Episode 12 - Numbers
In the sewers, the Forwards plus Ginga are fighting a pitched battle against Lutecia, Garyuu and Agito. The momentum shifts again, however, when Vita and Rein show up. Lutecia and company retreat; the Forwards retrieve the Relic case and head for the surface.
Up in the sky, Hayate is continuing to obliterate the flying Gadgets. In the nearby TSAB Ground HQ, the commotion has attracted the attention of Lt General Regius Gaiz, who is watching on a monitor. His aide, Auris, informs him that Hayate is an SS ranked mage attached to Central HQ. Regius is unimpressed to learn the names of Riot Force Six's sponsors, and says that Hayate should be considered a criminal due to the Book of Darkness Incident. He tells Auris to arrange an investigation of Hayate and her unit.
In an Abandoned Area of the city, Agito is arguing with Lutecia about the wisdom of working with Scaglietti and the "Numbers". They are both caught off guard when Riot Force Six appears. The Forwards corner Lutecia, and Rein captures Agito; Vita places them both under arrest.
Not far away, on a building roof, Quattro is with a similarly-attired young woman, Dieci, who is wearing the numeral 'X'. The latter has an enormous energy cannon and cybernetically enhanced eyes, and is taking sight on the distant Riot Force Six helicopter. She asks if it's all right to risk destroying the case and the "material". Quattro says not to worry, that the "Vessel of the Saint" won't be destroyed so easily. Just then, she receives word of Lutecia's capture; she contacts another colleague, Sein (Number VI), and starts to issue instructions.
Lutecia, still in Riot Force Six's custody, receives a telepathic communication from Quattro, who asks her to pass a message on to Vita: "You can capture me if you like, but can you really leave that helicopter of yours alone?". At that moment, Long Arch detects a massive energy surge from within the city, as Dieci powers up her cannon. Nanoha and Fate, still on route to meet up with the helicopter, notice it as well. Quattro uses Lutecia to convey one last taunt just as Dieci opens fire.
A massive energy beam converges with the helicopter, which is engulfed by an explosion. Moments later, Sein phases through the ground where Vita and the others are frantically confronting Lutecia, grabs the Relic case, and disappears again. Then, while everyone is distracted, she comes back and grabs Lutecia as well, while Agito slips away on her own. Vita, on the verge of a Heroic BSoD at this point, desperately contacts Long Arch to learn the status of the helicopter.
It turns out the helicopter is undamaged — Nanoha just managed to reach it and get a shield up in time. Quattro and Dieci are shocked that it survived, and are even more shocked an instant later when Fate appears, having traced their location. They beat a hasty retreat through the abandoned district; Fate pursues, but they conceal themselves with Quattro's Inherent Skill. That doesn't save them, though — Hayate, now apprised of their position, casts a wide-area spatial distortion spell, Diabolic Emission, driving them out and into the waiting arms of Fate and Nanoha. It seems that Quattro and Dieci are cornered, but they are suddenly rescued at the last moment by yet another compatriot: Number III, Tre.
Vita is still upset that her prisoners escaped, apparently with the Relic, but Teana and Caro reveal that they had removed the Relic from its case and hidden it. Ultimately, it seems that Riot Force Six made it through this encounter without any real loss, although they are clearly up against powerful enemies.
Arriving back in Scaglietti's base, Lutecia and her allies realize they've been duped. Lutecia, noticing that the Relic case was labelled number VI, says it's not important, as she's only interested in number XI.
That evening, Nanoha looks in on the small girl they rescued, now under care at a Saint Church run hospital. The girl calls out for "Mama" in her sleep; Nanoha, trying to comfort her, sits down next to her and tells her "I'm here"...
Tropes
- Abandoned Area: The large urban area where Riot Force Six faces off against the Numbers appears to be abandoned and derelict, although no reason for this is ever given.
- BFG: Dieci's weapon.
- Call-Back:
- Hayate casts Diabolic Emission, which was the very first attack launched by the original Reinforce back in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's.
- In Exceed Mode, Nanoha's Barrier Jacket is basically identical to her outfit from the first two seasons.
- Flight: Zigzagged with the Numbers — Quattro and Tre can clearly fly, whereas Dieci clearly cannot (since Quattro has to carry her at one point). Lutecia also here appears to have at least limited flight ability, which may account for her Dramatic High Perching tendencies.
- Perky Female Minion: Sein is cheerful and energetic from the word go, and is also quite friendly to Lutecia.
- Scary Shiny Glasses: The reflections on Quattro's glasses come and go in a decidedly sinister way, underlining the true nature of her personality.
- Smug Snake: Quattro's taunting of Vita firmly establishes her as one.
- Super-Speed: Tre's Inherent Skill, Ride Impulse, gives her this ability, which is what allows her to rescue Quattro and Dieci at the last second.
- The Gloves Come Off: Nanoha releases her Power Limiter and activates her Exceed Mode for the first time, in order to save the helicopter from Dieci's blast.
- Tranquil Fury: It's understated, but her cold expression as she casts Diabolic Emission makes it clear that the normally sweet-natured Hayate is genuinely angry following the attack on the helicopter. She doesn't issue warnings or make any of her usual self-deprecating remarks... she simply hurls one of her most brutally deadly spells right at Quattro and Dieci.
- By the same token, Fate and Nanoha are definitely not in a befriending mood at this point either, as they blast the pair with some of their most powerful combat attacks.
