Episode 65

**Meru-Meru-Me~! Umagon’s Lightning Speed!!** (*メルメルメ〜! ウマゴン電光石火!!, Merumerume~! Umagon Denkōsekka!!*) is the 65th episode of the Konjiki no Gash Bell!! Anime. This episode first aired in Japan on July 11, 2004.

## Overview

Umagon comes to Gash and Kiyomaro’s rescue just in time with the help of his bookkeeper, Kafka Sunbeam. Despite having only been together for a short time, Umagon and Sunbeam show how powerful they are together with the deep bond they already share with each other as true partners.

## Plot

Umagon returns to the battlefield just in time to help Gash and Kiyomaro but this time, he’s not alone. His spell book is seen shining bright in the hands of his true bookkeeper, Kafka Sunbeam. Seeing that Umagon is ready to help his friends, Sunbeam casts their first spell, *Shudoruku*. Everyone watches as the spell creates silver armor for Umagon and on Sunbeam’s cue, Umagon shows off to everyone his incredible speed. Umagon first collapses a nearby pillar onto the middle of the sand pit that Gash and Kiyomaro had been slowly pulled into before he frees Leila from Dalmos’ grip. He then quickly darts back and forth between the walls and Dalmos before Dalmos would try pursuing him while in battle form. Umagon manages to outrun him before finally getting an opportunity to knock down Dalmos. Dalmos then sinks to the bottom of the sand pit, being buried in it, and Gash and Kiyomaro take this as an opportunity to climb out of it. Kiyomaro struggles a bit, but Sunbeam helps pull him to safety while also introducing himself.

Sunbeam apologizes for his late arrival and explains that part of this was waiting for Umagon to conquer his fear of fighting in order to confront his destiny. He then talks a bit of his backstory and the events leading up to him becoming Umagon’s partner. Two weeks prior, Sunbeam had been working at his job before suddenly being approached by Dr. Riddles who tells him all the details about the battle to decide king. Afterwards, he would take him to meet with Umagon who was in town trying to show off his spell book to anyone that would look at it. While doing this, a dog takes Umagon’s spell book and runs off with it before Sunbeam steps in, calms the dog, and looks at the spell book himself. It was there that Sunbeam informs Dr. Riddles and Umagon that he’s able to read it thus making him Umagon’s true partner in the battle.

While he had found his partner after searching for so long, Umagon begins to realize that this means he can no longer avoid any battles which causes him to become visibly anxious and scared. Sunbeam immediately senses that this was the source of his fears which surprises Dr. Riddles. At the time as well, Sunbeam tells Umagon it’s up to him to make up his decision on whether he wants to fight or not and Umagon, giving into his fears, sadly shakes his head no. Seeing that Umagon wasn’t ready for any battles, Sunbeam informs Dr. Riddles that they won’t be able to join him. While disappointing, Dr. Riddles understands that they cannot force him to fight or he’ll otherwise be a hindrance in the battle. While Umagon was there, Dr. Riddles gives him a letter addressed to Kiyomaro, which was the very letter in which Kiyomaro had seen earlier that had all the details he had been searching for about the ruins. After hearing his story, Gash and Kiyomaro would then ask him why he had chosen to come to the ruins despite everything to which Sunbeam simply replies saying he still believed in Umagon. Just as they finish talking, Dalmos suddenly reappears from behind a wall and transforms into his *Begiruku* battle form. Likewise, Sunbeam and Umagon also prepare themselves for the fight and the battle continues.

During the fight, Umagon repeatedly tries to attack Dalmos by charging at him at full speed but each time proves to have little effect on him. As he keeps doing this, Dalmos would strike him back towards the ground but each time he does so, Umagon forces himself to get back up and continues attacking him with all his might. Despite being at a disadvantage with their difference in power, Umagon remains determined to fight as he thinks back to all that his friends had endured in the ruins while he was only able to watch. After several attempts, Umagon manages to create a small crack in Dalmos’ reinforced armor. Dalmos would then start attacking him using his spell, *Ganzu Begiru*, but Umagon manages to dodge each of the spell’s projectiles with his speed. Umagon succeeds in closing in the distance between him and Dalmos and tries to attack him again but he is once again knocked down to the ground in a single punch. Unable to watch any further, Kiyomaro tries to get up to help Umagon but Sunbeam tells him to continue resting and to leave the rest of the battle for him and Umagon. Just then, they see Umagon get held down by Dalmos and Sunbeam wastes no time coming to his rescue. He gathers up sand as he runs towards them and throws it in Dalmos’ eyes, causing him to be disoriented and attack randomly around him. Sunbeam manages to get Umagon away from him but he takes a direct hit from Dalmos causing him to get thrown back some distance.

When they get back on their feet, Dalmos tells them to surrender as they haven’t inflicted any significant damage to him. Sunbeam however retorts that they’re far from finished and knows exactly all that Umagon had endured in order to get to where he is now. He then thinks back on witnessing Umagon’s personal conflict between his fear of fighting and helping his friends and sees just how much he had grown by the time they met each other at the front of the ruins. During that moment, Sunbeam asks Umagon if he has made his decision and warns that once he reads a spell from the book, he would no longer be able to escape from his destiny. When looking into his eyes, Sunbeam knew then that Umagon was ready and felt glad he had trusted him and came there to help. Not waiting any longer for them, Dalmos speeds towards them to attack. Just then however, Umagon’s book begins to glow as a new spell has suddenly appeared. Sunbeam would then cast their second spell, *Gou Shudoruku*, which creates a new golden armor for Umagon. He lunges towards Dalmos and he manages to pierce and shatter Dalmos’ battle armor with his newly created horn.

Still not ready to give up, Dalmos uses his next spell, *Kiroro Amubegiru*, to create long sharp blades on his arms to attack Umagon with. As the two spar, Sunbeam orders Umagon to parry Dalmos’ attack before finally telling him to move in close and attack him directly with his horn. After being knocked back by Umagon, Dalmos prepares to use his next spell, *Begirubao*. When Sunbeam sees Dalmos’ bookkeeper suddenly move back before casting the spell, Sunbeam calls out to Umagon signaling for him to move back as well. Umagon evades Dalmos’ attack successfully and Dalmos, as well as Gash and Kiyomaro, see just how in tune both Sunbeam and Umagon are with each other as partners. Just listening to Sunbeam’s voice calling his name, Umagon dodges more of Dalmos’ attacks with ease. When he sees an opportunity to attack Dalmos from behind, Sunbeam calls out to Umagon one last time. Umagon strikes Dalmos from behind causing him to be pushed down through a wall. Though Dalmos still insists he’s still able to fight, he sees that the battle had already been decided as his spell book was right in Sunbeam’s hands. Sunbeam explains how this came to be by stating that Umagon had been secretly communicating with him the whole time about distancing Dalmos away from his bookkeeper. Finally putting an end to things, Sunbeam sets Dalmos’ spell book on fire using a lighter which causes Dalmos to begin fading away. As Sunbeam and Umagon walk away, Dalmos’ spell book vanishes along with Dalmos himself and Sunbeam praises Umagon for a job well done.

## Features

### Characters by Appearance

* Umagon
* Kafka Sunbeam
* Gash Bell
* Kiyomaro Takamine
* Leila
* Dalmos
* Elizabeth
* Dr. Riddles (Flashback)
* Kid (Flashback)
* Tio (Flashback)
* Canchome (Flashback)
* Megumi Oumi (Flashback)

## Spells by Appearance

* Detōza Begirusen
* Begiruku
* Shudoruku (Debut)
* Begirusen (Flashback)
* Ganzu Begiru (Debut)
* Gou Shudoruku (Debut)
* Kiroro Amubegiru (Debut)
* Begirubao (Debut)

## Manga & Anime Differences

* In the manga, the battle against Dalmos takes place in the same room in which Victoream had just been defeated in. In the anime, this battle takes place in a different area of the ruins that was filled entirely with sand.
	+ Because of the different battle location, many events and strategies that are seen in the battle play out differently between the manga and the anime.
* In the manga, Umagon is seen fighting Dalmos for some time before Sunbeam finally introduces himself to Gash and Kiyomaro. In the anime, Sunbeam introduces himself much earlier.
* Flashbacks showing how Sunbeam came to meet Umagon and then reuniting at the front of the ruins was shown first before the start of the battle against Dalmos in the manga. In the anime, these flashbacks are shown later.
	+ The manga also shows an additional conversation between Dr. Riddles and Kid that takes place just after meeting with Sunbeam.

## Censorship & Other Localization Differences

* Details such as blood from injuries are cleaned up from characters in the VIZ localization but other things such as scratches and clothing tears are usually left alone. All bleeding seen on Sunbeam would be cleaned up in the VIZ localization.
* A scene that shows Sunbeam burning Dalmos’ spell book with a lighter was removed in the VIZ localization. This scene would be replaced with a recycled close up of Sunbeam.

## Trivia

* There is a minor animation error in a scene where Dr. Riddles gives his letter to Umagon where his hand is seen without his glove on.