Previously on Strike The Blood:

Yukina encounters Rudolh Eustach, an exorcist from the West European church, and his homunculus Astarte who are attacking an industrial site during thei hunt for the fourth progenitor. After facing off against the two for a bit, Yukina is saved by Kojou when she is almost killed by Astarte’s familiar. Kojou is then soon attacked by Astarte’s familiar resulting in his own familiar going out of control. Spoilers Ahead!

Natsuki

Yukina & Kojou manage to escape from their adversary’s and return home. The next day they are called into the teacher’s office by Natsuki who tells them that the attack staged by Eustach last night wasn’t the first, saying that is connected to the recent incidents that have been going on for the past 2 months. Recieving information as to where Eustach’s employers are hiding, Yukina and Kojou go to investigate; but what they find could change the state of the world forever.

Strike the Blood has a few things going for it, but is still trying to find itself in the sea of this years fall schedule, that being said this episode manages to keep it’s head above water.

Astarte

In terms of character progression we don’t get all that much. Yukina & Kojou’s relationship develops some after their battle with Eustach in the beginning of the episode, and when they fight him again in the lab (we’ll get to that). Yukina is becoming more understanding of Koujo as she tells him to learn how to control his familiars instead of just killing him on the spot for losing said control. Koujo gives some more insight into his character when he says the only reason he lost control is because of Arastarte’s attack. Seeing as how his familiars have not fully accepted him yet because he is a “virgin” vampire (meaning he’s never sucked blood) he can control them unless there are other familiars around.

Minami calls Kojou and Yukina into the guidance office and tells them that the attacks on Island East’s demon residents over the past two months have been connected to the recent attack at the industrial site, but the culprit has yet to be caught. Thus she tells Kojou to stay out of sight, fearing he might be targeted (a bit too late for that). Seeking to get Kojou off the hook by proving that the attacks were caused by a member of Lotharingia, the two seeking to find his hideout; which Kojou finds with the help of his friend Asagi Aiba.

Kojou & Asagi

Asagi was briefly shown in episode 1 but does bit more here. She’s a programmer for the Manmade Island Management Corporation, Kojou’s classmate, and also has a crush on hm (which is evident when she finds out he was with Yukina the previous night, causing her to become jealous snd ripp up his history report).

They track him to an underground lab in Scheldt Pharmeceuticals, an office on Island North with head offices in Lotharingia whose main focus is testing new drugs on Homunculi. They find a lab with hundreds of humunculi in tubes and encounter Eustach & Astarte once again. Lots of explaining happens where Astarte reveals the islands gonna sink into the ocean and Eustach saying that he implanted a familiar in Astarte’s body knowing that would give her the lifespan of a goldfish (which is why shes killing demons, so she can live longer). A pretty short fight scene ensues when Astarte overpowers both Yukina and Kojou, Eustach to come for the finishing blow. He swings at Yukina but she is once again saved by Kojou who…well let’s just say he becomes a bit light-headed.

“Right Arm of the Saint III” is a nice enough follow up to last week, but can be a bit talky at times. The action (whoever scarce) is animated well enough and the revelations keep building, as do the bloody cliffhangers. Return next week as Yukina tries to take down Eustach and Astarte on her own.

3.5/5