Friends clash!
Episode 11 sees our brave heroes fracturing as Sophitia’s manipulation bears fruit. But while Nemo seems alone, there are indeed other people willing to help him: Faria, Reda, and even Ellen.
Perhaps it is because all of them knows part of the truth, particularly Reda. And this becomes important later on as Faria vows to protect Nemo at all costs, a sentiment he also shares. There’s a sweet moment between these two after a brief lull in the fighting, though it’s only platonic at this point.
Meanwhile, Jou and Gareth has all but fallen under Sophitia’s wiles. On one hand, Jou is bounded by his own fascination to the librarian, and his vow to protect her. On the other, Gareth is fully consumed by hatred, and also guilt, to the point that he would be willing to corrupt himself in order to kill Nemo.
Thus, Sophitia’s plans are now in motion, and another world-ending incident begins. Fortunately, our heroes arrive to save the day, and it is here that the battle begins in earnest.
The fact that Reda is confident in holding off three Seven Knights—Jou, Shirley, and Gildan—speaks much about her strength, both physically and mentally. She’s determined to have her vengeance against Sophitia, making her an even more dangerous foe than before. Her participation, then, is very crucial, especially when she convinces both Shirley and Gildan to find the truth. Unfortunately, Jou succumbs to Sophitia’s corruption, forcing Gildan to fight his friend and save him just as Jou did to Gildan before.
Reda’s distraction proves useful as it allows Nemo and Faria to forge ahead… and discovers the real truth behind Genius.
As we might have already expected, Genius was never really the villain. In fact, he was a Seven Knight alongside Neumonia, which probably explains why Nemo and Faria are so drawn to each other. And it is an interesting parallel because, just like Nemo, Genius values the lives of others more than his, leading to the ultimate sacrifice.
Unfortunately, this comes with its own complications. Genius intentionally placed a failsafe on the seal that prevents monsters from overrunning the world, which kills anyone who get close to it in order to keep it functional. And while this has mostly kept the magic intact, it creates a host of other problems too, resulting to our heroes’ present situation.
Probably the most shocking part about this revelation is the fact that Sophitia was once a kind girl, but blinded by her admiration for Genius. This twisted her personality into the Sophitia we know: an immortal witch who leads Physis from the shadows until recently.
And as expected, she is as strong as she is cunning, easily overpowering Faria and creating a distraction so that Gareth, now half-mad with corruption and vengeance, can deal a fatal blow against Nemo.
Everything would have ended there, but like most protagonist, the current Nemo encounters the spirit of the original. And in a really heartwarming scene, we see how the present Nemo is indeed racked with guilt over what he did. However, the original, as well as Genius, gives him a morale boost. And with the help of a contingency plan by Ellen, our hero rises again to end Physis once and for all.
Overall, episode 11 is an excellent penultimate episode that sets the stage for a climactic final battle between good and evil.
Episode score: 8/10.