# 9 - Message
Source: [Crunchyroll](https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/GRMEKQW4Y/butlers-x-battlers)
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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
**[00:11] Tenna**
Isn't it good? Hayakawa-san gave it to me.
**[00:14] Tenna**
It's a very expensive foreign tea.
**[00:16] J**
Yeah, it smells great.
**[00:20] J**
The ritual's coming up soon.
**[00:22] Tenna**
Yep. After the ritual, there's the wedding.
**[00:26] Tenna**
I barely have a chance to breathe.
**[00:28] J**
Do your best.
**[00:32] Tenna**
Leave it to me!
**[00:35] J**
I know it's tradition, but I guess you have
to marry someone from the head family.
**[00:39] J**
If only I were in the head family.
**[00:41] Tenna**
Thanks.
**[00:43] Tenna**
But I'll be fine, if it's with Hayakawa-san.
**[00:47] J**
I see...
**[00:51] Tenna**
Oh, yeah! Onii-chan!
**[00:54] Tenna**
Come with me!
**[00:55] J**
H-Hey!
**[01:15] Tenna**
I'll let you in just for right now.
**[01:17] J**
Tenna, this isn't good. I'm not supposed to...
**[01:21] Tenna**
It's fine! I wanted to show you, Onii-chan.
**[01:44] Tenna**
Isn't it beautiful?
**[01:47] Tenna**
Don't forget, okay?
**[01:49] J**
Huh?
**[01:52] Tenna**
Never mind...
**[01:54] Tenna**
It's nothing.
**[02:14] J**
*A dream about back then...*
**[02:24] J**
That's...
**[02:30] J**
Space-time is starting to distort...
***SIGN*** Episode 9
Message
**[04:12] Akira**
Those clouds look weird, don't they?
**[04:15] Haya**
That's the distortion in space-time.
That's where the rift's entrance will form.
**[04:20] Akira**
Rift?
**[04:21] Haya**
Yes. It's hard to explain, but...
**[04:28] Haya**
Our world is made up of many
layers, just like this coffee.
**[04:39] Haya**
If the power of the pendant that
belongs to the Blood Spirit is set free,
**[04:42] Haya**
it's possible to enter the
rift through the distortion.
**[04:46] Haya**
If you go through that rift...
**[04:50] Haya**
You'll be able to go to
a different space-time.
**[04:53] Akira**
I see. So it was this power that
brought you and J-kun here.
**[05:00] Haya**
Yes.
**[05:01] Haya**
But if left alone, the distortion in
space-time will swallow up the whole world.
**[05:06] Haya**
That's why we must seal the distortion.
**[05:10] Haya**
The only one who can do that
is the Blood Spirit priestess.
**[05:13] Akira**
So that's what the ritual is...
**[05:15] Haya**
Yes.
**[05:17] Haya**
But during the ritual, Tenna-sama...
**[05:22] Akira**
Welcome!
**[05:24] Holmes**
Hayakawa Tsubasa.
**[05:27] Holmes**
I need to talk to you.
**[05:32] Haru**
J and I had been trying to find
out more about this bracelet
**[05:35] Haru**
and what happened to J's sister.
**[05:38] Haru**
The numbers 2220 appeared from the bracelet.
**[05:43] Haru**
As for what that means...
I think I figured it out.
**[05:46] Ren**
Wow, well done.
**[05:47] Hotaru**
That's amazing, Haruto-senpai.
**[05:49] Drac**
That's not bad, coming from you.
**[05:52] Haru**
First, take a look at these two maps.
**[05:55] Haru**
One is just a normal map of Koyomi City.
**[05:58] Haru**
The other one is a map made by
combining the student year badges,
**[06:01] Haru**
and this shows the ley lines.
**[06:03] Hotaru**
Ley lines?
**[06:05] Ren**
It's a concept used in feng shui.
**[06:07] Ren**
They're said to contain the energy
flowing through the earth.
**[06:11] Haru**
Exactly.
***SIGN*** North West East
**[06:12] Haru**
In feng shui, it's said there's
a point that's perfectly aligned
**[06:15] Haru**
with the four gods who make the land prosper.
**[06:18] Haru**
To the north, we have the
Black Tortoise's mountains.
**[06:21] Haru**
To the east is the Azure Dragon's river.
**[06:24] Haru**
To the west is the White Tiger's road.
**[06:27] Haru**
And to the south, we have
the Vermilion Bird's lake.
**[06:31] Haru**
This map of ley lines also indicates
these landmarks of the four gods.
**[06:35] Haru**
When you combine this map
with the map of the city...
**[06:43] Drac**
Hey, isn't that...
**[06:44] Ren**
They match perfectly.
**[06:45] Ren**
We have mountains up north,
a river to the east,
**[06:48] Ren**
a road to the west,
and a lake to the south.
**[06:51] Ren**
So Koyomi City is perfectly
aligned with the four gods.
**[06:55] Haru**
Yeah. And directly in the
center of the four gods is...
**[07:01] J**
This mansion?
**[07:03] Haru**
Yep. This mansion itself was the exact
center of the energy in the ley lines.
**[07:08] Hotaru**
Oh...
**[07:10] Ren**
Then what do those numbers mean?
**[07:13] Haru**
At first, I thought "2220" was a number,
**[07:17] Haru**
but they weren't all part of the same number.
**[07:20] Hotaru**
So 222 and 0?
**[07:22] Haru**
Yeah, you can split them into two numbers.
**[07:25] Haru**
If you look carefully at the map of ley lines,
**[07:30] Haru**
"222" is written right where
the mansion is located.
**[07:33] Haru**
Basically, the 222 indicated where
the mansion was on the map.
**[07:37] Hotaru**
Oh, yeah. Now that I think about it...
**[07:39] Drac**
What's up?
**[07:40] Hotaru**
You know, the address written
in front of the mansion.
**[07:44] Ren**
You're right. "222" is written there.
**[07:48] J**
I see. It could be that
the addresses around here
**[07:51] J**
were determined by the map of the ley lines.
**[07:55] J**
That's why they matched
the numbers Tenna left behind.
**[07:58] Drac**
So what's the zero, then?
**[08:01] Haru**
Yeah, about that... We thought
it was a number at first, too.
**[08:05] Hotaru**
It's not a zero?
**[08:06] J**
It's not. If you look at it carefully,
there are some different shapes in it.
**[08:13] Haru**
Right here.
**[08:16] Drac**
Yeah, that definitely looks like something.
**[08:18] Haru**
This wasn't a zero. It was a circle.
**[08:21] Hotaru**
A circle?
**[08:22] Haru**
Yeah.
**[08:23] Haru**
So if the 222 and the circle
**[08:25] Haru**
are some kind of message
indicating a location,
**[08:29] Haru**
it'd be somewhere within this 222
mansion marked by that circle.
**[08:35] Ren**
J-san.
**[08:36] Ren**
Is there anywhere in this mansion
that's marked with that symbol?
**[08:43] J**
Symbol... Circle...
**[08:46] Hotaru**
Hey, what about a chandelier?
**[08:48] Drac**
It could be a food, you know.
**[08:50] Drac**
Maybe a meat bun or pancakes.
**[08:52] Ren**
That couldn't be it. Right?
**[08:57] Haru**
Maybe something round like that symbol?
**[09:02] J**
A round symbol...
**[09:14] J**
That's it!
**[09:15] J**
There's one thing that comes to mind.
**[09:22] Holmes**
Everything was connected, like a circle.
**[09:28] Holmes**
The "Plasma in the Sky" incident...
**[09:30] Holmes**
Then you and J, whom we have no
information about prior to that...
**[09:34] Holmes**
The mansion that's been around
for over a hundred years,
**[09:37] Holmes**
and the strange incident
that occurred the other day.
**[09:41] Holmes**
If we connect all of those things, you can
start seeing the truth behind all this.
**[09:45] Holmes**
Hayakawa Tsubasa,
**[09:46] Holmes**
didn't you appear in this world because
of the "Plasma in the Sky" incident,
**[09:52] Holmes**
somehow?
**[09:59] Holmes**
Not going to answer, huh?
**[10:01] Holmes**
In that case... Watson, take them out.
**[10:04] Wats**
Right, Holmes.
**[10:09] Holmes**
This is you in this photograph, isn't it?
**[10:11] Holmes**
Right after this was taken, something
made part of the mansion collapse.
**[10:15] Holmes**
There are signs that some strange
powers were used, as well.
**[10:19] Holmes**
And you and J just happen to be at
the center of all these incidents.
**[10:26] Holmes**
You're still going to play dumb, eh?
**[10:28] Haya**
I'd rather not answer.
**[10:31] Holmes**
Fine. Then let me ask you one more thing.
**[10:34] Holmes**
I did a little research and found
**[10:36] Holmes**
that the "Plasma in the Sky" incident
happened five years ago, too.
**[10:39] Holmes**
You had nothing to do with that, either?
**[10:42] Haya**
Five years ago?!
**[10:44] Haya**
Something similar happened
five years ago, too?
**[10:52] Holmes**
Looks like you're finally willing to talk to me.
**[11:13] Haru**
Isn't this room...
**[11:15] Hotaru**
It's the room that hasn't been used in
forever because there's no electricity here.
**[11:19] J**
This is the prayer room.
**[11:22] Drac**
Prayer room?
**[11:24] J**
It's the room that Tenna would
use whenever she would pray.
**[11:28] J**
Normally, no one but the
Blood Spirit may enter.
**[11:39] J**
When I'm in this room, it's like I can
almost hear Tenna breathing. It pains me so.
**[11:46] J**
That's why I avoided coming in here.
**[11:51] Haru**
You must have memories
of your sister in here.
**[11:55] J**
Yeah.
**[12:00] J**
Look up there.
**[12:01] Drac**
That's...
**[12:02] Hotaru**
It's a circle!
**[12:03] J**
Yeah. There might be something here
that Tenna was trying to tell me.
**[12:16] Ren**
What's the matter?
**[12:17] J**
It looks like there's some trick to it.
**[12:23] Ren**
I see...
**[12:31] J**
A letter?
**[12:37] Wat**
No way...
**[12:39] Wat**
You and J-san came here
from a hundred years ago?
**[12:43] Wat**
That's impossible!
**[12:45] Holmes**
I see... That does indeed sound absurd,
**[12:50] Holmes**
but it does make all of this make sense.
**[12:52] Akira**
Leave it to a master detective
to put it all together so quickly.
**[12:56] Haya**
* But if a distortion in space-time*
* happened five years ago, too...*
**[13:00] Haya**
* Does that mean someone came*
* into this world then, too?*
**[13:05] Haya**
* Is that the person who*
* went after the pendant?*
**[13:09] Holmes**
We hadn't even enrolled
in Koyomi Academy then.
**[13:13] Holmes**
But the one who would know
what happened back then...
**[13:16] Akira**
Hey, now. Suddenly you're
treating me like some old guy?
**[13:19] Wat**
Do you remember what happened
here five years ago?
**[13:22] Akira**
Five years ago, huh?
**[13:26] Akira**
Five years ago?
**[13:27] Haya**
Does something come to mind?
**[13:28] Akira**
I think that was right around
when I took over this shop
**[13:32] Akira**
from my grandfather and
started the catering service.
**[13:35] Akira**
I'm pretty sure the first job request
I got was for a party at Koyomi Academy...
**[13:40] Holmes**
A party at the school?
**[13:42] Akira**
You know,
**[13:43] Akira**
it was like the student council inaugural
ceremony they had recently.
***SIGN*** Koyomi Academy Headmaster Inauguration Ceremony
**[13:51] Akira**
But back then, it was an inauguration
party for the headmaster.
**[13:55] Holmes**
What?
**[13:57] wat**
The headmaster?
**[13:59] Wat**
Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was five years ago
that Headmaster Mikuni became headmaster.
**[14:04] Haya**
Mikuni Takashi...
**[14:06] Holmes**
I see... The circle is
spreading out even more now.
**[14:10] Holmes**
At the time of the incident five years ago,
**[14:12] Holmes**
the headmaster coincidentally
met J and took him in.
**[14:17] Holmes**
If that actually wasn't a coincidence...
**[14:20] Wats**
The headmaster knew that J would show up...
**[14:24] Wats**
because he also came from the past?
**[14:27] Haya**
It can't be...
**[14:29] Holmes**
Let's go, Watson.
**[14:31] Wats**
Right.
**[14:31] Akira**
Where are you going?
**[14:33] Holmes**
To get statements from people
who are close to the headmaster.
**[14:37] Holmes**
We're going to get concrete evidence
and reveal his true identity.
**[14:40] Haya**
Wait.
**[14:43] Haya**
If he actually came from the past,
it'll be very dangerous.
**[14:47] Holmes**
I know. We'll be careful.
**[14:50] Watson**
A little danger is unavoidable
when trying to solve a case.
**[14:56] Akira**
So the one who went after your
pendant was the headmaster?
**[15:00] Akira**
Does that mean he's part
of the bloodline, too?
**[15:02] Haya**
I'm not sure.
**[15:03] Haya**
Even if their hypothesis is correct,
what is Mikuni after?
**[15:12] Akira**
Hayakawa-kun,
**[15:13] Akira**
J-kun is trying to go back
to the past to save his sister.
**[15:18] Akira**
What exactly do you want to do?
**[15:22] Akira**
Don't you want to save Tenna-san, too?
**[15:26] Haya**
There's a reason I can't go.
**[15:29] Akira**
Reason?
**[15:31] Haya**
Because that's what Tenna-sama wanted.
**[15:38] Tenna**
*If you're reading this letter, Onii-chan,*
**[15:42] Tenna**
* it means that you understood*
* the message on the bracelet.*
**[15:46] Tenna**
* And it also means that*
* something has happened to me.*
**[15:51] Tenna**
* It seems that someone is after my*
* pendant, but we're not sure why.*
**[15:56] Tenna**
* Hayakawa-san is looking into it,*
* but we're still not sure why.*
**[16:04] Tenna**
* Just... If something happens to me,*
* please know that it's something I've chosen.*
**[16:10] Tenna**
* I have no regrets,*
* so please don't feel responsible.*
**[16:16] Tenna**
* If you ever need my powers,*
* just ask Hayakawa-san.*
**[16:21] Tenna**
* I gave Hayakawa-san the*
* key to using my powers.*
**[16:28] Tenna**
*Please never forget*
**[16:30] Tenna**
*that I'm always inside you, Onii-chan.*
**[16:34] Tenna**
*So... you're never alone.*
**[16:48] Hotaru**
I wonder if J-senpai is okay.
**[16:51] Ren**
J-san is trying to deal with
Tenna-san's letter alone.
**[16:55] Ren**
All we can do is wait.
**[17:03] Haru**
What did the letter say?
**[17:08] Haru**
J!
**[17:11] J**
I'm going to see Hayakawa.
**[17:13] Ren**
Hayakawa-san?
**[17:14] J**
He knew everything.
**[17:43] Holmes**
You deliver flowers to the
headmaster every day, don't you?
**[17:49] Holmes**
Is there anything peculiar about him?
**[17:53] Hika**
I don't know.
**[17:55] Wats**
Anything will do!
**[17:56] Wats**
Like if he's done anything strange,
Or anything he asked you to do...
**[18:00] Hika**
I don't know.
**[18:02] Hika**
The flowers... The flowers are scared.
**[18:06] Holmes**
We need to know more about him. Answer us!
**[18:15] Wats**
What's wrong?
**[18:16] Holmes**
It was you?
**[18:20] Holmes**
So it was your fault
Hizakura Haruto got hurt...
**[18:24] Wats**
What are you talking about, Holmes?
Is that part of your detective's intuition?
**[18:27] Holmes**
No! I can see it... Who are you?
**[18:31] Wats**
Holmes...
**[18:35] Wats**
Wh-What is this?!
**[18:36] Hika**
I'd been spreading the message that
it was dangerous to get too close...
**[18:42] Hika**
That only happened because he ignored me!
**[18:46] Akira**
Hup. There we go.
**[18:49] Akira**
Don't overthink it too much.
**[18:51] Haya**
Thank you, sir.
**[18:53] Haya**
Where are you headed today?
**[18:55] Akira**
The community center
right in front of the station.
**[18:58] Akira**
If I get back late,
you can close up the shop.
**[19:00] Akira**
See ya!
**[19:01] Haya**
See you later.
***SIGN*** Order Form
4PM Koyomi Academy: Delivered
**[19:14] Watson**
What's going on?
**[19:15] Holmes**
Apparently he uses some strange ability.
**[19:18] Holmes**
And what was that I saw earlier?
**[19:21] Hika**
You carelessly had to butt in...
**[19:30] Wats**
Holmes!
**[20:21] Haya**
J...
**[20:27] J**
Did you know everything?
**[20:34] J**
That someone was after Tenna,
**[20:37] J**
and that there's another key to getting
back to the past other than the pendant?
**[20:42] Haya**
So you got the letter.
**[20:46] J**
Then hurry up and hand over
the pendant and the key!
**[20:51] J**
Tenna was all I had!
**[20:54] J**
Tenna was everything to me!
**[20:56] J**
And yet you...
**[20:59] J**
If that's how you're going to act,
**[21:01] J**
I'm going to defeat you right here and
get back to the past where Tenna is!
**[21:10] Haya**
Those feelings won't change, even after
finding out how Tenna-sama felt?
**[21:14] J**
That's right.
**[21:16] Haya**
I see.
**[21:22] Haya**
Then you leave me no choice.
**[21:36] J**
You'd better be prepared.
**[21:40] Haya**
Bring it.
**[21:41] J**
Hayakawa!
***SIGN*** Attachment
**[23:31] J**
"Attachment."