Lord of Vermilion: The Crimson King Episode Rating Graph

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. Inuki collapses that night, ill, and does not go with Kotetsu, Koume, Chihiro, and Cerdid as they search for barriers to destroy. Jun and Yuri are scolded by Grumman for letting the Church's Heroic Lineage do as they please, and the two use their Heroic Blood to interrupt the Church before they can destroy a barrier. Kotetsu is knocked into the barrier during the fighting and confronted by Tsubaki Manazuru, a Vassal looking for the leader who he begins to fight. Chihiro destroys a barrier under his and Yuri's feet, and the enormous release of energy throws them into a dream world. With Chihiro's Arcana vanished from the world, Cerdid falls and cannot move. Yuri asks if he thinks destroying Tokyo is the right thing, but Chihiro says doing so will stop the familiars. However, Yuri says Tokyo will crumble with the barrier gone and most people trapped in it won't survive. He asks if she thinks it is alright to turn humans into gates and swears he'll stop her. If he can find forgiveness for those he killed by fighting then he will do so. Who cares if he breaks a world made only of despair to do it? Yuri asks him to join with her so they can change the world together, saying she'll vouch for him for the rest of Chaos, which Chihiro knows means she knows how to get out of here. Yuri agrees to show him the way rather then leave him trapped. Koume overpowers Jun, but is stopped by Minakami Haru, a Vassal and classmate of Chihiro and Kotetsu, allied with Jun and his Blue Skull gang. Kotetsu continues to fight with Tsubaki and her Defender Densuke. Both realize the other thought they were with Chaos and turned people into gates, though neither are. They stop fighting and Tsubaki leaves. Chihiro recalls memories of being with Yuri when they were both children. Yuri states "it is all because of your mother" before leaving.

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 can't 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 there's 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 can't 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 Chihiro's mother was responsible for. The nature of the research never went public and Chihiro's 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 don't 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. Inuki vanishes later that night before he can treat Ikuro, his lab in ruins and a window smashed out. After hearing a scream, Tsubaki finds a recent victim from the same chain of murders, but is attacked by the killer, a red wolf-like creature, and saved by Kotetsu. The creature flees and transforms back, revealing it is Inuki covered in his victim's blood. He looks at his bloody hands in horror before screaming.

Tsubaki tells Kurokami later she didn't 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 Kotetsu's 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, Yuri's 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. Visiting his childhood home, he came across Yuri, who is there watering the garden. When he calls her by her full name, she thinks he remembers her, but he only knew her name from Kakihara. She is saddened briefly. Chihiro asks her about his past and sits next to her. On a bridge, Inuki apologizes to Jun for killing his friends, which Jun accepts. Inuki says he can barely hold it together now, even with his Heroic Lineage, and asks Jun kill him before the transformation becomes permanent. Jun refuses, begging him to come back to AVAL to see if they could help but Inuki doesn't want to return there ever again. He wants to die as Jun's brother, not a monster. As he starts to lapse, Jun moves to kill him, only to be stopped by Chihiro. Inuki fully transforms into a familiar and even his Heroic Lineage goes out of control, giving the familiar blood armaments which let him overpower Jun and Chihiro. Trying to stop Inuki, Chihiro goes berserk again. Inuki regains partial control of himself and absorbs Chihiro's power to bring him under control, though he absorbs so much power he dies. He promises Chihiro he can control his power and tells him not to give in to despair.

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 they'll interfere, and he'll start with Chihiro, who took his brother from him. He intends to inflict the same suffering on him. Yuri finds a despondent Chihiro at his childhood home and two sit next to each other. She tells him Chihiro's mother and Yuri's father worked together, and Yuri and Chihiro were there during the explosion 13 years ago. Chirhio's mother was swallowed by another world when the experiment failed, and Yuri's father started using Tokyo to open gates as she and Chihiro became distant. When Chihiro dozes off he dreams of Kotetsu dying, which he refuses to allow and runs to find him. However, Kotetsu's room is empty. He is on a date with Tsubaki. Jun and Haru follow on their motorcycles. Unable to find Kotetsu, Chihiro confides the dreams to Yuri. He finds Koetetsu at last. Jun is frustrated by his arrival, having wanted to take his time with Kotetsu, but cannot wait any longer. He tells Haru to handle Tsubaki and kidnaps Kotetsu. Chihiro chases him. Chihiro catches up to find Kotetsu hanging upside-down from the tree, like he saw him in the dream. Jun starts to cut into him with his armament's claws, the number overwhelming Chihhiro when he tries to fight back. Jun tells him to hold still or he'll piece Kotetsu's heart, continuing to cut. Yuri helps Chihiro, standing against Jun. A frustrated Jun is forced to flee but returns in time to save Haru from being killed by Tsubaki. Yuri cannot return to AVAL now and Chihiro asks if she'll come with him.

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 don't 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, that's all they need to do to wreck AVAL's 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 Chihiro's father. 13 years ago: a family committed double suicide. Two weeks later, the family's seven year old son was rescued. The son said he killed his father and fell into a coma, memories gone when he awoke. The cops believed his statement was from confusion so it was treated as a double-suicide rather then murder. Chihiro's father was stabbed with a piece of glass, and the scars of gripping it were left on Chihiro's hand. Unreleased to the public, Chihiro's father left a message before he died telling his son to live. There were also bruise marks on Chihiro's neck, indicating he had been strangled. Kakihara refuses to accept it. Kurokami goes to Malthus Church after she gets a call that AVAL is trying to make a Second Great Collapse. Shōko is also present and states Yuri is deceiving them into making a move. They agree to investigate, Kurokami allying with them, though Shōko promises they'll regret it. Grumman demands to know where Yuri went and Jun lies by saying he knows nothing. Yuri returns a copy of Tempest Chihiro's mother gave her to him. When he takes it back he remembers when his father trying to strangle him after giving into despair from his wife's disappearance and has a vision of Kurokami dead. Kurokami investigates an abandoned amusement park where AVAL has set up shop, seeing they are artificially creating barriers. She is attacked by a Heroic Vessel allied with AVAL, Kaburagi Kark, and overwhelmed. Chihiro fails to contact Kurokami, prompting Shōko to state Kurokami got what she deserved for falling for an enemy (Yuri's) words. Kurokami then appears at the Church courtyard and dies after showing a map of the artificial barriers. Shōko congratulates Yuri as AVAL is one step closer to their goal. Grumman, Jun, and Haru arrive, her father also congratulating her and telling her she has done her job and can come home, but she tells him she didn't do this. The others turns against Yuri and Chihiro, forcing Yuri to return to AVAL. This makes it look like she merely deceived Chihiro, making it easier on him. Her father beats her upon return to AVAL, knowing she tried to betray them. Chihiro has another vision, but this time it is Kakihara who is dead.

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 Inuki's 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 doesn't want to save him, merely change the dreams and fate so he and Yuri don't 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 father's wish to die with him, but Chihiro says he doesn't care about living. There must be a reason he lived though, so he doesn't want to die. Kakihara says his eyes are no longer darkened with hate and despair, begging for forgiveness. Kotetsu passes on the warning of Chihiro's dream to Tsubkai, who agrees to help. Chihiro accompanies Kakihara and Aero to visit the GPS points on Kurokami's map, Kakihara not even sure why he's working with Chihiro. They arrive at the same keystone where Kurokami was attacked. There's no point in Shōko destroying the old barriers with these new ones being put up. Kark appears and attacks, though Aero saves Kakihara and Kakihara is shocked to recognize the famous pianist. Chihiro hallucinates he is being attacked by those he "killed" due to Kaburagi and is captured, unable to manifest his blood armaments. Kakihara is wounded while trying to free him and Aero sacrifices herself for Kakihara, her last words ordering him to live. Kakihara attacks but his wounds trouble him and he is cut down. Cerdid arrives, temporarily forcing Kark to fall back. Kakihara admits making him admit his guilt was his life's purpose. He didn't want to acknowledge his parents rejected him, since they should have taken him with them if they loved him, so he couldn't forgive how Chihiro refused to die with his father. However, it seems he was wrong. He tells Chihiro what he learned from the case documents. After Chihiro stabbed his father, his father stopped trying to strangle him, returning to his senses. Fearing he would kill his son or Chihiro would be branded a murderer he used the shard to commit seppuku. He drew the word "live" with his own blood before he died, his final request of his son. Realizing he didn't kill him, Chihiro's grief is lifted and he breaks free of the spell, creating his blood armaments. Tsubaki and Kotetsu arrive and Chihiro tells them Kark killed Kurokami, the two forcing him to flee. Cerdid is unable to heal Kakihara's wounds and he dies after forgiving Chihiro. Shōko speaks with Dux, expressing her concern that at this rate the Heroic Lineage will be wiped out. Dux agrees it will likely happen again, confusing Shōko. Again? Dux instead says that if the last keystone is connected, Chaos will win and Shōko vows she won't let that happen. However, Dux says they cannot retreat until they are down to only one Heroic Vassal, to which Shōko also agrees.

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 AVAL's 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 Yuri's father warns him he had best be useful if he doesn't 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. Haru gives Tsubaki a flyer that tells the Malthus group of Kark's concert at the Infinity Theater, which they didn't know beforehand. That makes the audience hostages, but Shōko coldly states some sacrifices are inevitable. Chihiro states AVAL use certain sounds to turn humans into gates, so if they defeat Kark before he can play his piano they have a chance. As the concert hall fills up, Haru goes to Jun and tells him Chihiro is coming to the concert since he gave them a flyer as bait. Jun has his Blue Skulls dress up as concert security to keep him informed. When the Malthus group approach, Kark turns the Blue Skulls into familiars so they attack the group and goes inside to play, stopping the group. Haru knocks Chihiro out of the sky but stops when he sees Akira among the attackers. Akira's familiar Elsbernd is revealed to be the Chihiro in the sky. The real Chihiro bursts through the ceiling at Kark, only to be stopped from a fatal blow by Jun. Kark's piano music turns the audience into red mist, absorbing them into a single giant familiar. Chihiro, shocked at the failure, is stabbed by Jun but declares he'll honor Inuki's wish and save everyone, smashing Jun's blood armament. Letting Chihiro handle him, the rest fight the familiar. Chihiro defeats Jun but it is Kark who impales him with the scythe, congratulating him on drawing out the qualities Lord of Vermilion from Chihiro and killing him, stating he wanted to see Chihiro's beautiful despair. Haru tries to kill Kark to avenge Jun and Akira jumps in front of him to save him from Kark's scythe, however, Kark lengthens the scythe so it stabs both of them. Chihiro goes berserk, but manages to control it and kill the giant familiar. Shōko destroys the keystone in the theater. Kark escapes. Distraught that they can't cause a Second Great Collapse, Grumman asks Chiyu what he should do. Chiyu, calling him father, agrees to help.

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. Chiyu's wisdom will lead them to victory. When Yuri's 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 didn't stop the Church members. Yuri is left in shock. Shōko happily reports she prevented the Second Great Collapse to Dux, but the other members congratulate only Chihiro for his combat prowess, which frustrates her. When Cerdid calls Chihiro the Lord of Vermilion, Shōko angrily interrupts them as her deeds make her the best candidate for that. They are dubious given Chihiro's strength and Dux does not answer Shōko when she calls to her, leaving her distraught. In the hospital, it is revealed Haru and Akira are both alive thanks to Cerdid, and Kotetsu remarks how awful Shōko was, walking by the two to destroy the keystone. Since she stopped the Second Great Collapse, Chihiro decides not to press the issue. Shōko realizes all she has to do to become the Lord of Vermilion is kill Chihiro and the others. However, she is killed by Kark first and the Church is burned down by a fallen candle. Chiyu takes Grummen to a house beneath AVAL built identical to Chihiro's childhood home. Chiyo tells him that if they absorb the ley line energy at the remaining six keystones they can still open the gates. Doing it this way will lead to Tokyo being swallowed to another world. Grummen reveals he's been trying to bring Chihiro's mother Mitsuki to him, but this way he can go to her. He doesn't care what he has to destroy Tokyo or the world to do it. Chiyo begins, the system recognizing her ID as Mitsuki. Above, Yuri watches a doctored video showing Chihiro defeating Jun, Akira, and Haru. Grummen states he has been seduced by power and he's no longer the Chihiro she loved, merely a victim whose consciousness is being consumed by the Lord of Vermilion. He says Yuri is the only one who can stop him from becoming the Lord of Vermilion and save him. The other heroes find Shōko's red stone and Dux tells them AVAL has a new plan - to take Tokyo to another world. Kurome asks if they should stop them, since the destruction of Tokyo was their original plan. Yuri meets Chihiro at their childhood home while Cerdid spies. Chihiro says he still likes Yuri, relieving Yuri who believes the video she saw was a lie after all. Chihiro disagrees and says he killed the concertgoers after all, and he had no choice but to kill them. He had to kill a few to save the rest, and Yuri realizes he has changed. She begs him not to fight anymore, fearful his power would destroy him, but he has to honor the wishes of Inuki and Kakihara. Yuri disagrees. She needs Chihiro, no one else. They should run away and abandon everyone to be together, but Chihiro apologizes, walking away. Yuri realizes she has to save Chihiro after all, transforming. Again, Chihiro recalls the two of them killing each other in the first episode. Cerdid ensnares Yuri in plants, slowly strangling her, stating Chihiro started treating her coldly while spending time with Yuri. She fears her master will die with her. She will stop her, even if it means her master hates her for the rest of her life. Yuri's kills Cerdid and flees. Chiyo begins the transfer of power, which makes the AVAL building collapse and the house at the bottom and keystones rise. Chihiro, Kotetsu, Koume, and Tsubaki, the last four, fly to AVAL.

Using the equipment Mitsuki and Grummen designed together, the gate is opening. Kark stops the Church member and Chihiro agrees to fight him, knowing that's 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 won't return to him - just her family. Kurome breaks in but is ignored, Grummen declaring he won't believe it and leaving. Chiyu has no need to see how this ends, but is curious and fights Kouma. Chihiro fully enters his Lord of Vermilion state, allowing him to defeat Jormungandr, a god who brought a world to end. Kark declares his existence is an affront to the gods of death as Chihiro cuts through his familiar and slices off his hands before killing him. Tsubaki and Kotetsu are being worn down by the sheer number of familiars, but Julia and Suruga arrive and help them, as they exist to protect Tokyo. Kurome and Chiyu fight, damaging the machines controlling the gate. Without the machines, the gate spirals out of control, fully opening and incinerating the mansion. Grummen declares he is coming for Mitsuki and Drail shoves him into the gate to speed him along. Out of control, the gate will eventually consume the world. Chihiro intends to use his status as the closest candidate to the Lord of Vermilion to close the gate, only for Yuri and Jorumngandr to stand in his way. He does not want to kill her again but Yuri intends to kill him herself to save him from becoming the Lord of Vermilion. Yuri and Chihiro charge each other and it looks like the final scene of the last timeline will be repeated, only for Chihiro to fly by and kill Jorumungandr, as he says he could never kill Yuri, who is so precious to him. Yuri realizes he hasn't changed after all and apologizes. Drail leaves, disappointed. Yuri and Chihiro seem to enter the gate together, only for Chihiro to push Yuri away and enter alone, telling Yuri to live. The gate closes, swallowing Chihiro. Yuri, Tsubaki, Kotetsu, Akira, Haru, Kurome, and Chiyu move into Chihiro's childhood house and begin working together to find a way to open the gate and bring him back. Julia and Suruga are seen patrolling Tokyo, killing leftover familiars, when Suruga is approached by a smiling Drail.