Strategy: The Queen's Palace of Lament

"Strategy: The Queen's Palace of Lament" is the seventeenth episode of the Queen's Blade anime and the fifth episode of the second season.

Story
Ymir uses the fact that her bout is being broadcast to advertise the effectiveness of her weapons, especially since Leina is using a Cattleya weapon. Leina emerges victorious, however. Rana is hanging on to Cattleya during her fight with Airi, but actually proves to be helpful as Airi cannot bring herself to kill him. Cattleya is winning when she sees that Owen is frozen inside one of the stones in Aldra's "Palace of Grief" and breaks down crying, conceding defeat. Aldra promises to reunite Cattleya with her husband, and does so by turning her to stone as well. Filled with grief, Rana grabs Cattleya's spear and tries to attack Aldra. Aldra is about to turn him to stone too when Airi rescues him and they escape. They are confronted by Risty and the Assassins of the Fang, but when Risty is about to strike Rana down, she remembers the orphans she used to care for and hesitates, allowing them to escape. Rana keeps following Airi around, and she resolves to care for him in Cattleya's stead. When Cattleya does not return, Ymir asks Leina to allow her to care for her sword from now on. The next match is set: Claudette vs Menace.