Dark Moon: The Blood Altar Episode 9: Misty Moon: The Black Mist of Railgun
Manga chapter 25-27
Oshimeter
19 Fans
READTHROUGH
The Weight of Prophecy
The episode opens with Heli grasping a profound truth: the ancient legend, he realizes, is not just lore, but their own story, intimately tied to Suha. The boys gather around the Older Man, their faces etched with concern as Jino confirms a chilling possibility: he cannot sense Suha's energy, implying she may be gone. Despite the despair, Heli's resolve hardens, his eyes burning with a vow to find and save her. The Older Man reveals their immediate destination: Banfield House, where the ancient scroll Bionys is kept, a vital clue in their race against time. They embark on their journey with a grim determination, bound by shared fate and a desperate, flickering hope.
Banfield House: A Grave Disappointment
They arrive at the imposing Banfield House, a place heavy with the silence of history. The Older Man leads them through grand, silent halls, anticipating a confrontation, but finds only an eerie emptiness. His sharp gasp echoes as he discovers the empty pedestal where the Bionys scroll should have been. Jino expresses despair, believing they are too late, yet Heli suggests the thief might still be within the mansion. The boys split up, a familiar tactic, each searching the shadows of the vast estate for the stolen ancient knowledge.
The Truth, Tortured
A frantic call from Heli gathers the boys to the parlor, where Jino holds a struggling vampire captive. Yoochan, with unsettling calm, steps forward, offering to extract information from the creature. His eyes blaze purple, and the vampire screams in agony as the name 'Printanier' is forced from its lips, along with the damning clue of a matchbox labeled 'Railgun Printanier'. The vampire collapses, spent, but the boys now have their lead. Heli retrieves the matchbox, its mundane appearance belying the dark knowledge it has just revealed.
Yoochan's Cold Ambition
The true antagonist, Yoochan, is revealed standing over an unconscious Suha on a stone altar, clutching the Bionys scroll. He reads aloud the ancient prophecy, detailing the transfer of power from the Balguer King to his successor through a Moon Altar ritual. A sinister smile plays on his lips as he gazes at the moon, revealing his chilling plan to exploit the ritual and Suha's royal heritage. He intends to take Suha's power, her very blood, to usurp the throne and become the new king. His ambition is clear, cold, and utterly ruthless.
Dardan's Obsession
In a gloomy, rain-swept manor, Dardan, a figure of seething frustration, searches frantically for something lost. He recalls Suha's prior rejection, his anger fueled by a desire for power that he believes his 'status' has unjustly denied him. He unearths a scroll, distinct from Bionys, detailing 'Balguer blood', and his eyes glow with a chilling blue as he consumes a potion. The Older Man confronts him, desperately trying to prevent Dardan from misusing forbidden knowledge. Dardan rages, choking the Older Man, railing against the 'prohibition' that keeps him from ultimate power, even as he discovers the Balguer blood does not make him 'perfect'.
Maha's Warning and the Captured Allies
A pink wolf, Maha, races through the night, collapsing, gravely injured, at the boys' feet. They find her, distressed, as Solon recounts his infiltration of 'Printanier,' a rumored vampire bar, searching for their captured allies, Camil and Ruslan. He describes the menacing appearance of a tall, dark vampire and his own bewildered awakening in a warehouse filled with empty cages. Caelum offers comfort, and Jino, ever the leader, declares their immediate departure to rescue their friends. Their loyalty shines through, even in the face of daunting odds and an injured Maha.
Echoes of Suha: The Shared Dream
On a train, Heli wakes with a gasp from a vivid dream, calling out Suha's name in distress. He saw her in a grand chamber, lying on an altar, and heard her cryptic words about a 'Moon Altar' and 'that sword'. To his surprise, Caelum and Solon recount strikingly similar dreams, seeing Suha in a strange, dark place. The boys discuss the shared vision, piecing together the fragmented message: 'that sword... to the Moon Altar'. This profound, shared experience reinforces their deep connection to Suha and the unfolding prophecy.
The Railgun Trap
The boys arrive at 'Railgun', the matchbox clue leading them to a bar sign under the night sky. Heli states he can no longer sense Suha's energy, heightening the tension and vulnerability. Jaeha senses a 'massive energy' emanating from within the building, an ominous sign. They enter, finding the bar ominously empty, its silence more unsettling than any noise. Following Jino's lead, they descend into a dark warehouse, only for the door to slam shut behind them, trapping them in suffocating darkness.
The Mist and Reawakened Power
Caelum discovers his powers are gone, while Jaeha, Solon, and the others struggle to breathe in the thickening mist. A sinister vampire emerges, explaining the fog is designed to drain their strength, not just conceal them. Chaos erupts as a swarm of vampires overwhelms the boys; Heli is attacked and falls, seemingly defeated. Then, something shifts. Jaeha's fire ignites, Noah's eyes glow blue, Yoochan projects a purple energy field, and Solon transforms into a blue wolf. Jino, wielding a crowbar, fights back fiercely as their powers surge, connected to glowing emblems appearing on their hands, turning the tide of battle.
Balguer's Legacy and the Next Quest
The Older Man explains the newly appeared emblems on the boys' hands: symbols of the ancient Balguer Kingdom, a lost empire now lying beneath their very city. The boys realize Suha somehow reconnected them to this potent, inherited power, even from afar. Heli, recalling the loss of his sword in a previous fight with Dardan, points to 'Autumnal' on a map, intuiting it as the location of the legendary blade. With this newfound understanding of their heritage and purpose, they set off once more, their journey continuing with renewed resolve.
EPISODE REVIEWS

This one juggles a lot of information but mostly holds together. It finally feels like the romance is taking a backseat and a lot of emphasis is being laid on the supernatural lore aspect, really curious to know more about it.

There's a nice balance of flashbacks with the present to learn even more about Dardan's motives, & nothing becomes boring/confusing. The boys are on a mission to save Sooha now, so the tension is rising even more! Hopefully, the werewolves will work closer with the vampires soon.

The story now becomes interesting as it does not focus solely on romance anymore. The fight scenes are a bit short but I am hoping that the longer fights are reserved on the final parts of the story. The pacing was good.



