Where All Paths Collide III (歩みは全て激突へ III Ayumi wa Subete Gekitotsu e III) is the 26th chapter of the Shakugan no Shana manga series.
The Denizen showed no malice towards Yūji and Yoshida, instead taking them to see stained glass at an exhibit. Margery activated a spell, which was noticed by Shana.
Summary[]
Seeing how tense Yūji was, the old man told him that his flame was still strong, so he wouldn't take Yūji's Power of Existence because he wanted to maintain the world's balance. Yūji was surprised when the man asked Yūji to take a walk with him.
The man took Yūji and Yoshida back inside the Misaki Atrium Arch, to a Middle Ages European art exhibit. The man talked of the origins of stained glass. Though Yūji was cautious, they looked up at the beautiful Christian stained glass work on the ceiling. The man talked of beauty as something which everyone could understand, but also couldn't exist by itself. He used the glass as an example; it had been used so that even those who couldn't read the Bible would understand the nobility of God. Beauty could be destroyed because of its value, use, or necessity. The original stained glass, as this was a replica, had been destroyed in the Reformation by children, as the glass was seen as a symbol of Catholicism. The people, now Protestants, didn't punish the children. Things unrelated to beauty could destroy that beauty and make it worthless. The man felt the difficulty of the world from that one stained glass work, and liked that in the modern era, people were allowed to like beautiful things because of their beauty. He said it might be difficult for younger people like Yūji and Yoshida to understand, and that all they could do for now was to love someone. Yoshida glanced at Yūji and was shocked to find that he was still looking up at the stained glass, deep in thought. The man then put his hand to Yoshida's face and released Power of Existence, which put her to sleep. He caught her unconscious body.
In the Yoda Department Store, Margery said she would go to the roof to search for Lamies using an Unrestricted Spell. Satō worriedly asked what he an Tanaka should do, which made Margery smile and tease him. She told them she wanted them to do something at the Crystal Altar. She summoned a flame which would allow them to talk to her, then left for the roof. Satō asked Tanaka about the worried face he had made towards Margery. As Margery flew towards the roof, Marchosias laughed because he knew she could have used the spell in that room but didn't want to endanger the boys if Lamies or the Flame Haze attacked. Margery denied that and said the two were in the way of her going on a rampage. She used flames from her finger to blow down the door as she burst outside. Margery activated the spell.
Shana vowing to destroy the caster of the spell.
Shana sensed that a spell had been activated. Alastor told her it was a spell to search a wide area, and that the caster was likely an Unrestricted Spell Master. Shana threw away her melonpan and ran towards the epicenter of the spell. She became furious when she discovered the spell was coming from the Yoda Department Store, where she had faced Friagne together with Yūji. She vowed to destroy the caster.
Characters[]
Powers and Abilities Used[]
Unrestricted Spells[]
- Improvisational Poem of Slaughter (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) - Margery
Locations[]
Quotes[]
- The man (to Yūji): "Oh, you can tell. You're no ordinary person."
- The man: "Beauty is something everyone can honestly feel after observing it. But due to an object's beauty, it cannot exist for beauty's sake alone."
- The man: "Beauty itself does not change. However, things that have nothing to do with beauty can destroy that beauty and render it worthless. Just this piece can give you a feel of how difficult the world is. It's good that this era is simple. It's allowed for beautiful things to be loved for their beauty alone."
- The man: "This talk might have been too hard for you young people to understand. Maybe the best you can do is to love others."
- Shana: "——Why! ——Are They!! ——At That Place!!! I'll destroy, I'll destroy them!!"
Trivia[]
Omake page after the chapter.
- At the end of this chapter, there is an omake page, the fourth of fifteen featuring Shana-tan and Nina.
- Seeing the Yoda Department Store, Shana recalled being with Yūji as he was about to disappear, in chapter 19, and when Yūji smiled at her after she was shot with Trigger Happy, in chapter 18.
Cultural References[]
- The old man talked about the origin of stained glass in Europe after the Crusades, the use of stained glass as a Poor Man's Bible, and the Reformation in Medieval Europe.
- Margery again used the Improvisational Poem of Slaughter with a poem based on Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, with different lyrics to the one used in chapter 20.