Sadlygrove, still in despair for what he did to Eva, renounces his role of Shushu Guardian, buries Rubilax and ventures forth in an endless desert. However, an encounter with his Not Quite Dead mentor Goultard motivates him to redeem himself and face his fears and insecurities. Will he be able to tame Rubilax and become a real Guardian?
Tropes:
- Affectionate Nickname: Goultard refers to Sadlygrove as "Pipoun" (in French) and "Dally-o" (in English). He also calls Rubilax "Rubi".
- Armor-Piercing Question: The very first words in the episode: at the end of the dream sequence where Dally is dancing with Eva, she promptly goes for a somber What the Hell, Hero? in six words:Eva: Why did you break my bow?
[cue Catapult Nightmare] - Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: The Shushu-summoning formula used by Goultard to let Rubilax out of his sword appeals to fear, hatred and "bad temper".
- Attack Backfire: Rubilax' power allows him to grow in size for every attack he tanks, going from a runt the size of a lawn gnome to a towering behemoth.
- Defeat Means Respect: Goultard tells Sadlygrove that the only way to earn Rubilax's respect is to prove himself better than him, and it's a running theme with most Shushu and their guardians.
- Dishing Out Dirt: Rubilax' secondary power allows him to summon and control an army of clones made of stone.
- The Dreaded: Goultard to the Shushu, to the point of having Rubilax, in the body of a giant worm, stop in his tracks and panic when faced by him.
- Failure Hero: Invoked by Sadlygrove, who retells his many misadventures and shortcomings before meeting Yugo to Goultard's tomb. They're so hilarious Goultard can't help but laugh, which confuses Dally and makes him think someone's hiding in the tomb with him before Goultard reveals himself.
- Foreshadowing:
- Sadlygrove's "conscience" resembles a tiny version of himself surrounded by a golden outline. Turns out it's a hint to the big reveal of the OVA.
- When boasting to Dally, Rubilax claim that once he's free, he'll find Shadowfang, release her and his imprisoned Shushu brothers and have Evangelyne ghoulified. This is more or less his plan in Season 2, with some alteration.
- Gathering Steam: Because of his powers, the more you land attacks on Rubilax, the stronger he becomes, and in the long run he's able to overwhelm his tired opponents.
- Heroic Second Wind: When Rubilax threaten Evangelyne, Sadlygrove goes suddenly berserk and proceeds to destroy all the army of stone Rubilax Clones.
- Hurt Foot Hop: Sadlygrove is suffering from a heat stroke in the desert, and is convinced the ruin he's stumbling toward is just another mirage. So he gives a good kick to its stone wall — barefoot. Cue an X-ray shot of his poor foot bones, followed by the one-legged dance.
- I Have You Now, My Pretty: Implied, as Rubilax says that he plans to turn Eva into "his sexiest Ghoul ever". This doesn't pleases Sadlygrove at all.
- Mating Dance: The episode opens with a dream sequence featuring a suggestive dance between Eva and Dally.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Sadlygrove is still heartbroken for destroying Eva's bow, enough to lose all heroic willpower.
- The Napoleon: Turns out, base form Rubilax is even shorter than Yugo, which Sadlygrove can't help but laugh at. He's still a power-hungry demon, as proven when Rubi lands the first hit on Dally and lampshaded by Goultard before he does so.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Rubilax panics and becomes much meeker upon realizing that it's Goultard the one besides Sadlygrove. He has a second one when he realizes that his own weight due to his giant form is making him sink under the sand.
- Sadlygrove has one himself when he realizes that Rubilax is getting bigger and bigger with each strike he lands, with Rubi even admitting it's a common reaction from people seeing it for the first time.
- Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: Sadlygrove visits what he think is the tomb of his master Goultard... except that he's still alive and kicking. It's just as much a surprise to Rubilax when he catches up to them.Goultard: You know, Death is rather overrated.
- Scars Are Forever: During the battle against Rubilax, Sadlygrove is scorched by a stream of black Shushu fire which leaves black marks on his face, ear and hair.
- Shipper on Deck: Goultard is quite amused to realize that Sadlygrove has become smitten since they've last met, and gives him encouragement that he hasn't ruined his chances with Eva simply because he destroyed her weapon, telling him a woman's heart is much stronger than her bow.
- Shout-Out: The Iop Greeting Dance in some points resembles a Fusion Dance.
- Took a Level in Badass: Thanks to Goultard, Saldygrove regains confidence in himself, manages to defeat and tame Rubilax and returns from the desert with a new, edgier look and turns his destroyed tabard into a cool mantle.
- Unstoppable Rage: When Rubilax makes the mistake of threatening Eva, Dally goes to town on all his clones, in a show of Tranquil Fury to boot.
- Use Your Head: Goultard tells Dally to never forget how to use his head. And Dally remembers and uses a series of headbutts to make Rubilax grow so large he starts sinking in the sand under his own weight.
- Weaksauce Weakness: Rubilax is eventually defeated because his giant form is so heavy that the sand can't support its weight (also due to the presence of a cavern beneath) and starts sinking into the desert.
