Episode #23 – Duelist no Jouken (Qualifications of a Duelist)

Inside Nemuro Memorial Hall, the glass cube is shown. It is now without a black rose.

Mamiya: (off-screen) Say, look.
Mikage: (off-screen) Yes.
Mamiya: (off-screen) We're down to the last black rose.
Mikage: Yes.

Mikage remembers when Nemuro Memorial Hall was burning down.

Mikage: (thinking) Tokiko, your brother is a sinful boy. However, from the sacrifice of a hundred young duelists, we obtain true eternity.

Mikage remembers when Tokiko came to Mamiya during the fire.

Tokiko: Is it true? Did you do this? Is this your doing?
Mamiya: Yes.
Tokiko: Why? How could you do a thing like this?

Mamiya: (off-screen) Tenjou Utena is strong.

Mikage immediately snaps out of his revere.

Mikage: Yes.
Mamiya: (off-screen) I sense an unknown amount of strength in her.
Mikage: Yes.
Mamiya: Say, look. We're down to the last black rose.
Mikage: Yes. (thinking) For the life of me, I just can't seem to come up with a sure-fire scenario. Isn't there anyway besides allying myself with her?

A wide shot of the area around the glass cube is shown. Mikage is standing around it, but Mamiya is nowhere to be seen.

Juri: Ally ourselves with Tenjou Utena?

Juri, Nanami, and Miki are riding in the Student Council elevator.

Nanami: Yes, since some shadowy group is making their move. At present, we should have the Engaged One cooperate with us.
Miki: But Nanami-kun, you hate her, don't you?
Nanami: Well, I don't like her, but the Student Council's in a crisis. Considering the circumstances, I think we should ally ourselves with her. How great of me! Big brother, I, Nanami, will protect the Student Council, no matter what!
Miki: You say "ally, ally", but...
Juri: ...it's not as if we are allies.
Nanami: Then, what are we?
Miki: We are...
Juri: ...duelists.

Title card: Qualifications of a Duelist

Utena is looking for someone or something. She looks in their bedroom.

Utena: Not here.

She looks in the dining room.

Utena: Not here.

She looks in the classroom.

Utena: She's not here either.

She looks in the rose garden.

Utena: Where could Himemiya be? Now that she's not here either, there's no other place to search. Maybe I shouldn't have been mad at her the other day. Honestly, when you have a friend like the Rose Bride, you're always worried.

Mikage comes up to Utena.

Mikage: Nice fragrance, isn't it?
Utena: Oh, Mikage-sempai.
Mikage: The modest scent from a single rose isn't bad, but I'm attracted to the scent of multiple roses too. There's a tense atmosphere of mutual competition, you see.
Utena: Have you seen Himemiya anywhere?
Mikage: Who might that be?
Utena: My classmate, and she's been missing since this morning.
Mikage: You're very considerate of your friends, aren't you?
Utena: It's not like that, but...
Mikage: Did you give serious consideration to my offer from before?
Utena: Your offer from before?
Mikage: About joining the Mikage Seminar.
Utena: Well, why a person like me?
Mikage: You have a mysterious charm. To be quite honest, I find myself drawn to you. If possible, I want to be by your side.
Utena: Oh, so that’s what this is about?

Mikage says nothing. Utena stares at him.

Utena: (thinking) Such bold words.
Mikage: You're quite welcome to just drop by, too. Besides, if you join us, we'll be of any help when you're in trouble.
Utena: I don’t mind just dropping in, but I don't really have any trouble, so I don’t need anyone's help. See, if I brought Chu Chu with me, he'd scatter cookie crumbs all over the place.

Mikage looks at Utena and sees Tokiko's face.

Utena: It's really hard to clean up after him, and...

She notices Mikage staring at her.

Utena: Huh?
Mikage: It doesn't have to be you personally. Don't you have any troubled friends?
Utena: Troubled friends? Troubled friends...

Utena remembers when she was in the church shortly after her parents died.

Utena: Please don't open it. This coffin is meant for me. Being alive is rather sickening. Why does everyone go on living knowing they'll end up dying? I wonder why I never realized that until today. Eternity couldn't possibly exist, could it?

Utena wakes up, having fallen asleep partially on the table in her room. She sees Anthy also sleeping on the table.

Utena: Oh, Himemiya's back.

There is a long pause as Utena looks around the room.

Utena: Say, Himemiya... You really can't quit being the Rose Bride? (pause) A troubled friend, eh?

Utena goes to Nemuro Memorial Hall. She opens the door and looks inside.

Utena: Excuse me? Excuse me? Is anybody here? Hello?

In her room, Anthy starts to wake up.

Anthy: My, I'm sleepy. Why am I so tired these days?

Mikage is sitting in his office when someone opens the door.

Secretary: A visitor, in the entrance hall.
Mikage: Thank you. I'll be right there.
Secretary: Well, there's a car waiting for me, so I'll be going now.
Mikage: I see. Thank you for the work you've done.
Secretary: Telling me to get out so suddenly was so like you, to the very end. That's just how it was the first time we met, your saying "Be my secretary" out of the blue. But it's all right. I can let my hair down now that I'm free of your yoke. I wonder how I looked from your point of view.
Mikage: You are you.
Secretary: You're certainly some kind of special person, perhaps one of the chosen. But the person I fell in love with wasn't a boy younger than me, like you.
Mikage: I am me.
Secretary: (closing door) Well then, goodbye.

Mikage sits for a moment, then stands up, looking at his watch.

Utena is in a hallway, stretching as she looks at pictures on the wall. They are all silver framed and hung at random on the wall. Each one has a translucent rose printed on the glass, and they are pictures such as the students at Nemuro Memorial Hall, Tokiko and Mamiya in the courtyard, etc. Mikage's secretary walks by Utena, carrying her things. Utena continues to look at the pictures, and notices one of Kanae as a duelist. She abruptly stops stretching.

Utena: Huh? Kanae-san...

She sees another picture of Kozue as a duelist.

Utena: And Kozue-chan, too...

She looks and sees pictures of Shiori, Mitsuru, Wakaba, and Keiko as duelists.

Utena: What is this?

Outside Nemuro Memorial Hall, a long table with a tablecloth over it sits on the ground.

Voice 1: The road to the duel arena is now open.
Voice 2: At last, it is about to begin.
Voice 3: And now, Professor Nemuro's duty is finished.
Voice 4: From now on, carrying on without him is probably what you-know-who plans on.
Voice 5: Surely even he'll lose to someone.
Voice 6: We can just leave him by the wayside.
Voice 7: Well then, let's open the champagne.

The table now has candles, fruits, plates and glasses set on it. Several champagne bottle opening sounds are heard.

Mikage is lying in a bed. Mamiya stands beside it with a large bouquet of flowers.

Mamiya: How selfish they are. They owe it to you that the castle appeared and the road to the arena opened. They're all afraid of you. They think you may be capable of obtaining eternity.
Mikage: I'm not going to do anything like dueling.
Mamiya: Why not? Don't you want the power to revolutionize the world for your very own? Knowing eternity exists in that castle? Eternity means lasting forever, right? For years, decades, centuries, millennia, eons, and on and on. My life may just be a moment, but... Eternity means that the moment for billions and billions of years, without end. I... I... I want eternity.

The scene changes to outside the burning Nemuro Memorial Hall. Mamiya is holding a three-piece candlestick as Tokiko stands over him.

Tokiko: What are you talking about?
Mikage: This is the first step of the job you're advancing. Soon, the road leading to eternity from this academy will be opened.

Mikage breaks Tokiko's hold on Mamiya, showing his Rose Signet.

Tokiko: Nemuro-san...
Mikage: What Mamiya-kun did was proper. Now I, too wish to grasp eternity.

Utena is still looking at the pictures in Nemuro Memorial Hall when Mikage comes up beside her, Utena not noticing at first. She then turns to see Mikage, surprised that he is there.

Mikage: You're finally back. I knew you'd come back to me sooner or later.

Mikage turns to Utena, but sees Tokiko's face in her stead.

Mikage: Tokiko-san, you don't have to regret the fact that you deserted me.
Utena: Mikage-sempai, you...

(pause)

Utena: Mikage-sempai, are you the one that manipulated them?
Mikage: Manipulated them? Surely not. All of these people were members of the Mikage Seminar. They all had their unforgettable memories. Precious, precious memories. They proceeded to fight to protect their memories. They are, in a manner of speaking, people who tried to change their lives according to their memories.
Utena: Memories?
Mikage: What about you?

Utena remembers something from when she was younger.

Utena: We can meet again, can't we? Prince, we can meet again, right? Until then, I won't cry, and I'll be patient, no matter what.

Mikage: For you, it's possible to make the memory last forever, just as I did. That's what the world needs. The path before you has be-

Utena suddenly strikes out and slaps him hard across the face.

Utena: You bastard!

Mikage falls to the floor. Utena pins him face down on the floor.

Utena: Who the hell is this "world"?! Don't lump me together with the likes of you, you manipulative...
Mikage: Don't get so excited. You sound as if you’re yelling out, "Don't touch my precious memory!".
Utena: What did you say?! Don't even talk like you understand me! My memory is...
Mikage: I see. It's the memory that's been supporting you up until now. No need to be ashamed. Because the memory you possess is a worthy one.

Utena notices the Rose Signet on his finger.

Mikage: Only those with beautiful memories are allowed to wish.

Utena looks at her own Rose Signet as well.

Mikage: "If only those days could last forever, if only I could still be what I was back then." I know that you're the same as myself. Your eyes are like those people who can’t help wanting to make their memories last forever.

Utena draws back her fist and punches it into the floor beside Mikage’s head.

Utena: I challenge you to a duel! Come to the duel arena tonight! I'll beat you to a pulp, and prove that I'm different from you!

The door to the elevator in Nemuro Memorial Hall closes. Mikage sits in the corner, holding his arm in pain. He sits and starts to hear Mamiya talking to him, who is in his usual courtyard.

Mamiya: Sempai, why did you call her?

Mikage says nothing.

Mamiya: Why are you keeping so quiet?

Mikage laughs to himself.

Mamiya: What's so funny?

Mikage puts his finger to his eye, and draws it away with a tear on it.

Mikage: Look. It's a tear.

Mamiya: A tear?
Mikage: (thinking) It seems the pain made an inadvertent tear come forth. If she hadn't found my Rose Signet, I could have been killed right then and there.
Mamiya: You sound like you're having fun.

The picture in the elevator has changed from a butterfly to a cocoon.

Mikage: Indeed, she hurts me and surprises me all the time. Just as I thought, Tokiko has returned to settle the score with me once and for all.
Mamiya: Do you intend to accept the duel?
Mikage: In the final analysis, we haven’t advanced at all since then. But she's closer to the power of Dios than we are. We can't proceed without defeating her.

A black rose appears in front of Mikage.

Mikage: Rose blooming at the Ends of the World, to me!

The elevator stops abruptly at the bottom.

Utena is in Ohtori Academy at the end of the day, leaning on a windowsill and looking at her Rose Signet. She remembers what Mikage had said.

Mikage: Your eyes are just like those of the people who can’t help wanting to make their memories last forever.

Out of nowhere, Wakaba jumps on her. They both almost fall out of the window.

Wakaba: Utena!

Utena is walking down the hallway, carrying Wakaba on her back.

Wakaba: You haven't forgotten about your ultra best friend Wakaba-sama lately, have you?
Utena: No, I haven't.
Wakaba: No matter what happens, I'm always on your side, Utena.

They pass a stained-glass window, behind which C-ko starts a skit.

C-ko: Extra! Extra! Extra!
C-ko: (as father) Your pop was a class rep at his age.
C-ko: (as child) Wow, that's great, Papa!
C-ko: (as boss) Hey, what’s with this paperwork? It's terrible!
C-ko: (as father) Damn, even though I was a class rep back when!
C-ko: (as mother) Honey, you can't just leave your socks here when you take them off! It's terrible!
C-ko: (as father) Damn, even though I was a class rep back when!
C-ko: (as child) Well, I'm off to school, Papa!
C-ko: (as father) Wait! Give me that backpack! Your pop'll go to school!
Wakaba: (waving) See you later!

The duel arena has the hundred desks on it, each with a picture of Tokiko and Mamiya on top. Mikage and Utena stare at each other. Anthy summons the Sword of Dios. Utena pulls it from her chest.

Utena: ...the power to revolutionize the world!

The bells near the duel arena ring. Mikage points his sword at Utena.

Mikage: Here we go.

Mikage charges at Utena. She blocks his sword.

Mikage: Well received. However...

Mikage swipes at Utena, She just barely dodges it and falls to the ground.

Mikage: I'm not in full form yet. The shoulder you screwed up is still aching. But don't think I'm going to lose to you!
Utena: Quit joking around! You think I'm going to be beaten by some string-pulling bastard from the shadows?
Mikage: That's not how it happened.

Mikage charges Utena again. She blocks and dodges him, then goes after him. Mikage avoids her swipes easily and pushes her away. She catches herself on one of the desks.

Mikage: Those who received my black roses came to this place of their own free will. Then, they stood in this place of their own free will. Anyone who stands in this place is the same as myself. They come lured by eternity.
Utena: Shut up! Don't accuse other people of what you did for yourself!

Mikage swipes at Utena, catching her off guard and cutting off some of her hair. She blocks his sword as he continues to swipe at her.

Mikage: I knew since the first time I saw you. You met the person important to you long ago, right? And so, that person changed your life forever, right? You are standing here on the strength of that illusion. That's why you were able to enter the duel arena. Am I wrong? You are just like me. I will defeat you, Tokiko, right here, right now!
Utena: What nonsense are you talking about? I won't lose to a bastard like you!
Mikage: You're such a stubborn girl, Tokiko. It seems you won't get it unless I destroy that rose.

Mikage takes a swipe at her, but Utena flips in the air to dodge it.

Mikage: I knew you would jump!
Utena: Oh, no!

Mikage charges at the spot where Utena will land.

Anthy: Utena-sama! Utena-sama!

As Utena flips through the air, she tries to find Anthy.

Utena: Himemiya!
Anthy: Utena-sama!

Anthy reaches out to grab Utena's hands. Mikage continues to charge as he hears Mamiya.

Mamiya: Sempai, you're going to lose now.
Mikage: (stopping) Mamiya!
Mamiya: You're going to get your rose destroyed by her.
Mikage: What did you say? Where are you? Mamiya? Mamiya! Mamiya!

Mikage looks at one of the pictures of Tokiko and Mamiya on the desks. Mamiya no longer looks the way he has, but much more closely resembles Tokiko.

Mikage: Who... Who are you?

Utena lands and points her sword to Anthy.

Mamiya: You can't defeat her. You'll never defeat the sister of mine within your memory, not for all eternity.

Anthy charms Utena's sword. Utena summons the power of Dios.

Mikage: Tokiko! Eternity is right here before my eyes! I'll defeat you and grasp the power to change the world with these very hands! Why don't you understand me?! I accept everything! Even your brother's sin!

Mikage remembers Tokiko slapping him in front of the burning Nemuro Memorial Hall, knocking his glasses off. They are the only two to be seen.

Mamiya: Sempai, now watch carefully. At that time, at that place, who was actually there, and who was not? Who actually set fire to that building?

Utena prepares to charge at Mikage. He starts to remember what Mamiya really looked like.

Mikage: Mamiya... It's been a long time. How many decades has it been since I last saw you?

All the pictures on the desks fall over as Utena charges at Mikage.

In Akio's office, a phone rings somewhere off-screen. Akio picks it up.

Akio: Ah, Nemuro-kun, I thought it was about time you called me. Yes. The boy called Mamiya you were keeping with you from your lingering attachment to Tokiko, died a long time ago.

It is deadly silent as Mikage's rose is cut off.

Akio: I exploited the illusion you cherished in your memory so much that you even halted your own time.

The petals from Mikage's rose fly around him.

Akio: The period where you hid the possibility in your heart, not growing up, was useful. However, that's all over now. From now on, the path before you is not prepared. You may graduate now.

Akio hangs up the phone.

Utena and Miki walk around a very dilapidated building.

Utena: Oh, darn it. What a weird place we ended up in whole searching for Himemiya.
Miki: There was a really big fire here a long time ago.
Utena: Really? So there really was that kind of trouble.
Miki: It seems there weren't any casualties, but since it was before the time of the Student Council, no records remain. Let's see, what was this building called? Kushiro Memorial Hall... Sounds wrong. Noboribetsu Memorial Hall?
Utena: (walking off) Himemiya? Where did you go?
Miki: Argh! I hate it when I can't remember!

The Mamiya from Nemuro Memorial Hall is in Akio's office, looking out the window. Akio walks over to him.

Akio: What's wrong? Are you sympathizing with him? But now, he doesn't exist in this academy. No, he never has from the beginning. Just as you haven't.

Anthy, who is standing where Mamiya was, turns and looks at Akio.

To be continued...