Parents

Parents
Season	2
Episode	22
Episode Staff
Scriptwriter	Urushibara Kohei 漆原虹平
Storyboard	Shirai Hiroshi 白井宏旨
Episode Director	Chiahe Chiu 邱 家和, Akiyama Yasuhiko 秋山泰彦
Animation Director	Isoko Shinobu 五十子 忍
Episode Information
Air Date	Japanese June 16, 2024 English TBA
Adaptation	Light Novel Volume 12 Chapter 8: The Guardian of the Teleportation Labyrinth Chapter 9: Mortal Combat Chapter 10: Parents
Story Arc	Labyrinth Arc
Music
Opening Theme	On the front line
Ending Theme	None
Guide
Previous	Magic Circles of the Sixth Stratum
Next	Lets Go Home

Parents (親) Oya) is the Twenty-second episode of the second season (46th overall) Mushoku Tensei anime series originally broadcasted on June 16, 2024 and also the fourth episode of the Labyrinth Arc for the Anime.

Synopsis

Rudeus and his friends are transported to the seventh floor and finally see Zenith! However, a giant Manatite Hydra, the guardian of the Teleport Labyrinth, stands in their way. The Hydra is a legendary creature thought to be extinct, a formidable enemy from the Second Human-Demon Wars!

Plot

At the Sixth Floor of the Teleportation Labyrinth, Rudeus, Paul, Roxy, Elinalise, Geese and Talhand are about to step into the Magic Circle after confirming they are ready. Despite Geese suggesting they can turn back for now Paul decides to move forward and everyone check their gear. At Rudeus' request Roxy gives him some of her Healing Magic Scrolls and promises to support him to ensure he does not use the scrolls. After checking on everyone if they are ready, Paul tries to tell something to Rudeus but the latter suggests to save in until they return home and they all step in the Teleportation Circle to the seventh floor.

At the seventh floor, the party continues exploring and they reach a huge hall and they see the Labyrinth Guardian who happens to be a hydra as Geese exclaims he never seen one before but Paul sees Zenith trapped inside the Magic Crystal as the hydra prepares to attack them. Paul attacks immediately despite Geese calling him out not to rush in, causing Elinalise and Talhand to commit while Roxy and Rudeus casts Icicle Break and Stone Cannon respectively to support them but both spells are nullified before it touches the hydra. Meanwhile, Paul dodges and attacks the hydra attacks and severs two heads. The hydra retaliates but Elinalise bashes the head aside with her Buckler that halts the attack but is wounded in her left shoulder. She stabs with her Gladius but it got stuck between the scales. The hydra attacks Paul and Elinalise again but Roxy uses Flood Flush that causes masses of water to appear before Paul and Elinalise that and pushes them back from the hydra's attack range. Talhand follows up with Earth Pillar above the hydra but it also got nullified as Rudeus notices hearing the high pitch sound indicating their spells are nullified and ponders on retreating. Roxy then calls out that the two severed heads have regenerated at high speed and calls out to retreat but an enraged Paul attacks again, causing Talhand to call on Geese who runs ahead and throws several smoke grenades to distract the hydra. Paul halts his advance as he cannot see his target just as Geese grabs onto him to force him to fall back who still refuses until Elinalise slaps him and they all fallback. Elinalise calls on Rudeus who uses Deep Mist then Roxy calls on retreating back to the Magic Circle to the sixth floor.

Back at the Sixth Floor, Rudeus heals Elinalise's wounded left shoulder then checks on Paul who is now seated by the wall and still enraged as he mentions that he really saw Zenith and tries to calm down at Rudeus' suggestion. But when Rudeus questions if Zenith is still alive, Paul angrily grabs Rudeus by his collar and berates Rudeus, causing Talhand to tell them to stop. Paul continues to tell off Rudeus on being so calm upon seeing Zenith but Rudeus points out to him that being mad won't solve anything as he internally reflects that he is indeed too calm and recalls his relationship with Zenith back in Buena Village during his childhood and hasn't seen her for nearly 10 years.

Rudeus then calmly reviews what they learnt but Paul grabs Rudeus' collar and chastised his reaction. Geese and Talhand forces them apart and Elinalise also chimes in to have a discussion while Paul sits down, still upset and everyone follows suit and sits in a circle. Upon seeing Roxy worried, Rudeus tells her that he is alright since this is not the first time he had a quarrel with Paul so Roxy clears her throat and mentions she can help Zenith then Elinalise mentions she knows someone in a similiar situation and assures Paul that Zenith is alive but their immediate problem is the hydra. Geese adds that they have never seen a hydra that has those kind of scales before then Talhand points out the its high speed regeneration is a problem. Roxy explains that they are dealing with a Manatite Hydra where its scales can absorb Mana that she thought to be a fairytale and upon clarification, Roxy tells Rudeus that Magic should work at point blank range, leaving the hydra's regeneration to be the only issue. Rudeus then tells the party that searing a decapitated neck with fire like Heracles did in Greek Mythology should prevent its regeneration. Meanwhile, Paul continues to give angry looks. The rest of the party is willing to try it then Geese got Paul to accept. Paul who has now calmed down expresses his appreciation of what the party has done to find Zenith and asks them to help him one last time and the party encourages him. Paul then complements his son coming up with a plan unlike him who cannot be calm and charges head on then tells Rudeus to rescue Zenith even if it kills him.

With their strategy established, the party returns to the seventh floor where the hydra lies in waiting and Paul signals the battle to begin. Paul leads the charge while Rudeus uses his Foresight Eye to predict the hydra's movements. Paul dodges every head attack and severs one of the heads then Rudeus aims his Fireball at it but it also got nullified and concluding he needs to move much closer and Paul telling him to stay close behind him as the severed hydra's head regenerates.

The hydra continues its attack that are being Tank by Elinalise and Talhand while Paul severs another head and signals Rudy to launch another Fireball at the severed head but the another head attacks Rudeus that is blocked by Elinalise who dashes in front of Rudeus to block with her Buckler and immediately decapitated by Paul. Rudeus immediately uses another Fireball at the newly decapitated neck and confirms that the seared neck did not regenerate. Paul is encouraged by this and decapitates another head and after Rudeus sears it, he heals Elinalise's injured shoulder after blocking a hydra attack meant for him. Paul and Rudeus follows through the strategy while Roxy follows Talhand to heal him while he is tanking but is got caught by one of the hydra head by his leg that Paul immediately severs. Roxy immediately heals Talhand who falls to the ground as the battle continues. The hydra suddenly bites off a neck that was seared causing Paul call it out and to prevent it from healing so Elinalise leaps to the severed head by the hydra and thrusts his Gladius to it then uses Ice Smash on the head to freeze it then calls on Roxy who follows up with Flamethrower on the frozen neck to prevent its regeneration.

The Hydra, with three heads remaining, is suddenly taking a deep breath which Paul notices and calls out that something is incoming. Rudeus, having battled a Red Dragon before, is recognizing that the Hydra is using its Fire Breath and calls on everyone to gather to him. Once they do, Rudeus is using Water Shield to summon a huge wall of water just as all the remaining Hydra's three heads use Fire Breath on them, but it is absorbed by the Water Shield. The Hydra eventually stops using Fire Breath, so at Rudeus' call, Paul resumes attacking to sever another head, which Rudeus follows up with a Fireball on the severed neck and does the same on one more head. This causes the Hydra to tremble and attack everyone at the same time, where Paul moves Rudeus out of its range, Elinalise dodges, and Talhand blocks the attack on Roxy. While the party is recovering from the attack, the final head attacks Rudeus, but Paul kicks him out of the way and gets struck instead. Rudeus, having recovered, finds himself face to face with the final head. He strikes the eye with his left hand, causing the Hydra to shut its eye and severing Rudeus' left hand just as he finishes casting 3 Stone Cannons that burst out from the Hydra's head, destroying the Magic Crystal that absorbs mana. The Hydra is frantically dragging Rudeus off the ground as he calls on Roxy, and she finishes off the final head with Flamethrower and collapses by its side.

Rudeus, still on the ground, sighs in relief that the battle is over but feels the pain in his left hand and uses Shine Healing, which closes the wound and restores his left limb except for his hand. Upon checking on Paul, he notices everyone is shocked into silence, and to his horror, sees Paul on the ground with his lower body missing. Their eyes meet, and upon seeing Rudeus, Paul wordlessly sighs in relief as blood comes out of his mouth and the light goes out of his eyes...

Moments later, the Magic Crystal encasing Zenith begins to crack and shatter as she falls to the ground still unconscious. The party is later seen leaving the Teleportation Labyrinth with Talhand carrying Zenith on his back. Roxy tries to talk to Rudeus, but like everyone else, she is at a loss for words.

At the Inn in Rapan, the party is welcomed by Lilia, Shierra and Vierra but when they are told that Paul has passed away, Lilia is shocked but remains silent while Vierra and Shierra weeps. Lilia then approaches and embraces Rudeus as he tells him to get some rest and she will handle things from here. At his room, Rudeus takes off his robe and lies down as he recalls the moment he burns the remains of Paul and goes to sleep.

Four days later, Rudeus and Lilia are watching over Zenith who is still sleeping and as Lilia wonders if she will wake up, Zenith opens her eyes to the relief of Lilia and helps her sit up. Rudeus calls on to Zenith who looks at him so Lilia introduces him but Zenith blankly stares back and utters incomprehensible words. Lilia realizes what has happened in disbelief while Rudeus is still stunned but also realizes that Zenith is now a husk, his heart shatters.

Characters

• Rudeus Greyrat
• Elinalise Dragonroad
• Geese Nukadia
• Paul Greyrat
• Talhand
• Roxy Migurdia
• Lilia Greyrat
• Shierra
• Vierra
• Zenith Greyrat

Locations

• Begaritt Continent
  • Teleportation Labyrinth
    • Sixth Floor
    • Seventh Floor
  • Rapan
    • Unnamed Inn

Adaptation Notes

• Light Novel Volume 12
  • Chapter 8: The Guardian of the Teleportation Labyrinth
  • Chapter 9: Mortal Combat
  • Chapter 10: Parents

Differences with the Light Novel:

• The event where the party battles monsters while leaving the Teleport Labyrinth has been cut
• The event where Rudeus burns Paul's remains occurs in a flashback upon returning to the inn, while in the Light Novel, it occurs after defeating the Manatite Hydra.
• The event where Rudeus remembers his parents from his past life and finally mourns for their deaths before Zenith wakes up was instead included in Episode 23.
• The event where Zenith wakes up has Rudeus and Lilia present, while in the light novel, Vierra is also there but bursts out the door to inform the rest that Zenith has woken up

Trailer

『無職転生Ⅱ』第22話「親」次回予告／ナレーション：パウロ(CV.森川智之)

Gallery

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Trivia

• This episode showed Paul Greyrat's sacrifice and demise. It was aired on June 16, 2024, which is Father's Day in many countries.
• In irony, Rudeus' left hand that was severed by the Manatite Hydra, is named Heracles