E4 - Beauty and Death: Opening Act

Source: Crunchyroll
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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.)
SIGN    Necromancy
SIGN    Necromancy
[00:05] Narrator
    Necromancy.
[00:08] Narrator
    The art of resurrecting
    corpses as the undead.
[00:15] Narrator
    Strict rules govern the
    practice of resurrection.
[00:20] Narrator
    It is forbidden to use necromancy without
    consent from the patient prior to death,
[00:27] Narrator
    or from a relative within
    two degrees of kinship.
[00:31] Narrator
    Before performing the resurrection,
    the necromancer must also disclose
[00:36] Narrator
    every detail of the
    procedure to their patient.
[00:41] Narrator
    For you see, becoming undead
    carries with it a grave risk.
[00:48] Narrator
    And that is...
[01:07] Necromancer
    Hideous.
[02:41] Client
    Thank you so much.
[02:43] Client
    I really owe you one.
[02:45] Ashaf
    I'm simply glad we could be of service.
[02:48] Ashaf
    If you ever run into more magical trouble,
[02:51] Ashaf
    please call us, the Order of—
[02:55] Ashaf
    Oh? What have we here?
[02:59] Jeff
    Freeze!
[02:59] Partner
    Don't! There are too many bystanders!
[03:10] Ashaf
    Don't finish him off, Guideau.
[03:16] Jeff
    We're with the police.
    Thank you for subduing him.
[03:19] Jeff
    You aren't hurt, are you?
[03:21] Ashaf
    No, we're fine. But would you
    mind explaining the situation?
[03:25] Jeff
    Oh, right.
[03:27] Jeff
    This guy is undead,
[03:29] Jeff
    but it looks like he went a long time without
    necromantic maintenance and lost his mind.
[03:35] Guideau
    He's undead?
[03:37] Ashaf
    Is this your first time seeing one?
[03:38] Guideau
    I figured they'd look freakier.
[03:41] Ashaf
    Resurrection techniques
    have improved in recent years.
[03:45] Ashaf
    They hardly look different
    from the living now.
[03:48] Ashaf
    Oh, but for them to remain
    sound in body and mind,
[03:52] Ashaf
    regular maintenance by
    the necromancer is required.
[03:56] Ashaf
    Neglect it, and they end up like him.
[03:59] Ashaf
    Of course, such cases are rare.
[04:01] Jeff
    Funny thing about that lately.
[04:04] Jeff
    Instead of being rare,
[04:06] Jeff
    neglected undead folk have been
     running wild one after another.
[04:09] Client
    That's a real problem, isn't it?
[04:12] Client
    If you've got trouble, how's this?
[04:14] Client
    Magic's involved, so why not ask the
    Order of Magical Resonance here to help?
[04:18] Jeff
    The Order of Magical Resonance?
[04:20] Partner
    You're with them?
[04:21] Ashaf
    If what you've just described
    or something worse is happening,
[04:25] Ashaf
    turning to us would be
     the quickest solution.
[04:27] Ashaf
    But I'm sorry to say that the
    undead are not my specialty,
[04:31] Ashaf
    and as such, the two of us can't assist you.
[04:34] Jeff
    Then...
[04:36] Ashaf
    But rest assured.
[04:38] Ashaf
    Naturally, we retain someone who can.
[04:41] Ashaf
    The Order of Magical Resonance's finest...
SIGN    Beauty and Death:
    Opening Act
[04:45] Ashaf
    necromantic specialist.
[04:52] Phanora
    Quite chilly, this town.
[04:58] Johan
    Nah, it's plenty warm.
[05:00] Johan
    Blazing hot, if anything.
[05:03] Johan
    But anyway, have you considered
    carrying your own bags or—
[05:07] Phanora
    Johan, what are you to me?
[05:10] Johan
    Huh?
[05:11] Johan
    Well, I'm your talented right-hand man.
[05:13] Phanora
    Exactly. My servant.
[05:15] Phanora
    Don't forget your role.
[05:20] Jeff
    You're with the Order of
    Magical Resonance, right?
[05:24] Jeff
    I'm here to meet you. The name's Jeff Enker.
[05:29] Johan
    Huh? Oh, okay. I'll do the talking.
[05:33] Johan
    That's right. The Order of
    Magical Resonance sent us.
[05:37] Johan
    This is the necromancer Phanora Kristoffel.
[05:41] Johan
    And I'm...
[05:45] Johan
    uh, Lady Phanora's humble servant.
[05:50] Jeff
    Right.
[05:56] Phanora
    Now, could you give us the details?
[05:59] Jeff
    S-Sure.
[06:01] Jeff
    I'll start at the beginning.
[06:02] Jeff
    Two months ago, crazed undead rampages
    started becoming a frequent occurrence.
[06:08] Jeff
    We currently have six
    undead creatures in custody.
[06:12] Jeff
    I can't explain it...
[06:13] Jeff
    but the air seems colder around her.
[06:18] Jeff
    And all of them are still waiting on
    maintenance from their necromancers.
[06:25] Johan
    How come?
[06:26] Johan
    Hurry up and bring in
    whoever resurrected them.
[06:30] Johan
    No other necromancer can do
    the maintenance, you know.
[06:34] Jeff
    Yes, we are aware of that, of course.
[06:38] Jeff
    But unfortunately,
    we can't locate the necromancers.
[06:41] Jeff
    Or rather...
[06:42] Jeff
    We don't know who resurrected them.
[06:46] Jeff
    We'd have records if it had been done legally,
[06:49] Jeff
    but for some reason,
    all six are undocumented.
[06:52] Jeff
    If we could restore their sanity
     through maintenance,
[06:55] Jeff
    we might get some clue to
    which necromancers are responsible.
[06:58] Johan
    Sounds like a chicken-and-egg situation.
[07:02] Jeff
    In any case, resurrection without following
    the proper procedures is totally illegal.
[07:08] Jeff
    We need to find these necromancers.
[07:12] Phanora
    They could be strays.
[07:14] Jeff
    What do you mean, "strays"?
[07:17] Phanora
    How much do you know about resurrection?
[07:19] Jeff
    Not much, I'm ashamed to admit.
[07:21] Jeff
    Only that the person themselves
    and their family need to consent to it.
[07:25] Phanora
    And when performing a resurrection,
[07:27] Phanora
    a necromancer must disclose all the facts
    of the procedure to their patient.
[07:34] Phanora
    A litany of other strict
    regulations also apply.
[07:38] Phanora
    Reviving oneself or a relative as an
    undead person is a delicate subject.
[07:43] Johan
    But sometimes, even all that isn't enough.
[07:45] Johan
    "Strays" are people who were resurrected
    illegally and given no explanation.
[07:49] Johan
    They don't even fully
    understand that they're dead.
[07:53] Johan
    Turning undead comes with risks.
[07:56] Johan
    Strays aren't ready for that, but they're
    forced to suffer the consequences.
[08:00] Jeff
    What risks?
[08:03] Phanora
    Still, this is all simply speculation.
[08:06] Phanora
    Right now, we don't know
[08:08] Phanora
    if you really have strays here or if the
    same necromancer raised all of them.
[08:14] Phanora
    For now, let's take what steps we can.
[08:17] Jeff
    R-Right.
[08:19] Jeff
    Oh, that reminds me.
[08:21] Jeff
    The gentleman who recommended
    you to us left some instructions.
[08:26] (Flashback) Ashaf
    Locate all the registered undead in
    this province and their necromancers.
[08:33] (Flashback) Ashaf
    Note their movements
    and contact information.
[08:36] (Flashback) Ashaf
    Have it all ready before
    my colleagues arrive.
[08:39] (Flashback) Ashaf
    They're sure to need it.
[08:41] Johan
    Huh...
[08:43] Phanora
    I wasn't told who referred the case,
     but that will save us time.
[09:00] Necromancer
    How long ago did he pass?
[09:06] Redhead
    Two months.
[09:07] Necromancer
    And you come visit every month?
[09:10] Redhead
    Every week. Twice this week already.
[09:14] Necromancer
    If you care that much for him,
    this country allows necromancy.
[09:18] Redhead
    I could never afford it.
[09:21] Necromancer
    Not to worry.
[09:22] Redhead
    What?
[09:24] Necromancer
    Just leave everything to me.
[09:27] Necromancer
    You'll see your love again.
[09:33] Necromancer
    What lovely hair.
[09:35] Necromancer
    Is that its natural color?
[09:41] Jeff
    We have four necromancers in the province,
    and each one oversees multiple undead,
[09:47] Jeff
    for a total of 21 undead creatures.
[09:51] Johan
    21, huh? That's a lot.
[09:54] Jeff
    Is it?
[09:55] Johan
    Sure it is. Most other provinces ban
    it on ethical grounds or whatever.
[10:01] Jeff
    Can you blame them?
[10:03] Jeff
    Resurrecting the dead
    goes against nature.
[10:07] Johan
    Oh, so you're against it?
[10:09] Jeff
    No, not entirely.
[10:13] Jeff
    When you lose someone,
    wishing to see them again is natural enough.
[10:18] Johan
    I see.
[10:20] Johan
    Well, hey...
[10:22] Johan
    I won't tell you what to think.
[10:25] Johan
    But if you want to stay
    on Phanora's good side,
[10:29] Johan
    you'd better stop calling them "creatures."
[10:33] Johan
    She doesn't discriminate
    between the living and the dead.
[10:40] Partner
    Ms. Kristoffel,
    what are we doing in this ruin?
[10:43] Phanora
    I'd like to lure out any undead who
    have lost their sanity or are about to.
[10:49] Partner
    What?
[10:49] Jeff
    But how?
[10:51] Phanora
    I'll use this lantern.
[10:53] Phanora
    Or rather, I already am.
[10:57] Jeff
    Um, but it's not lit.
[11:00] Phanora
    Only the undead can see this lantern's light.
[11:04] Phanora
    And in the eyes of those who have lost
     their reason through neglect,
[11:08] Phanora
    it outshines all else.
[11:10] Phanora
    Like a lighthouse in the dark.
[11:13] Phanora
    Its rays reach quite far,
[11:15] Phanora
    so we'll see how many more undead have
    slipped through the cracks in the law once—
[11:25] Johan
    Whoa, whoa, whoa!
[11:30] Johan
    Hey, Phanora!
[11:32] Johan
    What the hell? Look at them all!
[11:52] (Flashback) Partner
    I heard her parents won't opt
     for resurrection. Too bad.
[11:58] (Flashback) Partner
    If you'd made it official,
    you would've had a say, too.
[12:04] (Flashback) Jeff
    You're wrong.
[12:05] (Flashback) Partner
    Huh?
[12:06] (Flashback) Jeff
    It was never an option.
[12:09] (Flashback) Jeff
    I've seen the undead go crazy
    more than once. It wasn't pretty.
[12:15] (Flashback) Jeff
    You call those things people?
[12:17] (Flashback) Jeff
    Techniques may improve, but no way are they
    "just like they were when they were alive."
[12:23] (Flashback) Jeff
    I love her.
[12:26] (Flashback) Jeff
    And that's why.
[12:30] (Flashback) Jeff
    I could never turn someone
    I love into one of those monsters.
[12:38] Johan
    How the hell are there so many?!
[12:40] Johan
    There's gotta be 40 of 'em!
[12:42] Phanora
    I certainly didn't expect to attract
    so many in such a short time.
[12:47] Phanora
    And they've all suffered
    severe mental degradation.
[12:50] Phanora
    I doubt they have any reason left.
[12:54] Phanora
    In which case...
[12:56] Phanora
    Get to it, Johan.
[12:58] Johan
    Damn it, Phanora!
[13:02] Johan
    You lit me up like a beacon, didn't you?!
[13:07] Jeff
    We have to help him!
[13:08] Phanora
    There's no need.
[13:10] Phanora
    My assistant Johan
     handles the manual labor.
[13:14] Phanora
    You can leave him to it.
[13:16] Jeff
    But...
[13:19] Johan
    Come on!
[13:21] Johan
    Help me out here!
[13:23] Jeff
    He seems to disagree.
[13:24] Phanora
    Not to worry.
[13:26] Phanora
    More importantly,
    these numbers are abnormal.
[13:30] Jeff
    Could your lantern have
    drawn legal undead, as well?
[13:34] Phanora
    I can't deny the possibility.
[13:37] Jeff
    Then...
[13:37] Phanora
    That's why I asked to have the legal
    undead monitored for unusual activity.
[13:43] Phanora
    Hence the request to gather their
    addresses and contact information.
[13:48] Jeff
    I see.
[13:49] Phanora
    And I believe all these people
    came from the same place.
[13:52] Jeff
    Why?
[13:53] Phanora
    The undead can't move instantaneously.
[13:57] Partner
    Why, you...
[14:00] Johan
    Take a hint!
[14:01] Jeff
    You mean, if they'd been
    scattered around town, laying low,
[14:05] Jeff
    the distance would stop so many
    from arriving at once like this?
[14:10] Phanora
    Yes.
[14:11] Phanora
    I doubt this many could even hide in town.
[14:16] Phanora
    Just under 40 minutes have passed
     since I lit the lantern.
[14:19] Phanora
    They were somewhere a human
    can reach on foot in that time.
[14:22] Phanora
    I chose a deserted area
    to minimize the risk,
[14:26] Phanora
    but it appears we unintentionally
    hit the nail on the head.
[14:39] Johan
    Phanora!
[14:41] Johan
    What good is your necromancy
    if I always end up—
[14:45] Phanora
    Well done, Johan.
    You looked very dashing.
[14:50] Jeff
    Watch out for beautiful women.
[14:52] Partner
    My wife's got me whipped, too.
[14:55] Johan
    I am not whipped!
[14:58] Phanora
    What a shame.
[15:00] Johan
    What is?
[15:02] Phanora
    Their fingers haven't all grown in.
[15:05] Phanora
    Some are missing arms, too.
    And none have fully formed faces.
[15:10] Phanora
    Such slapdash resurrections.
[15:12] Phanora
    It's as if the necromancer who raised them
    never intended to make people.
[15:19] Phanora
    Necromancy once reached the heights
    of prosperity as an art of control.
[15:24] Phanora
    Essentially, undead are familiars,
[15:27] Phanora
    and necromancers can switch them
    between three states at will.
[15:33] Phanora
    First, a state free of control in which the
    undead obey only their own wills: Auto.
SIGN    Autonomy
SIGN    Autonomy
[15:41] Phanora
    Second, a state in which the
    undead retain their own minds,
SIGN    Mind Control
SIGN    Mind Control
[15:44] Phanora
    but the necromancer imprints
    an objective onto them: Semi-auto.
[15:50] Phanora
    Third, a state in which the necromancer
    fully usurps the undead's minds,
SIGN    Domination
SIGN    Domination
[15:54] Phanora
    and controls them as they
    would their own body: Manual.
[16:00] Phanora
    The lantern only attracts undead
    in Auto or Semi-auto states.
[16:05] Phanora
    Though even in Semi-auto, they may prioritize
     a definite imprinted objective over its light.
[16:12] Jeff
    And what happens when they lose their minds?
[16:16] Phanora
    They pursue imprinted objectives
    in an even greater frenzy,
[16:21] Phanora
    as if they have nothing else left to cling to.
[16:24] Johan
    So what are you getting at?
[16:27] Phanora
    I'm wondering why they were resurrected.
[16:30] Phanora
    They must have simply been
    let loose without any imprinting.
[16:36] Jeff
    Maybe whoever did it just
    didn't need them for anything.
[16:40] Phanora
    Then what about when the
    time came to call on them?
[16:44] Phanora
    The necromancer would
    need them close at hand.
[16:46] Phanora
    Who knows where they
    might go in their crazed state?
[16:50] Phanora
    Most necromancers would lock them up
     or imprint an order to stay put.
[16:54] Jeff
    And since this one didn't,
     they were already done using them?
[16:58] Johan
    But done using them for what?
[17:00] Phanora
    Who knows?
[17:02] Johan
    Seriously?
[17:03] Phanora
    Just being human-shaped and mobile
    makes them suitable for any number of uses.
[17:08] Phanora
    Even human experimentation.
[17:11] Jeff
    We can't let someone get away with that!
[17:14] Jeff
    You're saying these undead had not only
    their bodies, but even their minds
[17:19] Jeff
    in the hands of some necromancer
    who used them, then abandoned them?
[17:24] Jeff
    They might as well be toys!
[17:26] Jeff
    I knew nothing good could
    come from resurrection!
[17:34] Partner
    Uh, I was looking at the undead you took down,
[17:38] Partner
    and I see an awful lot of
    redheads in this bunch.
[17:42] Partner
    Mostly women, too.
[17:45] Johan
    Hey, you're right.
[17:47] Phanora
    Hmm...
[17:48] Johan
    Maybe the necromancer's into that?
[17:50] Johan
    Looks are pretty easy to tweak, after all.
[17:55] Jeff
    Speaking of which,
    we're here looking at them,
[17:58] Jeff
    but these undead won't get up
    and start moving again, will they?
[18:01] Johan
    They'll stay put.
[18:03] Johan
    I killed their bodies.
[18:06] Johan
    Their souls are stuck
    to their flesh by magic,
[18:10] Johan
    so they can always come back
    with proper maintenance.
[18:14] Johan
    But on the other hand...
[18:15] Jeff
    Without maintenance,
    their broken bodies will never move again?
[18:21] Johan
    Pretty much.
[18:27] Johan
    Phanora!
[18:35] Johan
    Sorry. I missed that one.
[18:40] Jeff
    Are you all right?
[18:44] Phanora
    Were we being watched?
[19:05] Johan
    Oh, the trail keeps going this way.
[19:08] Johan
    They passed through here.
[19:10] Johan
    Man, a place this deep in the woods
    has to be perfect for shady business.
[19:19] Jeff
    I can see a building.
[19:26] Johan
    It's an old mansion.
[19:32] Johan
    What the hell is that smell?
[19:35] Johan
    What happened in here?
[19:39] Jeff
    Johan! Behind you!
[19:58] Necromancer
    Ah, you're as lovely as I thought.
[20:04] Necromancer
    Thank you for coming all this way.
[20:07] Necromancer
    You saved me the trouble of coming to you.
[20:11] Jeff
    Are you the necromancer?
[20:13] Phanora
    I think not.
[20:15] Phanora
    The mind is, but the girl isn't.
     She's on Manual.
[20:19] Necromancer
    Welcome. Please come in.
[20:23] Necromancer
    Oh, and kindly drop your
    communication devices.
[20:28] Jeff
    Let's run for it.
[20:29] Jeff
    Luckily, that big guy's
    the only thing in our way.
[20:32] Necromancer
    I would rather not leave so much as a mark
    on that woman. Won't you please do as I say?
[20:39] Necromancer
    I have no taste for violence.
[20:42] Necromancer
    And I believe you lost someone dear to you,
[20:44] Necromancer
    Sergeant Jeff Enker.
[20:47] Jeff
    How do you know who I am?!
[20:49] Necromancer
    I have undead stationed everywhere.
[20:53] Necromancer
    The police are no exception.
[20:55] Necromancer
    Losing your fiancée must have
    caused you sorrow beyond imagination.
[21:01] Necromancer
    But have no fear.
[21:05] Necromancer
    With necromancy,
[21:08] Necromancer
    no parting lasts forever.
[21:26] Jeff
    What have you done?
[21:28] Jeff
    What have you done?!
[21:32] Johan
    Scumbag.
[21:37] Necromancer
    This will suffice for him,
[21:39] Necromancer
    but as for you, woman, despite my efforts,
     I couldn't learn a thing about you.
[21:45] Necromancer
    I'll avail myself of a bargaining chip now.
[21:56] Phanora
    Johan!
[21:57] Jeff
    No!
[21:58] Phanora
    Let go of me!
[21:59] Phanora
    I need to treat him now!
[22:00] Necromancer
    Just what I hoped to see.
[22:03] Necromancer
    You must care for him.
[22:05] Necromancer
    Worry not.
[22:06] Necromancer
    Do as I say, and you'll see him again soon.
[22:10] Necromancer
    Now, follow me.
[24:00] Phanora
    But even knowing everything,
    some still offer themselves to necromancers.
[24:06] Ashaf
    Next time: "Beauty and Death: Final Act."
SIGN    Beauty and Death
SIGN    Final Act