Episode 8

Sword Eater III is the eighth episode of the Rakudai Kishi no Eiyuutan anime. It aired on November 21, 2015.

Synopsis
In an effort to help Ayase and her father, Ikki challenges Kuraudo Kurashiki, a swordsman from Donrou Academy with the nickname “Sword Eater”.

Summary
Ayase's father, Kaito Ayatsuji, retired during Ayase's junior high years, due to heart problems. Although he was unable to hold a sword properly he did keep instructing Ayase and some other students. While training Ayase, to use the Teni-Mohu, Kaito had told Ayase to never forget that Ayatsuji sword style is to protect people.

Ayase, Ikki and Stella are talking about Kuraudo, a man who attacks local schools unofficially. Ayase tells Ikki and Stella of the day Kuraudo had won against Kaito.

It was during a stormy night that Kaito and Kuraudo were going against each other, in the Ayatsuji Dojo. Kuraudo was fighting violently and was able to knock Kaito off his feet, however, Kaito did not back down and continued to fight no matter how badly beaten he was believing he could win, even telling Ayase to not interrupt the fight. Kaito then prepared his secret technique against Kuraudo, and it had nearly hit him, however Kaito had begun to cough up blood and was unable to hold the sword, falling to the ground as well, ultimately giving Kuraudo the win. Winning the dojo Kuraudo tells Ayase to pack her things as the dojo no longer belongs to her, leaving an angry Ayase holding her beloved, badly beaten, father.

After Ayase finishes her story, the group arrives at the, now in disrepair, Ayatsuji Dojo, now run by Kuraudo and his gang. They go up the stairs and find some members outside of the dojo. Ikki asked them to tell them where Kuraudo was.

Ikki, Ayase and Stella when searching, find Kuraudo on the couch, and Kuraudo instantly recognizes Ikki, who challenges him to a duel, in order to regain the dojo. Kuraudo seeming skeptical asks Ikki to show his worth to be his opponent, for which, Ikki then shows, a skeptical Kuraudo, his gang's student ID, to prove that he has beaten them all. Kuraudo then accepts Ikki's challenge and brings out his device Orochimaru and Ikki draws his Intetsu and the duel begins.

Kuraudo attacks Ikki viciously, not giving Ikki any time to counter him. Ikki had tried to counter, timing his counterattack perfectly, but to no avail as Kuraudo was able to easily block it.

Kuraudo then activates his noble art Jakotsujin, allowing him to extend his device and allow his sword attack Ikki from different directions at a distance. Ikki is able to get through Kuraudo's attack and was able to dodge an attack from behind. Ikki tries to stab Kuraudo but Kuraudo is even able to dodge that attack, and Ikki figures out how Kuraudo is able to dodge him. Ikki is then pushed back by Kuraudo, after ending Jakotsujin, who is able to surprise Ikki by changing the direction of his hit so suddenly. Ikki is able to dodge the attack but does get cut in the process.

Ikki then reveals his understanding of Kuraudo's power, revealing that Kuraudo's true strength comes from his inhuman reflexes, having the speed of his reflexes at 0.05 seconds compared to a normal human's at 0.3 seconds (Ikki & Stella's reflexes are at 0.1 seconds). Kuraudo confirms Ikki's explanation and reveals the actual name of his technique as Marginal Counter.

Kuraudo then uses another technique Hebigami which attacks Ikki twice with his device. Ikki uses his irregular guarding to stop a direct hit from Kuraudo's technique, causing Kuraudo to up the speed of his attack to having four attacks simultaneously, allowing to cut Ikki twice in the chest, as he was not able to block all of them. Kuraudo then begins his violent assault on Ikki, hitting him repeatedly and leaving mark after mark on him.

Ikki, however, begins to smile at blocking Kuraudo's attacks, reminding Ayase of her father during his fight with Kuraudo. Ayase intends to step in to stop the fight, however, Stella stops her pointing out that Ikki is having too much fun to be stopped now. Stella then asks Ayase, if Kaito actually went down in mortification. Stella points out that maybe Kaito didn't enjoy being a swordsman who was just rusting away and did enjoy it when someone took him on head on. Ayase then remembers the day of her father's defeat and believes that Kaito was apologizing to Kuraudo, saying sorry that he had to be the way he was.

Stella then notices that Kuraudo has a weakness, which is that it takes more energy to use Marginal Counter causing him to run out of stamina rather quickly then Ikki. Ikki and Kuraudo while at a standstill converse, with Ikki asking Kuraudo if Kaito smiled like they were now. Kuraudo confirms that Kaito was smiling, as someone who couldn't smile at a deadly battle wasn't worthy of the title of last samurai. Ikki then promises Ayase that he will get back the dojo for her, as he charges at Kuraudo who uses his technique, Yamato no Orochi, causing Orochimaru to seem like it has eight heads.

Ikki charges through the heads of Orochimaru, with Kuraudo realizing that Ikki was using the same technique Kaito had tried to do. Kuraudo then charges at Ikki and the two swordsmen collide. Kuraudo is seen having dropped to one knee and having a cut on his chest, while Ikki is still standing. Ayase then recognizes the technique as the last secret technique, Ten-I-muho. Stella then tells Ayase that Ikki used blade steal to learn it, which he did during one of their training sessions, and told not to bother about it as he did the same with Stella.

Kuraudo's device disappears and Kuraudo asks what Ikki's name was, to which Ikki tells him his name. Kuraudo then slumps away, telling Ikki they will finish their battle at the seven sword festival. When Ikki asked about the dojo, Kuraudo told him he could do whatever he wanted with it, stumbling away from the dojo.

Ikki's device disappears and he stumbles, but is held up by Stella. Ayase apologizes to Ikki and believed herself to be unworthy to carry on her father's sword style but Ikki tells her that it was thanks to her memorizing Kaito's sword style to the very last inch, that he was able to win, telling her she was the true successor to the last samurai. Ayase then goes outside and puts the Ayatsuji dojo sign back up.

Ikki and Stella are seen sitting at the park where it is revealed that Ayase admitted to cheating during her match with Ikki, resulting in her getting disqualified from the selection battle and being suspended from school for ten days. Ikki then receives a message from Ayase stating that Kaito was conscious again. Ikki and Stella try to hold hands, with each other, but are interrupted by Nagi and Shizuku. Ikki and Stella try to make it look like they are thumb wrestling resulting in Shizuku and Stella arguing. Meanwhile, in the hospital, Ayase is seen holding her conscious father's hand.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * 1) Kaito Ayatsuji
 * 2) Ayase Ayatsuji
 * 3) Stella Vermillion
 * 4) Ikki Kurogane
 * 5) Kuraudo Kurashiki
 * 6) Shizuku Kurogane
 * 7) Nagi Arisuin

Light Novel and Anime Differences

 * The phone call Ayase made to Ikki after Kaito wakes up is removed.
 * Shizuku's opponent for her next match isn't revealed yet.