"Il Re" is the tenth episode in the anime series. The ending theme for the episode is Don't look away.
Plot[]
Rin prepares to fight Il re which turns out to be Shiki but gets defeated quickly, Akira comes to the rescue as the military begins to bomb the place. Shiki saves Arbitro and questions him about Akira. Rin and Akira take shelter in a abandoned warehouse, where they agree to meet Motomi at the church. At first, Rin refuses to go, but Akira promises to not betray Rin and asks for his trust. Gunji and Kiriwar show up, and in order to escape, the two of them split up. Gunji goes after Akira, while Kiriwar goes after Rin. Before Akira is killed by Gunji, Nano comes to the rescue and carries him off to where Keisuke is. A flashback shows Akira and Nano's first meeting. Emma and Gwen show up and try to capture Nano, but are killed. Shiki shows up while Akira gets Keisuke and prepares to escape.
Synopsis[]
Rin prepares to fight Shiki
The episode begins in the Coliseum, where Rin stands ready to face Il Re. Arbitro watches from his private box, flanked by Gunji and Kiriwar , and with Kau sitting on the ground beside his chair. He announces Il Re’s entrance, and the doors open to reveal Shiki. Rin draws a blade and assumes a fighting stance.
Outside the Palace gates, Akira talks to the guard about having business inside. The guard refuses him entry and says the Palace is closed for a private match between Il Re and a challenger. Akira jumps the fence and takes out the guards before running inside.
In the coliseum, Rin and Shiki prepare to fight.
Akira fights his way through the palace guards and rushes to the black doors. Rin warns Shiki he’ll die if he doesn’t take Rin seriously, and Shiki replies that he’ll send Rin to his friends. Rin swings at Shiki, and they fight. Eventually, Shiki knocks Rin’s weapon aside and holds his blade to Rin’s throat. He asks if he should put Rin out of his misery, and Rin closes his eyes.
The doors to the coliseum open as Akira arrives. In his box, Arbitro wonders what Akira is doing here. Akira jumps into the arena and asks Shiki if he’s Il Re before he draws his knife. Akira says he won’t let Shiki kill Rin, and in response, Shiki comments, “I see trash comes in sets of two.” He points his katana at Akira, but before they can fight, the room shakes and crumbles as the military begins to bomb the Palace. Akira grabs a silent Rin and they escape as the roof begins to cave in.
Arbitro orders Gunji and Kiriwar to capture them. Gunji claims “the bigger one” before Arbitro clarifies that Akira must be unharmed. Arbitro unbuckles the belts on Kau’s arms before they both run.
Outside, Akira looks back and sees fighter planes flying over the Palace, dropping more bombs. Rin remains mute, and his face is still obscured by his bangs. Akira drags him onward.
Shiki threatens Arbitro
Inside the Palace, Arbitro attempts to escape and is nearly crushed by one of his statues, but Shiki rescues him. Shiki demands to know why Arbitro is after Akira. Arbitro lies that he wants to capture him because he interrupted Il Re’s battle, but Shiki isn’t fooled. Shiki points his sword at Arbitro and orders him to tell the truth. In response, Arbitro asks why he’s so interested, but Shiki says he wants to know why Arbitro wants him unharmed. Arbitro says “Null Nicole” (or Anti-Nicole) as an answer.
In the city, Akira and Rin continue running; Rin doesn’t respond when Akira asks if he’s okay. They find a dark place to hide out. Akira reaches out to touch Rin, but Rin swats his hands away and yells for Akira to kill him. He becomes frantic as he shouts this repeatedly. Akira shakes his shoulders and tells Rin to calm down.
Rin asks why Akira couldn’t leave him alone, and accuses Akira of saving him for his own selfish satisfaction. Rin explains that he wanted to fight Il Re because of his friends, and that he wanted to die. Akira replies that he doesn’t want that to happen, and Rin questions why Akira cares after Rin betrayed him. Rin admits that he would have killed Akira and Keisuke to get their tags.
Akira slaps him out of the flashback. Akira asks if believing in someone is scary, and points out that Rin holds people at a distance and refuses to believe in anyone so he won’t get hurt again. Rin tells Akira to shut up and tries to punch him, but Akira grabs his wrist. Rin pulls his hand back and says Akira’s pretty words are empty.
Akira promises to not betray Rin, so Rin demands that Akira prove himself. Akira counters by saying he can prove it to Rin if he’s trusted. Rin threatens to kill Akira if he is betrayed again. Akira puts his hand over Rin’s as he says that he’ll deserve death if he does betray, and that they should go. He explains that Motomi is waiting at the church.
Rin escapes from Kiriwar
They are interrupted by the arrival of Gunji and Kiriwar. Akira gives Rin one of his stiletto blades back and tells him to go. Gunji asks if they’re thinking of running. The Executioners attack; Gunji swipes at Akira, and Kiriwar swings at Rin. Rin runs and leads Kiriwar away.
Gunji’s claws clash with Akira’s lone knife as Gunji tells Akira to pay attention to his opponent. Akira jumps out of a window and is closely followed by Gunji, who yells at him to stay still. Akira runs, and Gunji chases after him calling, “Hey kitty, let’s play! You can’t escape! Lemme hear you scream!”
Elsewhere, Keisuke makes his way through Toshima using a piece of wood to prop himself up. He collapses to the ground and lies there until a shadow falls over him. Keisuke looks up and wonders if it’s Akira, but sees Nano standing before him instead. Keisuke faints. Nano stares at him calmly.
The next scene is at night; Akira is still being pursued by Gunji. Akira evades him on some stairs, but is caught by Kau. Gunji comes up behind him and they chase Akira up to a rooftop. Akira and Gunji fight as Kau crouches nearby. Akira’s knife is knocked away and he’s held down by Gunji.
Gunji calls Akira sweet and says he’s got a nice look in his eyes, unlike Line addicts. He asks if he should make Akira stiff with fear or writhe with pain, then punches Akira and accuses him of not fighting back. Then Gunji says he should give up. Blood rolls down Akira’s face from a wound on his head. Gunji decides, “Let’s have some fun before I kill you.”
Kau turns as he hears someone pick up the knife behind him. Gunji raises his claws, but turns as a shadow falls over his back. Nano punches Gunji and knocks him off the roof. Akira recognizes Nano from their previous meeting before he passes out. Nano picks up Akira. Gunji, who landed in a dumpster, gapes as Nano leaps from the rooftop. Seeing them in the sky, Gunji wonders, “What the fuck? Is he human? Dirty tricks.”
In the air, Nano glances at Akira’s pained face.
A flashback shows a much younger Akira following a butterfly around a corner in the ENED facility. He spots a teenage Nano sitting on a bench and asks if Nano is waiting for a friend. Nano glances at him and explains he’s always by himself. Akira asks if he feels lonely. Nano looks away as he wonders what loneliness feels like. Akira asks if he should stay with Nano, and leans forward as he asks about whether or not he can stay with Nano the next time they meet. Nano pats Akira’s head and touches his cheek before saying: “It would be nice… if we met again.”
Akira catches Nano’s hand as he withdraws and makes a promise. Akira insists he doesn’t lie. Nano comments on Akira holding his hand and says it’s warm, before pulling out his knife. He gives it to Akira: “In exchange for your promise.” Nano’s hand slips out Akira’s, and Akira watches him walk away.
In the present, Akira’s eyes open. He blinks weakly before sitting up and pulling out his knife to stare at it. He looks around the greenhouse and finds Keisuke on the couch beside him.
A voice asks if Akira found the answer, and Akira turns to see Nano sitting on some steps nearby. Nano repeats his riddle about not seeing the visible and trying to see the invisible, and gives the answer: a dream.
Akira asks, “I know you, don’t I?” Nano nods. Akira asks who he is, and Nano stands. Akira protests that he still has questions, but Nano tells him their “guests” have arrived. Outside the greenhouse stand Emma and Gwen. Akira asks them about the deal they made, and she explains that their goal isn’t as simple as defeating Il Re. She says her true goal was n (pronounced Nano). She explains that they sent many men from the same orphanage in to capture Nano, and that she also arranged the false charges placed against Akira to force him into Toshima. The point was to use him to lure Nano out.
Akira’s fists clench, and he tries to charge, but Emma fires her gun at his feet. She says it’s time to get to the point and aims her gun at Nano. Gwen tries to intervene, citing their mission, and places his gun at her back. Gwen pleads with her because he doesn’t want to kill her. In response, Emma turns and shoots him. She coldly tells Gwen she’s lived for this day and fires her gun two more times.
Akira asks why she did it. Emma explains that Nano is called Nicole Premier, and he is a military experiment. The blood in his veins is the source of undiluted Line, and he is the reason Line spread through Toshima. Nano tells them that people are corrupt and greedy, and that he is no better. Emma tells him that the army is coming, and that the only way to save him from more misery is to kill him. She fires her gun, and he puts his hand through her chest. She falls, and Gwen crawls forward to close her eyes before dying beside her.
Nano's bloody hand
Akira asks Nano: “Why?” Nano responds, “In order to end it all, I have soaked my hand in the essence of life.” He lifts his bloody hand up. ”So many lives already, yet it’s grasping for more.” He turns and looks up at a pile of rubble, where Shiki stands some distance away.
Nano asks Akira who Keisuke is; Akira replies that Keisuke is an important friend. Nano tells Akira to bring him along. Akira goes back inside to pick up Keisuke and Shiki steps forward towards Nano as the episode ends.