Rating: 4.25/5 curiously excited clouds 
We return to Illya this week to a flashback of the epic fight with Bazette and Edelfelt explosion. Strangely, we flip perspectives over to Miyu as she is figuring out which tasty treat to buy at the convenience store… the overdramatic Luvia has amped up the task in Miyu’s mind LOL Sapphire’s right, Miyu needs to relax.
We also see a bit of Caren Hortensia (the school nurse)’s perspective about the arrival of the church’s Enforcer before we return to the scene of the destruction. I’m really surprised at how quickly Kuro can transform and jump right into battle with Bazette. Dayum, Bazette gets pretty badass here. She catches Kuro’s arrow and actually hurls it back at her in a counterattack. Bazette even recognizes what Ruby actually is and as she approaches Illya, we find out that the cards that the card collecting was previously Bazette’s responsibility. When Lord Zelretch interfered, Bazette was removed from the mission. OOH mage power struggles…
I’m pretty surprised at Illya’s resolve in the battle with Bazette. After everything that’s happened, she finally decides to take the fight into her own hands in defense of her friends. EPIC MAGIC ANIMATION HERE. Great action angles and tons of great narration from Illya who ends up pinning Bazette to the spot with magical restraints to shoot at point blank range.
It never ceases to amaze me how well Luvia and Rin work together despite bickering in every scene ASIDE from the serious ones. I’m also shocked at how harshly Bazette treats Illya. I’m once again amazed at Kuro’s fighting prowess and recovery time, especially feeling the shock of the punch Illya took from Bazette. I still expected Kuro to last a bit longer because she seemed like such a powerful adversary against Illya and Miyu. BUT OF COURSE Miyu arrives to save and protect Illya or rather, the Illyas.
MIYU IS ONCE AGAIN MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER. BEST ENTRANCE. Kuro is right, Miyu IS the scary older sister XDDD
Also, we get to see Class Card Rider’s installation which is ABSOLUTE STUNNING because it involves a mythological creature and a lot of aerial combat. Bazette confirms that the Cards’ powers can be brought to life through the mystic cods AKA the magic sticks as a catalyst as well as the human body as a medium. When Bazette reveals that Rin and Luvia are beneath the mansion rubble, Miyu removes Rider’s blindfold and reveals yet another one of Rider’s powers but it seems like Bazette has her own trump card against Noble Phantasms.
SUCH A GOOD EPISODE. Tons of great animation and action story-telling. Episode nine really showcased a lot of the intricacies in the magic that make the Fate worlds so intriguing. We have yet to see what Rin and Luvia have planned and since we left off on a cliff-hanger, eager fans can either check out the manga to read ahead. If you’re an anime-only viewer, you might want to rewatch the episode to wait for next week’s =P
- Cloudy
What are you pondering today?