Episode 9

### Animation Direction

Noriyuki Imaoka (Chief), Ayumu Tsukamoto, Maki Fukui, Masahiro Sekiguchi, Tomoko Fukunaga

**Staked Claims** (激突のマーク, *Gekitotsu no Māku*) is the 9th episode of *Gleipnir* anime series.

Koyanagi leads the team through the mountains, and they discover a suspicious and troubling mark.

## Short Summary

Sayaka suggests they find the crashed spaceship to collect coins. On their way, they enter the territory of an enemy and decide to take a detour to avoid fighting them.

Despite the steep road, Chihiro is worried if she need to tell the truth and that there is someone who gathered 100 coins already.

As they go towards they destination without encountering any enemies, Clair starts to suspect something isn't right.

## Long Summary

Sayaka's group head into the mountain. They reach a stone with a turf marking and Sayaka believes its a warning that if they pass it, they will be attacked. Sayaka tells Ikeuchi to show a video he took and he shows a video of enemies he recorded. Clair is surprised how he went in and out that deep in their territory, and Ikeuchi recalls that how Sudo found him out. Sayaka decides they go around as they are after the coins and not there to fight and sends Ikeuchi scouting ahead. They take some break and Isao grows some watermelons for them to eat. Chihiro wants to tell everyone that there is someone with 100 coins already, but before she does, they continue on their way.

Clair realizes something and explains that this route is dangerous as if the other group wanted to claim territories to search for the coins, they won't choose a dark forest, but more open place like the riverside. She suspects that this is a trap and the markings are only there to fool and guide the weaker collectors into trap. In that moment, they see a group standing on a cliff and decide to run away. The other group led by Madoka realizes they have been seen and Taguchi thinks since they aren't that small group they may loose some people, but Madoka tells him they are fools and they just need to capture one and threat him "nice" and others will obey. Morita gets excited and runs ahead and quickly caught ups to them. Clair realizes he may be stalling until his group comes and engages him with Shuichi, but he manages to stop them and know them down. Morita then captures Sayaka and warns the rest to not move or he will kill her. He explains they are not trying to rule the world or destroy the human race, but want to live a free and happy life. Morita tells them to hand over the coins and join them and then throws out a head of a woman that wandered in their territory, explaining that their boss is quite strong. Yota comments that the woman was beautiful and was his type. He explains he doesn't like to fight and had to drop out of school as he injured someone badly. As he transforms, Shuichi realizes he was wrong and that Yota was someone strong. Yota then jumps in and saves Sayaka and the proceeds easily beating Morita.

Madoka reaches Morita and asks Hanakawa to look for the other group. Hanakawa sees they are 500 meters ahead. They see Morita is badly injured with broken jaw and the group starts suggesting they just kill him as they never liked him. Madoka says that they are all idiots and that he is the one getting the coins, so he needs to show them why he is meant to be the boss. He takes out one of his tooths and tells that Morita's pain is his pain and he will never abandon him or any of his other men, no matter how rotten they are.

Isao grows some tree's to block their path and buy some time. But then Madoka in his monster form bursts through them and punches Isao. He is about to kill him, thinking he was the one that hurt Morita, but Yota jumps in and states it was him, but his punch had no effect on Madoka. Madoka then sees Clair entering Shuichi and heads towards their way, knocking Yota and wondering what Shuichi was.

## Characters

* Shuichi Kagaya
* Clair Aoki
* Ikeuchi
* Chihiro Yoshioka
* Miku Aihara
* Isao Kasuga
* Yota Murakami
* Sayaka Koyanagi
* Sudo
* Tadanori Sanbe (mentioned)
* Elena Aoki (flashback)
* Madoka
* Taguchi
* Morita
* Hanakawa