Rating: 3.5/5 curious clouds 

Episode seven takes a turn onto the dark side when we begin with Sir Swallow’s tragic back story of his childhood. Since he was cursed at birth to destroy anything that he uses like a tool, he lived a pretty isolated life. His curse ran his family bankrupt and nearly left him for dead. He soon realized that things would be broken and people killed even without his hand in the matter… Swallow reaches an interesting sort of conclusion when we flash forward to the present battle.

Meanwhile, Lou is sucking the life force out of the stone giant in order to feed her sword while the Revolutionary Army continues to fight the Returned ones. Eiha endeavours to slay the stone giant because Izun was originally her friend. However, Swallow seems to beat everyone to the action. He releases the Black Dragon’s scale to nullify the Red Dragon’s power over Nil Kamui and unleashes his own strength to defeat the stone giant.

We learn a bit more about Meryl’s past with Swallow. Meryl was initially assigned to Swallow as a slave and later became an attendant. Swallow made a pact with the Black Dragon in order to save Meryl’s life.  His back story lends credit to his current dispositions and actions as we’re told he enters the Red Dragon expedition on behalf of the Black Dragon in order to remove his curse. While the episode jumps inconsistently back and forth, it’s mostly strung together by Swallow’s narrative which wraps up nicely with the battle. It is however unfortunate that Swallow has to deceive Ibuki. Despite the fact that Ibuki’s subordinate, Hien, offered his life to the Red Dragon, Ibuki was unable to access the dragon’s power. In the end, Lou loses an arm in battle as well so the scales seem to have tipped in Donati’s favour for now.

The series takes a turn down a twist when another Imperial is introduced in the city of Haiga. Lady Inori, Ibuki’s younger sister, is revealed. Strangely enough. Ibuki will now have to vie for power against his remaining family member. Who is manipulating Inori and to what end? As well, with Inori alive and present, Ibuki could completely withdraw from politics and live a quiet life but with all the deaths around him, can he bring himself to just let go?

– Cloudy

What are you pondering today?