Episode 22

The Haven (安息の地) is the second episode of the second season, and the twenty-second episode of The Eminence in Shadow anime adaptation.

Synopsis

 * -|English= The moon is red. The frenzy has begun. Shadow is introduced to power players in Lawless City. Meanwhile, Mary and Claire run into Juggernaut.
 * -|Japanese= 紅の塔に続々と集まる血の女王を狙う者たち. シャドウは白の塔と黒の塔の支配者ユキメ、ジャガノートと鉢合わせし、一方のクレアたちはシャドウガーデンのベータに遭遇する.

Summary
The White Demon remembers his past as a serial killer who terrorized the populace by killing indiscriminately during his tenure as a knight captain of certain kingdom, asserting that it was the very purpose of his life which made him venture into the Lawless City in search of more victims to satisfy his murderous desires until the White Demon suffered defeat where he confronted Crimson when he wanted to challenge Elisabeth, the Blood Queen, ultimately becoming a watchdog for the Crimson Tower in the city.

Present day, White Demon while standing guard at the tower gate is yearns to break free himself in his desire to kill after witnessing the massacre carried out by all the ghouls that causing chaos in the Lawless City when triggered from the Red Moon and turned people into lifeless monsters as the White Demon intends to exploit the opportunity for his deepest desire to kill that he had been waiting for all this time to be filled, despite his inability to move past a set distance forces him to wait for unsuspecting individuals to approach. However, the White Demon's wish did not come true when he recognized two individuals approaching the Red Tower who were the rulers of the Lawless City, Juggernaut, the Tyrant from the Black Tower and Yukime, the Spirit Fox from the White Tower who himself could not be able to defeat the two of them in any way and surprised by their arrival until suddenly a mysterious man dressed entirely in black appeared who mediated the fight between the two rulers.

When Shadow giving his name to the two Lawless City's rulers, Yukime recognizes him as the leader of the armed group that controls the capital of Midgar Kingdom with Juggernaut adding that upon hearing the news about his actions of beating up an arrogant priest. At that moment, Juggernaut breaks through the artifact gate of the Crimson Tower with a single mighty swing of his massive cleaver and strides inside first after telling Yukime would continuing their fight another time. When Shadow said the rampage have begun, Yukime who heard him realized what he meant about the chaos caused by ghouls and Juggernaut remembered the legend of the Red Moon that wiped out three countries, making him eager to fight against the vampires who could give him resistance. Yukime also thanked Shadow for saving the girls he had helped and hoped to get along well in the future as she followed Juggernaut inside. The man in black trails behind them. The White Demon decides to attack the man in black, deeming the other two beyond his ability. Instantly, he witnesses his body being severed in half, collapsing to the ground. It is at this moment the White Demon realizes he had gravely erred by provoking someone he should never have assaulted.

In the Crimson Tower, Beta is engrossed in a book in the vampires' library when she hears a door open. Her attention shifts to the source of the sound, where Claire Kagenō and Mary suddenly tumble inside the room. Claire demands that Beta disclose their identity and purpose in the tower. Beta explains that she is affiliated with Shadow Garden and that they are there to investigate a theory about a potential connection between the possessed and vampires. Their objective is to obtain a sample of the progenitor's blood. Mary becomes defensive when Beta hypothesizes a parallel between the two. Claire proceeds to inquire about the possibility of curing demon possession, but Beta reassures her that there is no cause for concern. Claire informs Mary that they need to act swiftly to rescue her brother; who was kidnapped by the followers of the Blood Queen. Hearing this, Number 666 expresses concern and immediately interjects, inquiring about the well-being of Claire's brother. Beta orders Number 666 to stand down, and Claire and Mary depart, agreeing not to interfere with each other's plans. As they exit, Beta queries Mary about the potential for reestablishing a haven, but Mary remains silent, leaving the library with Claire.As Claire and Mary ascend the Crimson Tower, they fend off vampires together. During the battles, Mary shares her knowledge about vampires to aid Claire. However, Claire becomes suspicious of Mary and questions her loyalty, especially regarding vampires. Mary deflects Claire's inquiries about possession and urges her not to pry into her secrets, promising the same respect in return. Feeling a surge of magical energy, they investigate and witness Juggernaut engaging in combat with high-ranking vampires. Realizing the danger, they attempt to escape, but someone intercepts their retreat. Juggernaut attacks, striking Claire and causing her to bleed profusely through her mouth. Mary gets sliced across her abdomen, losing a lot of blood. Claire attempts to heal Mary's wound, but the damage is too severe. Mary, in an act of desperation, sucks the blood off Claire's mouth, awakening her dormant vampiric abilities. With her newfound abilities, Mary holds off Juggernaut momentarily. As Juggernaut is about to deliver a fatal blow to Claire, Shadow intervenes, kicking Juggernaut off the Crimson Tower. After Shadow departs, Mary decides to reveal the secrets she had been concealing to Claire. More than a thousand years ago, vampires thrived during a golden age, hunting and feasting on humans like animals. However, this changed when humans discovered their vulnerabilities:

1. Vampires turned to ash when exposed to sunlight.

2. They could not regenerate if they lost their hearts.

3. Without consuming human blood consistently, they would lose all of their vampire abilities.

The tides changed and the vampire population rapidly declined. During this period, Elisabeth, their ruler, chose to coexist with humans, ruling over a small territory that she referred to as the Haven. She and her subjects refrained from drinking blood, allowing them to endure sunlight, albeit with reduced powers, except for Elisabeth herself. One fateful night, when the Red Moon appeared, Crimson secretly added blood to Elisabeth's meal. This caused her to go into a frenzy, leading to the massacre of humans and the destruction of their haven. Elisabeth then went on to wreak havoc in three other countries. Mary pursued her and found her after the Blood Moon had set. Elisabeth pleaded with Mary to scatter her ashes into the ocean to prevent her revival and further bloodshed. She stabbed herself but did not turn to ash.

Lacking the courage to either revive or end Elisabeth's existence, Mary made a solemn vow to watch over her remains for eternity. Shortly thereafter, Crimson absconded with Elisabeth's body, with the intention of resurrecting her during the next Blood Moon, a thousand years later, to restore the vampires to their former glory.

In response, Claire opens up to Mary about her own history with possession. She explains that when she was younger, she displayed signs of demon possession, and now she lives in constant fear of one day transforming into a monster. Claire reveals that her primary wish is to assist her brother in accomplishing something significant before she potentially succumbs to the possession herself. This is why she brought him to the Lawless City. With their newfound understanding and connection, they resolve to press forward in their quest to locate the Blood Queen.

Meanwhile, in the tower's treasury, Cid contemplates which treasures to loot for financing his shadow activities. After careful consideration, he settles for gold coins, given their high value and ease of transport. He proceeds to fill his slime suit with one thousand gold coins, which amount to a hundred million zeni, before embarking on his mission to confront the Blood Queen.

Atop the tower, Crimson commences the ritual to resurrect the Blood Queen. As he positions Elisabeth's heart for the sacrifice, Shadow suddenly enters, interrupting him.