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The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 was released on Thursday, June 22, 2023, bringing with it an exciting conclusion to the second season’s first cour. While fans didn’t get quite as many answers on the season’s events as they were hoping to, the most significant questions were at least somewhat addressed overall.
Episode 12 of The Ancient Magus’ Bride also sets up Chise to further bond with Rian and Philomela in the upcoming second part, given a certain experience all three share. While fans aren’t sure of what to expect when the season returns, the first cour’s finale appears to promise it will be extremely interesting and engrossing.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 features a clear antagonist for the season heading into second cour
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12: Underground incidents
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The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 begins with Fabio Zaccheroni leading Chise and the others underground. He explains that they’re approaching the waste tower’s gathering area, which looks like a cave with a healthy amount of foliage. The group continues onward, following Fabio, who descends to a lower level without warning.
He explains that some gems and plants can only be found at the ends of ancient summers on Halloween night. However, a condition needs to be satisfied, as he picks something up and holds it out to the others who can’t see it. Fabio simply says okay after they say they can’t see it, instructing Zoe Ivy and Isaac Fowler to look for minerals with Philomela Sargant’s help.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 then sees Fabio telling everyone to meet back underground in 30 minutes before walking away and commenting under his breath how amazing it is to see two people qualify. These two are revealed to be Chise and Rian, neither of whom knows what they were just shown. Philomela tells the rest to search for them and, likewise, harvest them by grabbing the petals and cutting them above the root.
Chise asks what the condition is that lets them see the plants, but Philomela says she’s better off not knowing. Rian yells at her to speak more clearly before departing, with Chise and Philomela following behind as the former internally comments on how Rian is with Philomela. The scene then shifts to Mikhail Renfred, who runs into a costumed celebrator for Halloween.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 sees Renfred choose trick when asked trick or treat, prompting the celebrator to kick him in the back of the knee. He calls it a nasty trick as Alice Swayne reveals herself, proclaiming that she’s grown up enough to knock him to the floor. However, she says it would’ve been nothing if he had his arm, prompting him to say she doesn’t need to worry about him and that she can do whatever she’d like.
Alice questions why he isn’t supporting her dreams, prompting Renfred to explain he hoped to give her a goal she could work towards long-term, not one to become obsessed with. She then counters that children often become what they focus on during childhood, prompting Renfred to question if she really hates being treated like his daughter that much.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 shifts perspectives back to the waste tower, where Chise has found Zoe. The latter mentions feeling watched by something other than faeries or spirits, which Chise agrees with, implying that the dead are watching them.
Chise warns Zoe to be careful and not be on his own, prompting him to point out that they have to gather stuff regardless. Rian, meanwhile, sees one of the plants and reaches for it, when it suddenly becomes alive and is revealed to be some sort of bug-like creature. Philomela then rushes to Rian’s side, lighting the creature on fire with a spell and explaining that the beast uses the form of a flower as bait.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 sees Rian comment on how she’s always been so skilled and still is, asking what her problem is. Philomela says she’s not good enough for her grandmother, but Rian says he’s asking her what she wants. Philomela says that he’d never understand, to which he counters that’ll be especially true if she never tells him.
Isaac sees Philomela walking by, saying that’s the thing about her, as the scene shifts back to Alice and Renfred. Alice discusses how horrible her father was and how different Renfred is, to which he responds that if she's ever in grave danger, he'll never fail to show up because his father also protected him in this way.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 sees Renfred tussle her hair while saying he’ll get involved with anything that bothers her. Alice asks once more what he means by being protected by his father, but Renfred departs, saying that even he has things he doesn’t like discussing.
The two tease each other about their diets and eating habits as Renfred walks away, while Alice laments still not getting anywhere with Renfred. The Blue Flame then appears, telling her that it’s fine since there are some things only kids can do. Alice questions what Renfred meant by his being protected, wondering if Adolf Stroud knows something about it.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12: Death and perseverance
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 sees the Blue Flame question Alice’s intent to expose Renfred, to which she says it’s his fault for making it sound like something important. The Blue Flame urges her to get upset about it since that’s when she’s at her best, as the scene shifts perspectives to Zoe chiseling minerals out of a wall and filling a bag with them.
Zoe then looks around for Chise, realizing he lost her due to getting too focused. He then finds even more minerals in the wall and questions how that can be after collecting so many, when a bird-like creature grabs him by the throat and says it smells mixed blood, asking what he is. Another hooded figure approaches, warning the bird creature about Zoe being a student and the trouble hurting him may cause.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 sees Zoe question who they are, but he doesn’t get a straight answer. Zoe then kicks the bird creature away, telling himself that he can do this as he rips his headphones off and attempts to use his Gorgon powers. He then runs away once they seem to take effect, concerned with where Chise is.
The perspective then shifts to the nurse’s office, where Seth is stopping Lucy from leaving to look for Chise and others. He reassures her that the administrators are on it and that there’s no problem. Lucy says the way he talks creeps her out, prompting Seth to ask what about him it is that upsets her. She simply tells him to leave her alone, saying he already did it once before while leaving the room.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 then sees Chise walking around a well-lit area calling out to Zoe, when she senses Fabio behind a nearby wall. Fabio asks her if she’s the same girl who was bought by a mage at last winter’s London auction, even calling her a Sleigh Beggy as he steps out to face her.
He comments on how she even has all her parts, prompting Chise to knock him back and tell him not to touch her. Fabio explains that he’s a sorcerer bound to the waste tower, adding that he never thought he’d find a Sleigh Beggy here. Bone-like appendages hang out from his jacket as he reaches toward Chise, saying he wants her.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 sees Chise smile before grabbing Fabio’s face, as her voice slowly morphs into Joseph’s. She warns Fabio that she knows way more about those kinds of tricks than he does, forcing Fabio to put distance between them. Chise appears stunned by what has just occurred, while Fabio remarks on how someone else, someone very old, is also within her.
Fabio questions if she needs to be “that freak’s disciple,” asserting that she could go it alone or even become Fabio’s student. He says he’ll treat her way gentler than Elias ever could, but Chise says that Elias treated her like a person, so she’d never become Fabio’s.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 sees Fabio walk away while commenting on how romantic it is, adding that one shouldn’t mess with a monster’s treasures. He adds that she may be a monster herself, which makes for quite a few around here. Fabio points out that Chise can see the plant, which means that she’s killed someone before.
Chise thinks back to her Scotland trip when Zoe suddenly arrives in the area. Fabio says that their time is about up, but she’s always free to participate if she likes. Alice then runs into Lucy, realizing her to be Chise’s classmate before apologizing for hurting her. Lucy says that’s not what happened, but won’t explain her emotions, prompting Alice to throw the ghost costume over her before leaving.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 then sees Ruth and the actual practical instructor Wachmann arrive, happy to see the group okay. Wachmann questions who let them in before realizing Fabio is present, berating him about how the students haven’t even signed a waiver. He shows her the materials they gathered, but she says she’ll be reporting this to their supervisors.
Fabio tells him to go right ahead, warning her that there’s someone else in the College she needs to be more worried about while departing. Seth is then shown chasing after Lucy, coming upon her in the hallway still wearing the ghost outfit. He goes to remove the outfit but then hesitates, before remembering how Lucy would cry as a child and embracing her in the present.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 sees Seth admit that he is a loser and a failure who isn’t cut out to take over the business. Likewise, he thought he was finally free when they told him to leave, and that she’d be fine without him since she was so loved. He apologizes for this, but Lucy hugs him back and apologizes instead for constantly telling herself that she had to hate him.
She adds that she knew everyone was treating him coldly, but that there was so much for her to learn, she wasn’t thinking about him at all. Then when he left, there was no one who saw her for who she was. She adds that the spiders were never guilty of anything and neither were the others, calling their eventual fate not right and promising to find out who was behind it.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 sees Lucy swear to master sorcery and find out the truth, even if she has to use her name as bait. She says she couldn’t hate their family enough to forget what she saw and move on, while Seth ponders how different their upbringings and experiences were.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12: Isolation enacted
Seth says he can’t hold onto his anger the same way she can, but promises that he always worries for her. Lucy says she knows this, while the scene shifts to one of the College’s courtyards, where Chise and the others are back above ground. They find Elias Ainsworth and Liza Quillyn discussing something, with Elias explaining that Liza asked him to help with what she’s about to do.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 sees Liza approach Philomela, saying she has to ask her something. This is when Philomela’s familiar appears, bearing an owl with which Grandmother, revealed to be Lizbeth Sargant, is speaking through. The two make their introductions, filling the air with introductory small talk.
Lizbeth then says she wanted to talk to Liza directly about Philomela’s withdrawal, prompting the sorcerer to tell the students to be off. Lizbeth tells Philomela to stay, but Liza counters this, saying that her withdrawal due to family matters is for the College and the family to discuss. Liza seems to say that something can be worked out if Philomela desires to continue her studies.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 sees Lizbeth claim Philomela has no such thing, calling her a failure who can’t even perform her duties. This is when Isaac approaches Philomela, grabbing her hand and leading her away. Chise, Rian, and Zoe chase after the two, with Chise telling Elias she’ll see him later.
Liza apologizes on Isaac's behalf before calling Lizbeth’s way of thinking very traditional. This is when the house mother cats arrive, each agreeing with Liza and encouraging her to get aggressive. Lizbeth comments on them, seemingly knowledgeable of them, prompting Liza to inform Lizbeth that the college will be sealed.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 sees Lizbeth question what this means, when the cat’s transformed forms begin chanting an incantation and flying in the air. Liza explains that due to the recent attacks on students, they’re closing it off for a while as a security measure. Lizbeth protests, but Liza calls it an urgent matter which families will be updated on later.
As the cats continue their incantation, a spell envelops the College entirely, and as it completes, Liza bids Lizbeth farewell. At that moment, the cats attack the servant bird, prompting Liza to berate them for being too early, to which they counter that Lizbeth was just so infuriating. Elias explains that they’re cat-siths, but he hasn’t heard of them following people’s orders.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 sees Liza explain that they’re all equals, before asking Elias about inadequacies in their magic. He says he sees none, and that his involvement wasn’t necessary, before commenting on how the familiar is still around. The scene then shifts to Lizbeth, who comments on how the new principal is indeed uncivilized.
Lizbeth says that in any case, she has some time now just as she had hoped, as the scene changes to what appears to be several pieces of paper falling. A red eye with a vertical slit for an iris then appears on screen, as the episode ends and with it the first cour of the series’ second season.
The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12: In summation
While the final episode of the season’s first cour doesn’t quite give the answers fans were looking for, it does build up the excitement and anticipation for the next cour significantly. The Ancient Magus’ Bride season 2 episode 12 introduces new enemies both within and outside the College, and also seemingly paints Lizbeth Sargant as behind the recent student attacks.
The conclusive episode to the season’s first cour also confirms that Liza Quillyn has been acting in the best interest of the students and the College after all. While many fans initially suspected her to be the arc’s overarching antagonist, that is certainly not the case heading into the season’s second cour later this year.
Be sure to keep up with all The Ancient Magus’ Bride anime and manga news, as well as general anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2023 progresses.
