Ballroom (ボールルーム Bōrurūmu) is a side story exclusively published in the Anime Shakugan no Shana no Subete guidebook on October 27, 2006. Chronologically, it takes place several years before volume V, which in turn takes place several years before the start of the series.
Vine, a discontent Jaeger of Bal Masqué, takes the newly crossed-over Aizen Siblings to Seireiden in order for them to learn how Crimson Denizens live in the human world. While Vine finds his path to glory thanks to Stolas, Sorath and Tiriel have a run-in with the one meant to instruct them, the Priestess of the Trinity, Hecate.
Summary[]
Sorath, Tiriel and Vine
The Crimson Denizen siblings, Sorath and Tiriel, with guidance from Bal Masqué's Jaeger, Vine, arrived at a certain beach. Vine was ordered to take the pair, who had recently crossed over to the human world, to Seireiden to be instructed on the basics of Denizen life in this world. While waiting near the port where Seireiden would dock, Sorath started devouring humans at the nearby seaside village with Tiriel's Cradle Garden activated to hide their presences. Though he confirmed that no Flame Haze were approaching by using his senses, Vine was displeased with Sorath's cheerful hunting, but Tiriel assured him that even if their enemies came, they could handle them with ease. Tiriel used an insignia to transform a human into her Rinne Pinion and demonstrated its power.
As Seireiden's time of arrival neared, Vine asked Tiriel to get Sorath to cease wildly devouring humans, but the use of his name was unsatisfactory to her, incurring her wrath, which put fear into Vine. Tiriel then restrained her brother, who was about to attack Vine, thinking he was an enemy for calling his name. The prior events caused Vine to lower his self-esteem. Tiriel deactivated Cradle Garden and told him that the siblings are only going to Seireiden because Sorath wanted to see it, and couldn't care less about the instructions. Sorath's distinctive sense of smelling gave him the ability to seek things regardless of how much their presences are hidden, even by powerful Unrestricted Spells like Crypta, and therefore he sensed the arrival of Seireiden in its concealment, which impressed Vine. It arrived on top of the nearby mountain and a guide Denizen was waiting for them.
The siblings, Vine, and the average-looking guide Denizen walked along the palace bridge towards the castle gate. Vine made warnings to Tiriel to behave and to the guide Denizen about the siblings' power. He and the Denizen talked about Vine's impressive accomplishment of killing seven Flame Haze as a Bal Masqué Jaeger, though Vine dismissed it as choosing weak opponents. He learns from the guide that he was praised as a valuable subordinate by General Sydonay in assisting to track enemies. Though he was pleased, he was disheartened that he had never gotten an audience with the General.
After entering the castle gate, Vine left his motorbike in the standby room. He asked the guide about the Chief of Staff, but was told that she was presently absent, depressing him. He was then teased by Tiriel. The guide used his torch to open a dimension-manipulating mechanism called Silver Sand Corridor (銀沙回廊 Ginsa Kairō) to take the siblings directly to the Tower of Constellations (星辰楼 Seishin-rō) where the Great Priestess would give them their instructions. Tiriel correctly guessed that the mechanism was so that outsiders wouldn't learn all of Bal Masqué's secrets. Not of a high enough position to use the mechanism and not going to receive instructions, Vine was not permitted to enter the Silver Sand Corridor. As the guide and siblings were leaving through the corridor, Tiriel giggled at Vine, alone in his self-depreciation.
Inside the Tower of Constellations, the guide stopped and urged them to proceed without him. Tiriel had a premonition and Sorath had a conviction in his Olfactory Sense of Desire at what was to come. The Priestess Hecate descended onto the altar from above, introduced herself and welcomed the two. Sorath called out her name, which greatly shocked Tiriel, for it was the first time he had spoke a name other than hers. Sorath cried out for Hecate again and leapt at her, affirming his desire for her.
Vine, after separating with the pair, goes to Seireiden's bar and encountered Stolas there. The latter told Vine about his meeting with Sydonay, revealing that he was the one told him about Vine and his abilities. Stolas said that though Vine was unsuitable for combat, his powers were still of use to Bal Masqué. Vine asked of Stolas whether there were opportunities left for him to make a glorious achievement in the modern era of peacetime where no wars such as the Great War taking place. Stolas argued that a Jaeger has more objectives than a Wanderer, such as finding Outlaws, locating Flame Haze, discovering Treasure Tools, and thus has more possibilities for achievements. He presented Vine with the task of discovering Tendōkyū and stopping the God of Retribution from acquiring a new contractor after he had fled from the Great War, using the weight of the Demon God's legend and the fact that Bel-Peol was concerned about the matter as leverage. Stolas had told many Jaegers about this potential achievement before; he had encountered Alastor's previous contractor Mathilde Saint-Omer, and was struck by fear. Nevertheless, he staked a ray of hope on Vine.
Tiriel attacking Hecate
At the tower, an angered Tiriel pulled Sorath back and wildly strangled him with her vines. Though he was being strangled and his windpipe smashed, Tiriel demanded that he say the name of the one he loved. A fearful Sorath managed to say Tiriel's name and was then released. She then attacked Hecate with her vines out of anger, but the Priestess incinerates the vines with a flood of flames from her flute, Traverso. Though Tiriel thought Hecate would make them obey her, the Priestess resumed her duty to give them basic instructions about living in the human world.
Vine escorted the siblings to the palace bridge. Tiriel mentioned that Sorath had found something else to seek; a Treasure Tool. She hinted to Vine that they had some trouble with Hecate, but stated that it was worthwhile that the two came to Seireiden. As Tiriel activated Cradle Garden once again around her and her brother, Vine thought about how to begin searching for Tendōkyū. He remembered that during a campaign he was a part of, he had sensed someone already using an Unrestricted Spell to hide their presence, only for their presence to be extinguished a second time by a more powerful spell. He concluded that that phenomena was Crypta, which was also equipped to the Tendōkyū. He planned to go back to the region were the campaign took place to start searching for it, excited by the prospect that the glorious achievement would allow him to be by Bel-Peol's side. Tiriel then teased him about his feelings toward Bel-Peol, which Vine brushed off. Finally, he taught them a farewell speech widely used by Crimson Denizens: "Let's meet again at the crossroads of destiny" (因果の交差路でまた会おう Inga no kōsaro de mata aou). They part away, unknowing of their ultimate fate in the future, and that they would never meet again.
Hecate's flute
The Seireiden's guide watches over the departing young Crimson Denizens as he is greeted by the leaving Stolas, revealing him to actually be a Crimson Lord named Fecor, Bel-Peol's right-hand man. Stolas wanted him to stop his work as a guide, but Fecor saw it and the use of Trivia to mask his presence as a chance to watch and better understand Bal Masqué's Denizens. Fecor was impressed with Vine, which pleased Stolas. He decided to tell Bel-Peol about Vine when she returned,in hope that his wish for an audience with her could finally be granted.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Appeared[]
Mentioned[]
Powers and Abilities Used[]
- Power of Existence Manipulation
- Devouring humans - Sorath
- Sensing presence - Vine
- Olfactory Sense of Desire (欲望の嗅覚 Yokubō no Kyūkaku) - Sorath
- Vines - Tiriel
Mentioned[]
- Transmission of Perception - Vine mentions using Transmission of Perception to spread a net around the area of the campaign to begin searching for Tendōkyū.
Unrestricted Spells[]
- Cradle Garden
- An insignia used by Tiriel to transform a human inside Cradle Garden into a Pinion
- Crypta - on Seireiden and its inhabitants
Mentioned[]
- Fūzetsu - Cradle Garden is described as a mutation of the Fūzetsu
Treasure Tools[]
- Seireiden
- Trivia - Fecor, for use of the Silver Sand Corridor and to mask his presence
- Traverso - Hecate
Mentioned[]
Rinne[]
- Pinion - Tiriel creates one from a human frozen in Cradle Garden
Locations[]
- A beach and nearby seaside village
- Seireiden - Palace bridge, standby room, Tower of Constellations, bar
Quotes[]
Trivia[]
Referbacks[]
- Vine talks of his lack of knowledge of the Sovereign's Game, the conflict among the Tools in America, the battle with Révolution, and the Great War that Bal Masqué fought in due to only crossing over to this world half a century ago.
- Stolas remembers how he had been caught up in Mathilde's attack on the Minack stronghold during his negotiation with Gogmagog shortly before the Great War, and how he barely escaped with his life.
Cultural References[]
- The description of a man frozen in Cradle Garden loading a "large red flower potted plant" into his truck is a reference to the "Flower That Summons Happiness" that eats human sorrow in Choukou Senshi Changéríon, a 1996 tokusatsu TV show that the author, Yashichirō Takahashi, makes references to in all of his works.