Episode 02: Aria, the Quadra

Aria the Quadra (双剣双銃のアリア) is the second episode of the Aria the Scarlet Ammo anime, which aired on April 22, 2011.

Summary
Aria demands that Kinji join her Butei party, intruding in his living space when he refuses. This puts Kinji in an awkward situation when his childhood friend, Shirayuki Hotogi, pops over whilst Aria is taking a bath. The next day, Aria follows Kinji around as he takes on a quest to search for a missing cat. After managing to lose Aria, Kinji trades some eroges with his friend, Riko Mine, to obtain information on Aria. Kinji learns that Aria is called "The Quadra," because she uses double guns and swords. Later, Aria calls Kinji's bluff on his Butei abilities and coerces him to agree to join her on a single Assault case, so she can witness his Hysteria Mode.

Synopsis
Kinji is taken aback by the sudden appearance of Aria into his boarding room, and what's worse is that Aria is now treating him like her slave, ordering him around with a request of coffee and peach dumplings to start. The mere turn of events astounds Kinji.

Darkness soon falls, and while Aria helps herself to a sixth serving of peach dumplings, Kinji reminds himself that the dark of night is one of the things he is cautious about, aside from poison, and — of course — women. Aria appears to not take heed as she carefully drinks the coffee Kinji has prepared.

Kinji then decides to confront Aria on what she meant regarding "becoming Aria's slave". In response, she explains that she actually wants Kinji to join Assault and her party, although joining Kinji's party is not a bad choice to her either. Kinji, however, has decided that he joined Inquesta with the purpose of avoiding Assault, and has even considered quitting from being a Butei altogether. Aria doesn't like how he thinks and tells him to keep from saying the words "inpossible", "tired" and "bothersome" in front of her next time. She also comments on Kinji's excessive questioning as childish, much to Kinji's shock.

Aria soon returns the focus to her intent to have Kinji transfer to her party, now with the added consequence when Kinji refuses. Kinji instantly rejects the idea of having Aria live with him in his boarding room, but Aria already has counters for Kinji: the luggage she carries, which is actually a sleepover set.

She then does the unthinkable, kicking Kinji out of his own room for refusing to join her party.

For a few minutes, Kinji stays inside the nearby convenience store, where he manages to vent his frustrations while he reads some manga. He then later returns, with the assumption of Aria already leaving at that time.

Upon his return, Kinji notices that the lights are already out, but then hears splashes of water from the bathroom when he opens the lights. He then hears the doorbell ring, and when he looks at the eyehole, he discovers that it is Shirayuki who is at the other side of the door. He tries to sneak to avoid being detected, but a slip easily gave out his position. Kinji has no choice but to open the door.

Shirayuki emerges from the door wearing her usual clothing at school, and asks about the incident involving the bicycle with the bomb. Kinji tells her that it is him who is close to becoming the Butei Killer's next victim, which shocks Shirayuki. Along with her concern for Kinji, an ominous aura seeps from Shirayuki, who vows to rip apart — "er, arrest" — the perpetrator to these crimes.

Luckily, Kinji manages to end that conversation.

Shirayuki soon hands over the lunch that she presonally prepared for Kinji, then comments that she might be acting more like Kinji's wife with preparing two meals for him that day. Kinji, however, is getting more and more anxious the longer Shirayuki stays on his doorsteps. He tries to ask Shirayuki to leave... but the ominous aura Shirayuki exuded earlier now emerges stronger than before. It manages to disappear, fortunately, and Shirayuki decides to leave.

With Shirayuki now taken care of, Kinji now has to handle Aria. He sneaks to the bathroom to snatch her weapons, thinking that Aria would attack him, but at the moment when he shoves his hands into Aria's clothes, Aria leaves the bathroom. Contrary to what he is trying to avoid, Kinji is attacked by Aria.

That night, as Aria sleeps on one side of the bed, Kinji sleeps on the other, thinking about quitting being a Butei.

The next morning, Kinji wakes up to a thundering fist down his groin, followed by Aria's rants about him not making breakfast. Kinji tells her that he will not make breakfast for him, and this intensified Aria's attacks against him, although he manages to dodge a majority of her attacks.

After some time of preparing, Aria and Kinji dress up for the day's class, but Aria refuses to go separate ways from Kinji, much to the boy's annoyance.

Soon, Sayanaki Tohru, an instructor of Ambulace, briefs new students into the curriculum. According to him, students will have five periods, with the first four consisting of the typical subjects of the high school curriculum. After that, the fifth period will consist of specialization training: combat training for Assault; and driving training for Logi, among others. He also adds that quests will also be available for students, ranging from personal security to infiltration.

Meanwhile, Kinji plans his escape route by acquiring a quest that involves leaving the school premises. He thinks that Aria will be busy for Assault training and will not be able to hinder him on his plan. However, he sees Aria standing on the school gate, telling him that he already has acquired the credits required to graduate.

Aria ends up following Kinji on his quest... which is a 0.1 unit Rank E quest that involves looking for a cat. Kinji takes the time trying to keep Aria from following him, to no avail.

Throughout the day, Aria and Kinji roam around the city, looking for the cat he needs to complete the quest. Aria eventually becomes hungry and after being treated by Kinji, they stay at a nearby park... where lovers usually meet up even at morning. Kinji points it out and Aria becomes embarrassed about it; he takes note of Aria's weakness when it comes to talking about relationships.

Soon, afternoon comes, and they finally discover the cat's whereabouts: on the breakwater.

After submitting the completed quest, Kinji meets up with Riko. It turns out that Riko asked Kinji to buy goth-related titles on a hobby store, but decides to let Kinji keep two of the titles, as she doesn't like sequels. In return, Riko hands over information about Aria to Kinji; according to Riko, things like these are almost effortless due to being part of Inquesta.

Riko later tells Kinji that Aria has also been called as "Aria, the Quadra" due to her utilization of two guns and two swords.

Kinji later arrives home and Aria, in fact, has been expecting Kinji to have acquired information about her. Kinji tells her what he has learned from the information he has extracted, and soon, Aria tells him that there is only one criminal that she has let go: it was Kinji himself! Kinji is shocked about her revelation and tells him that his escape is coincidental, but Aria reveals that she has acquired info about Kinji as well... including the fact that his current Butei Rank is due to skipping the final exam, and his rank at the entrance exam is Rank S as well.

Aria suspects that there is a certain reason for his deliberate lowering of his Butei Rank and confronts him closely, pinning him down with her entire body weight. Kinji, on the other hand, tries to suppress his Hysteria Mode.

Kinji soon shoves Aria to the side and finally decides that he will join Assault, but only on one mission.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Kinji Tohyama
 * Aria H. Kanzaki
 * Hotogi Shirayuki
 * Tooru Sayonaki
 * Riko Mine

Trivia

 * The title of the episode denotes Aria's title as the Quadra (双剣双銃, Sōken Sōjū, "Pair of Swords and Pair of Guns").