Flame of Recca Summaries

Episode Seven: The Stone Guardian Deathgame!

Last time, Recca awakened to find out that Tatesako-sensei and Yanagi were taken to a hidden building in the mountains. Recca decided to go save his Hime. Fuko and Domon chose to accompany him on his quest. Kurei tries to stop them by killing them on the path to the building but fails to do so. Presently, Recca, Fuko and Domon are trying to get past the statue Maria that shoots a laser at anything that moves.

The three stare at the statue, motionless. Annoyed, Recca grabs some fireworks from a hidden pocket and lifts them into the air, ready to throw them. Maria shoots out a laser and the three are encompassed in smoke. Fuko demands that Recca and Domon stop arguing about Recca’s stupidity and stop moving. Puzzled, Fuko observes Maria wondering why she didn’t shoot at Recca and Domon although they were moving. She recalls the first time Maria attacked them. Her needle wasn’t eliminated until *after* she threw it.

Fuko tests her theory. She holds out on of her needles in her right hand. Maria fires a laser at her hand causing her to wince. Quickly, she flings another needle at Maria with her left hand. The needle soars toward the statue. Maria annihilates the needle when it nearly strikes. Recca reprimands her for moving when she told him and Domon not to. Smiling, she retorts that her needle hit closer than Recca had. Maria has a flaw.

Kurei watches them on the TV screens. He asks Koganei how many elemental masters there are. Four. He orders Koganei to get them ready. Koganei protests, but Kurei cuts him off, saying that there’s something about the three of them….

Fuko broadcasts that the laser can’t shoot swiftly. With teamwork, they can defeat it. Fuko acts as the decoy. She dashes at Maria eluding the laser. Green light. Recca leaps into the air, wrapping a chain with a sickle around Maria. When she shoots her next laser, he jerks her off balance so her laser hits the statues instead of himself. Domon headbutts Maria, breaking her into several small pieces. Game over. We win.

The glare of bright lights shine down on the trio. Kurei taunts them, asking if they think they can beat the rest of his followers. He announces that in the adjoining room awaits their next opponent, Katashiro Reiran. Recca scoffs at Kurei and proceeds through the door.

Yanagi lays on a table covered with a large cloth. An assembly of men in white coats (no, not *those* men, I mean Kurei’s scientists) gathers around her. Yanagi whispers one phrase in her unconscious state. Recca-kun.

Recca pushes open the door leading to their next rival. They are taken aback by what they see. The lights are turned on and pleasant music infiltrates the atmosphere. The room is strewn with mannequins. All moving on their own. The trio walk among the mannequins. A doll walks up to them. It beckons them to follow her to her master. She leads them to a table where a beautiful lady rises to greet them. Katashiro Reiran. Recca and Domon gape at her beauty while an exasperated Fuko cuts straight to the point. Where’s Kurei?

Reiran sighs and stands. Such a pity they can’t enjoy their last moments on earth. With golden threads streaming from her fingertips, she causes the mannequins behind the trio to take on a life (seemingly) of their own. Swords drawn, the army of dummies (^_^) advances on Recca, Domon and Fuko. They fight the dummies, however, attacks that would hurt humans, fail to affect the marionettes.

Kurei watches as Recca, Domon, and Fuko are pushed back by the dummies. So, they shall be defeated by this weak attack? It seems he worries too much.

The living mannequins advance on the three friends, directing them onto the balcony where they are trapped. Reiran smiles. She carries the talking doll, Primela, in her arms who proclaims to them that she feels sorry for them. They’ve lost. Fuko smiles smugly. Think again.

Fuko’s Fujin glows on her arm. She instructs Recca and Domon to get out of the way. Reiran and Kurei watch Fuko, mesmerized. Fuko invokes the power of her Fujin, using it to obliterate all of Reiran’s mannequins. In doing so, she confirms Kurei’s suspicion that she does indeed possess the elemental weapon, Fujin. Kurei demands that the experiments on Yanagi be postponed.

Reiran gazes at the myriad pieces which are all that remain of her former army. She procures a sword from the ground and challenges Fuko for destroying her precious dolls. Fuko orders Recca and Domon to refrain from interrupting. They charge.

Yanagi sits on a plush red couch. Her eyes slowly open. Kurei stands in front of her, his back to her. Behind him is a large frame which shows the fight between Reiran and Fuko. He informs Yanagi that the tests in her have already begun. He faces her and asks her one question that would determine her survival. Who were the people who came to save her?

Fuko tosses her needles with deadly accuracy at Reiran. Nevertheless, she always manages to dodge the throw. Fuko tosses another needle and it cuts Reiran, but she remains oblivious. Reiran retaliates and Fuko evades her assault. Fuko uses her Fujin to assail Reiran but succeeds only in blowing back Recca and Domon.

Yanagi watches her friends battle to save her, happy that they’re all unharmed. Kurei demands to know who they are. She remembers Kage Houshi telling her of Kurei. The Flame master that all of them would have to band together to defeat. She responds that they are her friends. Kurei questions if that is her answer, and she nods. Behind her, Mokuren grabs her shoulders beseeching Kurei to allow him to beat the answer out of Yanagi.

Fuko knocks Reiran back, scoffing at her inability to fight with the sword. It doesn’t have any greater effect whether she holds it or not, so why not just drop it. To Fuko’s surprise, Reiran complies and the sword clangs to the floor. Bewildered, Fuko asks what she is doing. Reiran smiles. From her hands, the golden threads appear anew. This time, they are attached to Fuko.

"You are now my marionette."

End of Episode 7