Lord of Vermilion: Guren no Ou (2018)

1 - Our Lives Are the Debt We Pay Our Enemies

Tokyo was suddenly assaulted by the Great Collapse! The moment they heard it, everyone in the city fell into a coma. When they awoke, Tokyo was enveloped in a red mist. Though some plotted to escape, not a single person has made it through the red mist alive, and Tokyo has become inaccessible. Tokyo is now a shadowy and inaccessible city from which there is no escape! Five months later, the very last person still in a coma, univeristy student Kamina Chihiro awakens, and curtains rise on the fierce Vermillion legend!

2 - You Dont Know Who I Am Yet

The man who was like a father to the solitary Chihiro transformed into a giant troll before his eyes. Unable to fight properly, when Chihiro is struck by the creatures blade, his eyes glow a deep red, and something begins to awaken inside him! Can the blood staining his hands never be wiped clean? As Chihiro despairs, the mysterious and beautiful Yuri appears before him. The sound of her bells drags Chihiro into an even more unforgiving battle!

3 - Who Set Fire to an Old Conflict?

Seeing Kotetsu about to be killed, Chihiro reawakens his Heroic Blood. He remembers Eikos real name is Cerdid, allowing her to leave her human form for he true one. She is a Defender assigned to Chihiro. Jun remarks to Yuri her beloved is a problem. Chihiro kills the monster, but angrily tells Cerdid it used to be a fellow university student; she counters by saying once a human becomes a familiar theres no going back. Kakihara and Tsubasa snap pictures of the fight, claiming this is a huge scoop. Kakihara calls Chihiro a monster and now understands how he killed 13 years ago.

4 - Why Do I Love My Despised Enemy

Chihiro uses his high power to unleash energy from his spike, letting him systematically raze Tokyo and destroy the barriers keeping the red mist in place. Without the barrier, the portion of Tokyo it defended crumbled, but the red mist disappeared. He will destroy Tokyo if it means saving the future. Watching are Kotetsu, Koume, Inuki, and Shōko, all Heroic Vassals allied with the Malthus Church. Two barriers are destroyed. If all are destroyed, gates will no longer be able to be opened. Kakihara confronts him about how he must have enjoyed giving in to violence.

5 - Today's Dark Destiny Will Hang Over the Future

Haru and Jun tag-team Koume until Chihiro interrupts. They leave and Jun lets them to check on Yuri, who he thinks was beaten by Chihiro. Shōko says Tsubaki was a member of the Guardian State, an ancient organization that has been protecting Japan before the country was officially formed. Chihiro lies and says he cant remember what happened after he destroyed the barrier. Kakihara enters and says there is a spy, which is how Chaos knew where to ambush them. Even the Guardian State was involved, they knew everything. Shōko says theres no need to speculate randomly and presses they must destroy Tokyo, but the others are more hesitant since Chaos was lying in ambush. The mission is temporarily halted. A troubled Chihiro confides in Inuki he cant remember his childhood or his mother, which amuses a nearby Kakihara. According to Kakihara, 13 years ago, there was an explosion at the AVAL Science research facility, in which Chihiros mother was responsible for. The nature of the research never went public and Chihiros mother went missing. Kakihara continues to accuse Chihiro of killing his parents, stating he could tell him how he stabbed his father to help him remember how he killed his mother. After Chihiro and Kotetsu leave the hospital from visiting Ikuro and are stopped by policewoman Kurokami and Tsubkai of the Guardian State. The two dont intend to fight them and ask about Jun, who she thinks is behind a string of grisly murders. Kotetsu agrees to help but Chihiro turns them down. After coming back to his office to see it has been ransacked, Kakihara gets information from Kurokami and tracks down Jun with Aero, who he starts to warm up to. Visiting Ikuro again, Chihiro speaks with Inuki. He believes he can only create despair, saving one by killing another, while Inuki believes they can save everyone.

6 - Bright Lights Suit A Dark Heart

Tsubaki tells Kurokami later she didnt see Jun, just familiar and victim, unaware the familiar was actually Inuki. Several Blue Skulls are ordered to find Inuki, but are killed by the transformed Inuki first. Kurome does not tell Chihiro of the state of the lab as she informs him Inuki is just exhausted from his research and he should rest. He keeps looking for him, troubled by a dream he had that Inuki would die (like the way he dreamed Kotetsus father died). Inuki is human again and almost transforms into the familiar before the Blue Skulls find him. Chihiro also arrives, relieved Inuki is alright, but Inuki pleads with him to stay away. He starts to transform as the Blue Skulls confront Chihiro and jumps into the bay to avoid killing them. Chihiro returns to the Church, where Kakihara reveals Inuki is the traitor. During his investigation he learned Inuki and Jun were raised in the same orphanage, Hikari-en, practically brothers. The orphanage is controlled by the AVAL Science Foundation, which controls the agents of Chaos. AVAL is run by Aldo Grumman Shiraki, Yuris father. Alone, Kurome confirms to Chihiro Inuki was the traitor. He did so to protect the children of Hikari-en as there is a barrier within the orphanage. If the Church destroys the barrier, the children would die. Kurome was also raised at Hikari-en. The children are guinea pigs for AVAL to learn how to generate the red mist and turn humans into gates. Because Jun, Inuki, and Kurome were Heroic Vassals, they could not be turned into familiars, and were discarded as failures. However, Inuki was still suffering from the side-effects of the experiments, making it harder to remain human.

7 - Please Join Our Hands With the Holy Words

Izuki transformed into a red stone upon his death, something that happens to all Heroic Vessels, which Chihiro gives to Kurome. Dux speaks with Shōko, telling her that Chaos makes the Heroic Blood fight each other in hopes they destroy each other. Shōko is frightened as the end of the Heroic Blood means the end of the world and she states they must destroy Tokyo soon. Dux smiles as she adds only one of the Heroic Blood can survive - they will become the new Lord of Vermilion. Shōko smiles at the knowledge, declaring she will become the foundation of the new world. Jun is depressed after the death of Inuki, thinking that Chihiro has enough power to become the Lord of Vermilion. Van Drail is pleased one of the Heroic Blood is finally gone and Grumman says the day of the Second Great Collapse is near, which would have to be paid with even more human lives. Jun says the focus should be the other Heroic Bloods, since theyll interfere, and hell start with Chihiro, who took his brother from him. He intends to inflict the same suffering on him.

8 - Excruciating Sadness Can Be Cured by Other Anguish

Chihiro has all of the Malthus Church meet up in the red mist, even Kakihara, and invites the five members of the Guardian State as well. The State accuse the Church of destroying the barriers protecting Tokyo, for if they all fall, Tokyo and everyone within will die. However, if they dont fall, humans will keep being turned into gates. The two factions almost come to blows before Chihiro says they can save the world without destroying Tokyo. Yuri shows herself and Shōko attacks her, only for Chihiro to defend her since she saved Kotetsu. He says there is a way for the Heroic Lineage to win without destroying Tokyo: survive. If they live, thats all they need to do to wreck AVALs plan. If they team up, they stand a good chance of doing that. Shōko remains adamant the only two choices are to let the Heroic Bloodline go extinct or destroy Tokyo but Chihiro points out Yuri had no choice to fight but joined instead. They can change fate. Everyone but Shōko, Julia, Suruga agree to the alliance. Kurokami and Kakihara also disagree but Kurokami shows Kakihara files on the murder of Chihiros father.

9 - Sometimes People Become Cheerful When Faced With Death

Julia and Suruga convince Akira and Tsubaki to leave the Church sinners and rejoin the Guardian State. At AVAL, a large group of men, women, and children are turned into familiars with an artificial barrier called a keystone. Shōko berates Chihiro for trusting Yuri and Kakihara says Kurokami died because she trusted him. Koume leaves with Kurokami in her red stone form to continue Inukis research. Kakihara and Aero also leave, researching the points on the map Kurokami gave them. Chihiro follows but is found out and Kakihara guesses he dreamed his death. Kakihara states Chihiro doesnt want to save him, merely change the dreams and fate so he and Yuri dont have to kill each other. Chihiro pleads he wants to prevent deaths and Kakihara leaves. To himself, Kakihara realizes his eyes had changed, he was trying to live. Kakihara admits to Chihiro he survived a family suicide to. They were forced into debt and his parents ran the car off a cliff, Kakihara thrown out of the car so only he survived, abandoned. He asks why Chihiro rejected his fathers wish to die with him, but Chihiro says he doesnt care about living. There must be a reason he lived though, so he doesnt want to die. Kakihara says his eyes are no longer darkened with hate and despair, begging for forgiveness. Kotetsu passes on the warning of Chihiros dream to Tsubkai, who agrees to help.

10 - My Soul Calls My Name

The Infinity Theater has recently finished construction, sponsored by AVAL. The famous pianist Kark will perform at the opening concert, and Grumman tells the construction foreman that AVAL is concerned with making people happy and spared no cost. A giant trapdoor is built into the stage, where the keystone will be placed. The alliance is reformed between the Church and State, with the new goal of stopping AVALs plan, but only Akira and Tsubaki join. Dux agrees to the alliance and shows them the six installed keystones, who have created barriers around each other so they cannot be harmed. If the seventh is turned online and the system completed, the Second Great Collapse will occur, which will mean the death of the Heroic Bloodline as they are overwhelmed by the number of familiars. The final keystone is at Infinity Theater. Grumman declares this will be the final fight with Kark at the forefront and Chiyu supporting, for she is his masterpiece, far more than Yuri ever was. Jun asks if he abandoned Yuri the same way he abandoned the experimental subjects (Jun, Koume, and Inuki), but Yuris father warns him he had best be useful if he doesnt want to be scrapped and assigns him to guard the other six sites. Jun protests as Chihiro will surely be at the seventh site, but it is because he no longer trusts Jun to prioritize protecting the final keystone over killing Chihiro. Jun tells Yuri he should have killed her and Chihiro earlier and Haru tell Yuri this is her fault and orders her to lure Chihiro out so Jun can kill him.

11 - The Delicate Flower Bud is Both Medicine and Poison

Yuri is pleased when the Second Great Collapse is stopped, believing it meant there was no reason for them to fight anymore, only for her father to declare the real battle started now. Chiyus wisdom will lead them to victory. When Yuris father berates Kark for his failure, Kark coolly says he is his ally, not his subordinate. Since Yuri is present, Kark says Chihiro should be their primary target and lies that he killed Jun and Haru, which Van Drail backs up, adding that he opened the gate to kill the audience members. Grumman plays along and adds that using the concert-goers as a shield was the worst-case scenario since it didnt stop the Church members. Yuri is left in shock.

12 - The World is Vast and Infinite

Using the equipment Mitsuki and Grummen designed together, the gate is opening. Kark stops the Church member and Chihiro agrees to fight him, knowing thats what Kark wants, and the other three go on to save Tokyo. Kark lets them go. Using the people below, Kark summons Jormangandr, the serpent who eats the world, to fight him. Dux appears behind the other three and states the mansion they are looking at is where Mitsuki and Grumman once conducted their research and their goal. Chihiro struggles in his fight but goes berserk to wound Jormangandr. However, he is stabbed by Kark before and knocked to the ground. While unconscious, he has a vision of his own death. Dux asks how he would like to die, showing him four different ways he previously died: slashed by Jun, stabbed by the half-familiar Inuki, strangled by Kakihara, and he and Yuri killing each other. She reveals the dreams were his memories and this play has been performed many times before. The events change but the end is the same, with the dreams a warning to keep him from making the same mistakes. At the end of each play, Chihiro uses his power as Lord of Vermilion to start it over again in a new world, seeking forgiveness he is never given. Dux wonders if he can change the script and Chihiro vows he will. The number of familiars blocking the way are endless, so Tsubaki and Kotetsu offer to hold them off while Kurome goes ahead, knowing they need to save Tokyo. Grummen sends Chiyu to kill Kurome, even though leaving her increases the chance the gate goes out of control. If the gate is closed before he sees Mitsuki, he will lose everything. Chiyo disagrees and says he tries to manipulate everyone, her Yuri, Mitsuki, by saying he loves them, even though his love is only for himself. Chiyu tells him Mitsuki never loved him, and even if he opens the gate, she wont return to him - just her family. Kurome breaks in but is ignored, Grummen declaring he wont believe it and leaving. Chiyu has no need to see how this ends, but is curious and fights Kouma.