A sickly young boy, Rollo, kneels to pray with his mother for the wind to blow, as a radio broadcast asks its listeners to praise and honor the "angel of salvation" sent by God.
On the way to July and now accompanied by Wolfwood, Roberto, Meryl and Vash enter an area where the sand is a curious shade of red. They stumble across a village that once ran without a Plant, but has been deserted for some time. Investigating, they run afoul of the berserker mutant known as Monev the Gale, who's made the place his home and seems strangely fixated on Vash, constantly screaming his name. Vash, for his part, clearly knows more about the situation than he's initially willing to disclose.
More evidence emerges proving Vash is not what he seems, he and Wolfwood get into a debate over their principles, and the dark practices of a Plant-worshipping cult known as the Eye of Michael are revealed, hinting at a connection to Knives's plans.
Tropes that appear in this episode:
- Apocalypse Cult: The Eye of Michael tells its followers to "praise death" because those who die go to heaven, and takes children from its followers as Human Sacrifices to God, who brings blessings in exchange for devouring the children. In truth, Doctor William Conrad uses the sacrifices as subjects in his experiments, and the god they worship is Millions Knives.
- Bookends: The episode starts with Vash and Wolfwood comfortably sleeping in the back of the car next to each other. In contrast, the episode ends with the two of them still sitting in the back together, but now on icy terms after Monev's death.
- Born Unlucky: Rollo was born on a windless day, a sign of bad luck in a village that depends on wind power. He is terminally ill and then chosen as a subject for torturous experiments before he can even die of his disease.
- Convenient Photograph: Roberto and Meryl find a photo of Vash beaming and holding an infant Rollo, which wouldn't be odd if it weren't twenty years old and Vash's appearance in it wasn't identical to how he looks now.
- Distinguishing Mark: Rollo has a large birthmark over his left eye. He still has it as Monev, hammering home that this once-innocent child has been turned into a monster.
- Dramatic Irony: Despite Vash's best efforts to save Rollo, he dies; his death as the "sacrifice" seems to bring back the wind the now-deserted town so desperately needed all those years ago. Rollo tried to escape his fate of being sacrificed, but he couldn't.
- Empty Promise: Years ago, Vash came to the village and helped find Rollo after he ran away from home in fear of being sacrificed. Vash promised that if Rollo needed him, he'd be there to help — but wasn't there to stop Rollo being mutated into Monev the Gale. Wolfwood brutally calls Vash out for this, telling him the wrong is his for making a promise he had no way to keep.
- Foreshadowing: The DJ host for this episode preaches about two angels reuniting and creating a bridge of light that will lead everyone to "the land of God". This is both a strong hint that the cult is Knives's doing and at what his plans are, and a rough summary of this season's finale.
- Futile Hand Reach: When Monev gets shot through the head, Vash yells Rollo's name and reaches out for him, but even if he had made the catch it's obvious there was nothing he could do.
- Ghost Story: Roberto recounts a story to Meryl about a huge monster who destroyed a town, then jokingly asks if that "chilling" story made any difference to the heat she was suffering. He was probably not expecting to actually encounter the inspiration for that story.
- Kidnapped for Experimentation: Rollo's sacrifice to the Eye of Michael takes the form of him being sedated, abducted and taken to July, where Dr. Conrad subjects him to experimental treatments to create a perfected human form. Rollo is the first subject in five years to survive, becoming Monev the Gale, but he became so consumed by madness and hate he was of no use to the Eye.
- Made of Iron: Monev should reasonably have broken Vash's spine or skull after slamming him into the wall while strangling him, but Vash suffers no worse than a few cuts and bruises — further proof of his inhuman nature.
- Madness Mantra: The only thing Monev can say is "Vash the Stampede!"
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Once Monev dies, the wind begins to blow after what looks like a long period without it, causing the power to run again. It could be coincidence, or it could be that Rollo's sacrifice really did bring blessings to the town.
- Mercy Kill: As Vash is trying to talk Monev/Rollo down, Wolfwood shoots the mutant through the head just when it seems Vash might be getting through. His explanation is that even if Rollo had remembered himself, it would have been torture to let him live in that state. Vash, grief-stricken and enraged, can't come up with any rebuttal beyond, "It's not for you to decide," and Wolfwood turns even that back on him by mockingly asking what makes him qualified.
- Neck Lift: Monev picks Vash up by the throat and viciously slams his shoulders into a wall hard enough that it cracks. It's astonishing that Vash is even conscious enough to speak afterward.
- Please Wake Up: Vash begs this of Monev after Wolfwood shoots him, anguished over his failure to help the boy he once knew.
- The Power of Hate: One of the alterations to create Monev includes an implant that heightens his aggression in the hopes it will accelerate his development. It worked, turning him into an enormous muscle-bound hulk, but Monev became completely fixated on his hatred of Vash and couldn't be controlled.
- Say My Name: As Dr. Conrad begins the first round of Rollo's treatments, Rollo cries out in fear and pain for Vash to save him as he promised — but Vash was far from July with no way to know that Rollo faced this danger. Rollo's alterations heightened his rage over the perceived abandonment until it was the only feeling he had, and as a result he can only scream Vash's name at the sight of him and attack.
- Strapped to an Operating Table: The fate of the sacrifices is to be subjected to forced drug regimens and cyborg alteration that gives them great strength and regenerative powers, but in Rollo's case render him barely cognisant with rage. This is not the last time the distinctive cross-shaped operating table appears.
- Super Serum: The drugs that turn Rollo into Monev and allow him to heal after Wolfwood peppers him with gunfire. Not coincidentally, this episode has Wolfwood use his healing vials for the first time on screen, handily explaining how he was fine minutes after getting sideswiped by a truck.
- Unstoppable Rage: As Monev, Rollo is stuck in a permanent state of homicidal rage directed at Vash for being unable to help him.
