Episode 13

**"Aspiring to Go Higher"** (高みへの意志, *Takami e no Ishi*, ***"Aspiring to Go Higher"***?) is the thirteenth episode of the *Fumetsu no Anata e* anime series. It is also preceded by the two/three-part special "Fushi's Journey."

## Synopsis

Pioran shows Fushi a peaceful island where he can train to further develop his abilities and self-awareness in humanity. However, a fourteen-year-old girl named Tornari shows up and redirects them to an an ominous island of "freedom" called Jananda. Now separated and branded as prisoners, can Fushi and Pioran escape from such a terrible place?

## Characters

*In order of appearance:*

Fushi

The Beholder

Pioran

Tonari
Debut

Uroy
Debut

Capt. Skyfish
Debut

Ligard
Debut

Sandel
Debut

Mia
Debut

Oopa
Debut

## Summary

After leaving Booze Man's place, Fushi walks alone for a while, struggling with his emotions. He calls out to The Beholder and demands that he explains to him why he exists, what he's supposed to do now and why Gugu had to die. Fushi decides that, if the Nokkers want to control him, he would "stop being himself" and turns into a fruit, but the Beholder forces him to turn back into a human. Fushi yells at him that he should fight the nokkers instead if he wants to defeat them, but the Beholder refuses, arguing that it would be simple but that he can't stop them from trying to fulfill their goal as he cannot control the minds of others, which is why he needs to train Fushi until he is able to defeat the nokkers by himself. Fushi refuses this idea, saying that he doesn't care what happens anymore. Suddenly, he smells a familiar scent in the wolf's form and runs off into the forest. As he jumps out of the bushes, he finds Pioran riding on a donkey.

Pioran explains that she decided to follow him because she wasn't able to help Fushi in Takunaha. Fushi tells her to go back because the nokkers will come after him, to which Pioran argues that she wants to support Fushi and give meaning to the years she has left. Fushi becomes more and more annoyed as he tries to convince Pioran to leave, but she doesn't give in. Thus, the two continue to travel together, however Fushi keeps his distance from Pioran and refuses to accept food from her. Pioran on the other hand continues to care for Fushi. After a while, Fushi asks Pioran to promise him something: that she won't die.

Sometime later, Pioran asks Fushi to pick her some fruit from a tree. Fushi tries to, but can't. Pioran comments on this by saying that he could do it in no time if he turned into March. However, Fushi has no memory of March because that vessel was stolen from him in Takunaha. Pioran is taken aback and tries to explain to Fushi who March is, but he still doesn't remember her in the slightest. He can remember that he was once able to climb trees, and as he thinks harder about it, an image of a nokker in the shape of March pops into his mind. He starts to remember what she meant to him, but nothing more. Pioran later calls this phenomenon a ‘second death', to which Fushi assures her that he won't let it happen to anyone else. As they keep travelling, Pioran offers Fushi to take him to a place with no people, the Sarlnine Forest, where he could train without putting people in danger. Fushi is unsure at first because they would have to take a boat and a nokker could attack them while at sea, but Pioran ultimately convinces him.

As they arrive at the port, Pioran points out the ship they're going to board, but a girl appears and guides them to a different ship instead, explaining that the other one is full. However, as soon as they board it, they get separated and Fushi is shoved into a cage full to the brim with people. A man burns a mark onto the passenger's hands and also on Fushi's, but his hands are able to heal within a few seconds, erasing the mark. After a short moment of shock, Fushi worries about what might happen to Pioran. Meanwhile, the man announces that their final life will begin now, on an island called Jananda Island.

While Fushi is lead off the ship, blindfolded and with his hands tied together, a man notices that his legs aren't shackled and that his hands aren't marked. The girl that brought Fushi and Pioran onto the ship interrupts the man and explains that it was her mistake to bring him here before she leads Fushi away from the other people. As soon as the two are separated from the crowd, Fushi manages to pull off his blindfold and asks the girl where Pioran is, to which she responds that she doesn't know. Fushi quickly frees himself from the girl's grip to go look for Pioran and keeps searching as the wolf.

While he manages to smell where Pioran is, a tall wall keeps him from reaching her. He attempts to scale it with spears, but slips and falls to the ground where the girl and her group find him. Fushi sees an owl and realizes that if he takes its form, he will be able to fly over the wall. He borrows a bow and attempts to shoot the owl, but is quickly stopped by the group, explaining that the owl is their partner. Fushi asks them if they know a way to get to the other side of the wall, but none of them do. The girl then tells Fushi that the island is a prison island, and that even if he found Pioran, she wouldn't be able to leave because she was marked as a prisoner. Fushi glares at her in anger and the girl tries to apologize, saying that it was a mistake, but Fushi does not believe her. The girl then says that she will make it up to Fushi by telling him the one realistic way of leaving the island, which is to win in the island's arena.