The Secret at Gainos Castle

"The Secret at Gainos Castle" is the thirty-seventh episode of the Queen's Blade anime.

Story
At a Shai-Fang restaurant in Gainos, the Shaifang sisters Tarnyang and Sainyang complain about the food mostly because they don't have money to pay for the food. The restaurateur calls up some brutes to surround the sisters. Annelotte, Yuit & Vante are sitting nearby and Annelotte wants to help the sisters, but Yuit convinces her to leave to avoid getting noticed. However, while trying to leave Annelotte gets her cloak caught on a stack of boxes. Annelotte pulls free and accidentally causes the boxes to fall onto the restaurateur and his cronies and the sisters think Annelotte did it on purpose to help them. Outside, Tarnyang and Sainyang catch up to Annelotte's group and overhears their plan to sneak into the Queen's castle. To thank Annelotte, Tarnyang and Sainyang lead her, Yuit and Vante to an unguarded entrance into the fortress and they give them a map of the fortress, and Sainyang puts a protection charm on Annelotte. Annelotte, Yuit and Vante venture into the Queen's castle. The three try to locate Ymir's research lab to rescue Mirim, but instead they find the gladiatorial arena where people are watching and betting on fights. The betting organizer somehow survived from being burned by Sigui and is at the arena making money off of bets once more. The betting organizer spots Annelotte's group and overhears their conversation, and so he offers to tell Annelotte's group the location of Ymir's lab but in exchange Annelotte has to fight in the gladiatorial arena. Annelotte agrees and is faced with fighting Branwen the enslaved Dragon Descendant. Annelotte can see Branwen is powerful and seems to enjoy the shock treatment from her master Dogura. Branwen asks why Annelotte is so determined to fight, and Annelotte reveals that she is here to rescue a friend from Ymir. Branwen responds by powering up and she clashes with Annelotte. At the moment, Sainyang's charm activates and damages the arena. The distraction knocks Dogura away, and Branwen tells Annelotte that Ymir's lab is above the arena. Meanwhile, the betting guy sneaked away from Yuit and Vante because he was just using Annelotte to earn a few more bucks and obviously didn't know where Ymir's lab was. Unfortunately for the betting organizer, he runs into Sigui who burns him alive for good this time. Annelotte, Yuit and Vante arrive at the courtyard above the arena and finds Ymir walking around. Ymir pretends to be stupid and states that she has no idea who Mirim is. Annelotte's group hears the sound of guards and decides to go looking for Mirim themselves. Annelotte's group run into the hallways again where they are met by Luna Luna who is still tracking Annelotte. Unfortunately, Luna Luna has a group of soldiers on her trail, so now Annelotte's group is forced to escape from the castle. Annelotte's group (now including Luna Luna) find an exit, and Yuit orders Vante to cover their retreat. Vante unleashes her machine gun on the support columns to stifle the pursuers. The soldiers at the exit close the gate, but Vante rocket punches the gate out of the way. Mirim saw the commotion and came to see what happen, and she and Annelotte's group spot each other at the exit. Yuit tells Mirim to come with them but Mirim hesitates and then stays put. The damage of the rocket punch causes the exit to collapse and destroys the bridge leading from the exit, and thus Mirim, Yuit and friends are stuck on opposite sides of the gap. Annelotte, Yuit, Vante and Luna Luna escape to an abandoned cabin outside of Gainos, and Yuit notes that Mirim seems to have stayed on her own volition. Meanwhile at the castle, Sigui asks Ymir about the intrusion, and Ymir states that there isn't much to worry about but she has her eye out for Vante.