If that [Lapis] indeed bears Tsuoi Rin’s feelings, there’s no way it can kill you Kazuma. That’s why…”Ayano gives the answer to the question Kazuma was pondering about earlier, as if she read his mind. Kazuma knows well how much it took for Ayano to say all this, simply to make him feel better. He thinks of how he’s going to react to Ayano, whether to tease him about becoming kind to him all of a sudden, or to become sweet to her and thank her for her comforting, and then kiss her (just to tease her even more).

After Kazuma tells Ayano about how his powers were awakened after what happened to Tsuoi Rin, there were more of Kazuma’s thoughts revealed in the novel. How his powers were awakened when HE was the one in the brink of death. How he secretly thought “I don’t want to die”, which is said to be what roused his hidden powers, as opposed to his thoughts of not wanting Tsuoi Rin to die. Kazuma believes this is a clear proof of how he valued his life more than Tsuoi Rin that time, and he can’t help but despise his miserable self back then.

We see the same scene in the anime afterwards, where Kazuma tells Ayano that he’s not thinking about getting himself killed by Lapis, since he decided to embrace his past and protect Ayano and everyone else that he loves, a decision he has already made before (way back in that fight with Geho I believe).

Instead of giving Kazuma a slap however, Ayano supposedly lunges a kick at him, which he easily evades. Ayano was about to lose her balance and fall onto the nearby pond so Kazuma’s instinct was to grab her foot (which he says is the “nearest” part of her body he can reach to that time) to keep her from falling. He finally lets go of her after some little banter, and Ayano pours out her feelings with regards to her desire to be of help to Kazuma. He was dumbfounded, a reaction Ayano rarely sees from Kazuma, but then that’s not the response she wants from him. Ayano turns her back from Kazuma, while he continues to stare at her.

Minutes passed and they simply stayed like this, turning out into some match where the one who makes the first move loses. Until finally, the wind breaks this silence as Kazuma leans closer to Ayano, caresses her hair and delivers a kiss upon it. Ayano was stunned. Afraid to move an inch, knowing well that some change is bound to happen if she reacts to this. (And Ayano is most likely thinking of *that* relationship… she really is still naïve and innocent)

Ayano was dazed in thoughts, completely befuddled as to how she will respond. Having fully enjoyed himself with the supple feel [of Ayano’s hair], he finally let go. (This is what the novel literally stated… it sounds so wrong when translated into English LOL ^^;;;; Kazuma seems like the hair-smelling-freak in Charlie’s Angels this way).

Kazuma break frees from the pressure he weighed upon himself thanks to Ayano who cheered him up, as he was filled with thoughts of Tsuoi Rin and Lapis earlier. As Kazuma thinks about it, Ayano has already saved him a number of times (in the Fuuga clan arc with Geho, as well as that time with Misao… it was just not apparent in the anime). Ayano, the one who freed Kazuma from his past, is not a weak little princess who needs a knight to pledge his life for her, and Kazuma knows this well. This makes Ayano all the more suitable for Kazuma (as mentioned in the novel as well).

Having accepted what Ayano was insisting on, he gives him the innocent butt pat as he acknowledges her as his partner, leading to the same result as what was shown in the anime. Ayano jumping out in surprise and ends up landing on the pond.

On The Amusing Bits Missing in the Ending Scene

Much of the difference in the ending scene comes after the butt-pat, since in the novel, Ren comes into the scene as he wonders what the commotion was about. Soushu and Kirika follows after him. Seeing the state Ayano was in, Ren infers that Kazuma was the one who did this to her. “What were you thinking?! I don’t know what nee-sama told you… but for you to get so mad and push her to the pond?!”, said Ren. Kazuma reasons out that he didn’t do this, in a rather feebly tone because of the sticky situation he’s in, as he has incurred the wrath of Ren and Soushu (well, sort of).

Ayano leaps out of the pond filled with rage, set out to beating the crap out of Kazuma for harassing her (or so that’s what the butt-pat appeared to innocent Ayano ^^;; ). Further negotiation is futile at this point, and so Kazuma tries to seek help from the surrounding people. Much to his surprise, Ren, Soushu and Kirika steps aside, as if letting Ayano do as she wants, reasoning out that they don’t want to get involved in this mess. Ren even tells Kazuma to move someplace else since the entire house will get scorched in the current position he was in.

Ren: Nii-sama is the one at fault, no matter what angle you look at it. Please just turn yourself in and allow yourself to be hit with just one blow.
Ren: I’m sure it’ll be all right if it’s you, nii-sama… well, probably.
Kazuma: You guys…!

And well, Ayano chases after Kazuma with her Enraiha. Soushu calls out Ayano for a second, making her pause to listen to what his father has to say…

Soushu: Ayano. I’ll protect the house, so don’t hold back and give it everything you’ve got.
Kazuma: Jeez, how unbelievable this old man is…. Whoa?! *gets attacked by Ayano*

…Just imagine the ending scene in the anime that goes after this :p

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