Episode 45

TURN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND TOWARD THE SUN

On this early morning, Saya returns to the apartment having had no success finding Karman. However, she thinks that since it’s almost day-time, Karman probably had returned to their apartment. Just as she and Kai are convincing Lulu that this is likely the case, Moses walks in through the front door. Kai goes to greet him, but Moses responds with an apology and then asks Kai to die. Meanwhile, sometime in the past, Diva had seen James – with his repaired body – recuperating in a medical tube and declared that this wasn’t her James. She thinks that she should have made Kai her Chevalier, but when Amshel offers to bring Kai, she says that it’s ok as it is – because these children exist, everything else is ok. After Diva, Amshel, and Nathan had left the room, James had opened his eyes. In the present, Nathan comments on how James’ intricate plan of using the Shifu to kill Kai is useless. James in turn reminds Nathan that he’s the one who says beauty is found in useless things such as art. Hearing James say the word art, Nathan thinks that he’s changed. James disagrees, but Nathan continues on by saying that although “Mama” (Diva) hates him, Nathan doesn’t hate James’ body. After James leaves, Nathan remarks that there is only a tiny difference between art and madness.

Back at Kai’s apartment, Moses swings his scythe, but Saya is there to block him as Kai gets out of the way. After kicking Saya back, Moses knocks Kai out of the window, though fortunately Hagi is there to catch him on the street below. Lewis yells for Kai to run into the bright areas where the sun is shining, and so Kai does. Moses throws Hagi aside and then chases after Kai. Lulu tries to chase, but she stops where the shade stops and the sunlight begins. Saya and Hagi, however, aren’t inhibited in this way and so they continue the pursuit after Saya tells Lulu to wait here. By this time, Kai has run himself down an alley to a dead end, where Moses has followed and now cornered him. Kai pulls out his gun and attempts to find out why Moses is doing this, but Moses tells him that it’s not necessary for him to know. When Kai tries to convince Moses that Irene wouldn’t have wanted this, Moses says that Irene is dead while he is alive, and so there is something he must do. Kai asks if that’s to kill him, which Moses quickly confirms. Kai admits that he’s going to die someday, but he also knows that he can’t die here because he needs to support Saya until Diva is defeated. Moses immediately counters back by asking what use Kai would be in the fight with Diva. When Kai says that he’ll do what he has to do desperately, Moses accuses Kai of not knowing the fear of death and then strikes down with his scythe.

Kai stumbles out of the way of the blade, but now his back is against a fence. Moses approaches him, feeling that he has no other options, but just then, the sun peeks over the nearby building and into the alley. Unable to stand the light, Moses is forced to flee. As he’s hiding in the shade by a stairwell, Moses sees a man and his dog rummaging through the garbage and is reminded of his conversation with James. Back then, Moses had asked if James wanted them to become dogs and James had told him that only Diva’s blood to would free them from the abominable curse. He explained how a Corpse Corps body was transplanted to replace the parts that he lost. In other words, as long as his brain is there to govern his thoughts and memories, he can live forever by changing out bodies of Corpse Corps. This is of course made possible by Diva’s blood. James tempted Moses with the prospect of becoming a Chevalier through Diva’s blood and getting rid of the Thorn for him and Karman. The condition, however, is that Moses must take Kai’s life. James said that it was ok to call Chevaliers as Diva’s pet dogs, but did Moses want do die as an insignificant stray dog? With this in mind, the present Moses covers his face and treads slowly out into the sun. He wonders if the sun hates them so much and decides that it’s ok if he burns. But before he does, he must… Not finishing his sentence, Moses looks forward into the light.

While Moses was off thinking, Kai had made his way to Central Park’s Sheep Meadow, where he’s now out in the open with the sun shining down. As he’s thinking about Moses, Kai gets a call from Lewis asking if he’s safe. Lewis informs Kai that Saya and Hagi are searching for him and tells Kai to wait there. Lulu then gets on the phone asking about Moses and is relieved to find out that Moses ran off somewhere. She asks Kai to tell Saya not to kill Moses if possible. Right as Lewis takes backs the phone and tells Kai to stay where he is, Moses appears above Kai and slashes down, destroying the bench that Kai dived away from. Breathing heavily, Moses crushes Kai’s cell phone and slowly chases after the now running Kai. Talking to himself, Moses asks Karman to wait for him. At that time, Karman is in their run-down apartment noticing that the Thorn has spread to his hand. Suddenly, one of the windows opens and Karman see James standing in the light. James reveals that Moses requested his help for Karman and that Moses is currently off killing Saya’s important human, acting on the possibility of saving Karman through Diva’s blood. As James continues to open windows, he says that even if the Shifu obtain Diva’s blood, they won’t be able to escape the curse of death. When Karman asks why James is doing this, James replies that it’s because of despair – the Shifu’s existence brought him despair because of how they alienated him from the one he loved. James leaves with a message to Karman about how he wants them to struggle, to writhe, and then to turn into ash.

Back in Central Park, Kai stops to catch his breath by a large tree. Although there appears to be no one around him, Kai senses something and gets out of the way right as Moses embeds his scythe into that tree. Kai responds by firing off his gun, but Moses isn’t afraid of it. However, instead of aiming for Moses, Kai fires several more shots at Moses’ hood, throwing it back and leaving Moses exposed to the sun. The light causes Moses great pain, dropping him to the ground on his knees. Still, Kai isn’t going to stand by and watch Moses die like this, so he covers Moses up with his shirt and brings him into the shade of another tree. Moses came to kill Kai, but he’s in no shape to do so right now as he doubles over again in pain. As he slowly gets back up on his own, he says that he doesn’t need Kai’s sympathy. He remembers how Kai had told Irene that humans can share things, but Moses also knows a life is not something that can be shared. For someone to live, a sacrifice is necessary. Moses then gets frustrated because of how Karman had said that he had everyone inside of him and how he had wanted Moses to remember everyone. If he dies, who will remember Karman? Who can prove that Karman lived? Where will these traces remain? Moses thinks that Karman needs time, time for someone else to reach out to him and get to know the real Karman.

Addressing Kai, Moses says that if they had met earlier, they might have surely become good friends. However, it’s necessary now for him to kill Kai for Karman’s sake. As he’s saying this, Moses takes off his glove and grows out his spike arm. He aims the projectile at Kai and asks him to die again. The spike never hits Kai, instead piercing through Karman. Moses realizes that he’s hit his friend and proceeds to pull the spike out of Karman. With his anger towards the Chevalier and with man’s meddling (referring to the blood packets from Kai), Karman got enough strength to come here. He tells Moses to open his eyes because what he’s doing now won’t open up the future – it’s enough for Moses simply to be still living. Saya and Hagi arrive at this point, but Saya quickly figures out what’s going on and sheaths her sword. Getting up with Moses’ help, Karman asks Kai to give his weapon to Lulu. Kai starts protesting about him talking like that, but Moses cuts him off and asks him to take care of Lulu. The two Shifu then disappear together, leaving Kai with their weapons. Hagi shakes his head and says that they can’t chase anymore.

By the time the sun sets, Moses and Karman are crouched in the shade by a bridge, staring at a plant growing through the cracks of the concrete ground. Karman admires it and then remarks that the people who created them couldn’t have predicted that they would have come to such a place on their own will. He thinks that Lulu will be able to go even farther, maybe to the southern island where there’s a lot of sun – she’s got so many new companions to help her. As for the two of them, Kai will remember them and pass the memories down. Moses says that it was because Karman saved Kai that their memories could be conveyed to him. Karman then remembers the words Moses had said back in Khirbet – about believing in the word “hope” – that had started everything. Although Karman goes through more pain because of the Thorn, he tries to be happy that they were able to do an amazing thing. Still, he knows there there’s one last thing he has to do, and so he asks Moses to lend his strength for it. Moses says that he understands and that this time he’ll follow Karman. The two of them then get up and turn around to face the sun, taking off their hoods. Moses remembers how Karman had said that he was glad to have met him and admits that he feels the same way. The sun then lights up the two Shifu, engulfing them in green flames. Back at Kai’s apartment, Lulu is crying in front of Moses and Karman’s weapons. Kai comforts her and vows not to let anyone cry again.