The End of Everything, The Beginning of One Thing (全ての終わり, 一つの始まり, Subete no Owari, Hitotsu no Hajimari ) is the first episode of the anime series Shakugan no Shana.
Summary
It is the start of the school year for Yuji Sakai, a student of Misaki Municipal High School.
He did not realize that the world around him would be any different from what he knew, and upon his way to school, he finds himself in a death trap waiting to consume him: two unusual-looking creatures from another realm. Yuji finds the unlikeliest of heroes to rescue him - a girl with blazing-red eyes and hair - and watches in horror as she ruthlessly cleaves apart her opponents with her sword.
A few hours back, Yuji has just arrived to school in the first day. He meets up with close friend Hayato Ike and, later, has to put up with fellow classmate Keisaku Satou's cold attitude; fortunately, Eita Tanaka seems friendlier. Classes soon start, and he eventually makes a new friend on Japanese Literature class.
School soon ended for that day, and Yuji saw Ike leave for cram school; as for him, he decides to visit a music store to kill some time. He unexpectedly meets the girl who helped him on Japanese Literature class named Yukari Hirai, and she begins to ask him about Ike, whom she apparently likes. The two eventually go separate ways, and as Yuji goes his way home, he finds an unusual light suddenly envelop the area where he stands: a Fuzetsu was invoked.
Yuji is shocked to find out that everyone and everything - except for him - is not moving. Soon, two unusual creatures, a floating ball made up of mannequin heads and a gigantic baby doll, announce their presence before turning everyone around them into a flame-like substance and devouring them. As he watches the scenes unfold helplessly, he discovers that there is someone else involved in what's happening: Yukari Hirai. Unfortunately, his attempt to call Yukari made his presence felt by the two creatures.
The two creatures discover that Yuji can move about in the Fuzetsu, and deducts that he might be a Mystes. Curious about his identity, one of the creatures grabbed Yuji and attempted to devour him... until a blade slices its arms cleanly off. As the gigantic baby doll cries in pain, Yuji finds a girl with blazing-red eyes and hair standing in front of him. Soon, she confronts the creatures in front of her and mercilessly defeats the two.
The girl with blazing-red eyes soon ask about Yuji's existence, and like the creatures she defeated, a voice she refers to as "Alastor" assumes that he is a Mystes. Then, she attacks another creature; this time, it is in the form of a woman, and that creature mockingly identifies the girl with blazing-red hair and eyes as the "Flame-haired Burning-eyed Flame Haze of Alastor, 'Flame of Heavens'". As the Flame Haze is about to deliver the final blow, a confused Yuji goes in the way, and is instead attacked by the enemy. Leaving with no choice, the Flame Haze strikes her sword and tears a large gash off Yuji's shoulder, slicing off the enemy's arm in the process. Shocked by the attack he receives, Yuji falls to the ground as a small doll-like figure escapes from the scene.
Soon, the Flame Haze discusses with Alastor about the enemy they fought earlier, and how Yuji reminded them of a certain Tenmoku Ikko. She then tends to Yuji's injury (which mysteriously, doesn't bleed) and by pointing to the sky, summons beings similar to those consumed by the creatures: Torches. After that, the Flame Haze reverses the damage caused by the battle before returning everything to what it was.
Yuji soon realizes that no one knew what happened, and Yukari now has something on her chest: a blue flame. He also sees this on the people around him, and wanting to get more answers, he pursues the Flame Haze.
The Flame Haze eventually exposes the truth to Yuji, that he is no longer a "he", but an "it"; an object that acts a replacement for humans consumed by Denizens of the Crimson Realm, also known as a Torch. She also adds that he is the same as them, and there, he realizes that Yuji Sakai has long past died.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, a young man talks to a small doll-like creature and assures her that she should not apologize for having lost one of his favorite Rinne. As he lets his beloved Marianne rest for the night, he thinks about the person Marianne faced, one with flaming hair and burning-red eyes.
Characters in Order of Appearance
Locations
Trivia
- Tenmoku Ikko is, like Yuji, a Mystes. However, he is considered to be the most-feared Mystes of all time, able to defeat Crimson Denizens alone.
New Characters
- Yuji Sakai
- Shana (not named)
- Hayato Ike
- Keisaku Satō
- Eita Tanaka
- Yukari Hirai
- Yoshida Kazumi (cameo)
- Matake Ogata (cameo)
- two of Friagne's minor Rinne
- Friagne
- Alastor
- Marianne
New Abilities
- Fuzetsu (Marianne)
- Torch Creation (Shana)
- Reconstruction (Shana)
Cultural References
"easter eggs"