Where All Paths Collide II (歩みは全て激突へ II Ayumi wa Subete Gekitotsu e II) is the 25th chapter of the Shakugan no Shana manga series.
Yūji went shopping with Yoshida. The two encountered a Crimson Denizen.
Summary[]
Yūji and Yoshida were in a craft and stationary store, as Yoshida wanted the present to be handmade, and had decided to make a book cover. Yūji agreed that it was a good idea, and much like her. Yoshida asked him to pick between green and black, and chose a black fabric to correspond with his answer. As the two walked past looking for buttons, a woman who was putting up a sign above them knocked over a vase of handmade flowers, with it falling towards Yoshida's head. Yūji saw the vase and pulled Yoshida away and caught the vase in one motion. Yoshida became embarrassed from being close to Yūji. The woman apologized and Yūji gave back the vase. The woman praised Yūji's feat to Yoshida, calling him her boyfriend, which made Yoshida faint in embarrassment and have to be supported upright by Yūji. Though the woman had said he was amazing, Yūji thought that he was nowhere near Shana.
Yūji reminded of Shana.
Yūji and Yoshida arrived at the vast button section. Yūji picked up a red button and agreed with Yoshida that it was pretty. Yoshida put it against the black fabric. Reminded of how he had first seen Shana, with her flaming-hair and black clothes, Yūji agreed that the color combination was cool. He again looked gloomy, which Yoshida noticed.
Shana irritated.
Shana was walking down a street after buying a whole bag of melonpan. Even though she had carefully picked them they didn't taste good any more because she was irritated about Yūji. She knew it wasn't a big deal that he didn't want to go with her, and didn't know why she was so irritated.
In the Yoda Department Store, Tanaka and Satō saw residents of the city being represented on the Crystal Altar. Margery explained the origin of the Crystal Altar as a creation of the Crimson Lord "Snake of the Festival", who had become interested in ruling, in order to oversee the city he had created, the Great Binding Chain. Marchosias said that the "Snake of the Festival" had been powerful, but was defeated by the Flame Haze just as he had built the city. Friagne had later brought the Crystal Altar there. Margery figured that Friagne had been using it to watch the number of Torches he was creating in the city. She used the altar to show Satō and Tanaka the number of Torches present, shocking them. Margery assured them that she would never have approached the two had they been Torches, but said that with this many Torches in the city, their families or friends could be Torches.
Yūji and Yoshida emerged in a plaza. Yūji suggested that they rest, and told Yoshida to wait at a bench while he bought drinks. While walking, Yoshida bumped into a man, but when she turned around, he had disappeared. The button she had bought fell out of her bag and rolled to a bench, where an old man was sitting. Yoshida approached him, and the man gave her the button. Yūji returned and sensed that the old man was a Crimson Denizen, wondering how he had not sensed the man before they had gotten so close to him. When Yūji told Yoshida to come to him, the man suddenly stood up. Yūji felt he couldn't do anything against the man to protect Yoshida.
Characters[]
* denotes if the character debuts in this chapter
- Kazumi Yoshida
- Yūji Sakai
- Shana
- Eita Tanaka
- Keisaku Satō
- Margery Daw
- "Snake of the Festival"* (mentioned)
- Friagne (mentioned)
- Lamies*
Powers and Abilities Used[]
Treasure Tools[]
Locations[]
Quotes[]
- Woman: "Your boyfriend was amazing. Bam—— catching both the flowers and his girlfriend. It was really cool!!"
Yoshida: "B... boyfriend!? Girlfriend...!?" - Yūji (thinking): "Amazing... huh? But I'm nowhere near as amazing... as Shana."
- Marchosias (about the "Snake of the Festival"): "He was a monster who split the skies and engulfed the land, but just as he had created his city, he was beaten up by the Flame Haze and sent to the heavens, hee hee!"
- Margery: "Anyway, if this many people have been devoured, there could be Torches among your families or people you know."
Tanaka: "That... can't be true."
Margery: "It is true. This isn't good or bad. It's simply "The Truth"." - Yūji (thinking): "I... can't do anything. Even though Yoshida-san's here... I can't... Is this the end for me, my Power of Existence devoured... but... what will happen to Yoshida-san!? Shit... how worthless am I!!?"
Trivia[]
Omake page after the chapter.
- At the end of this chapter, there is an omake page, the third of fifteen featuring Shana-tan and Nina.
Cultural References[]
- A plush toy in the craft store, which was called the "pink creature", is based on Noizi Itō's self-portrait. The creature has been made into real plush toys and sold at Comiket.