Melancholy: Airi's Double-Cross

"Melancholy: Airi's Double-Cross" is the twenty-seventh episode of the Queen's Blade anime.

Story
In the Swamplands, the Swamp Witch painfully tortures Melona for the shapeshifter's previous failures. Melona blames her treatment on Airi, and knowing that Airi must return someday because the Swamp Witch's command spell, Melona vows to punish Airi when she returns. Meanwhile, Airi has been living with Rana, Cattleya, and Owen and helps around with chores in the house. Airi has grown accustomed to the lifestyle and her feeling for Rana continues to grow, but she also feels obligated to return to the swamp to serve her master, so she secretly flies away one day.

Airi returns to the swamp and is confronted by Melona who ties her up and decides to torture Airi by tickling her. After three days of taking it, Airi reveals that the command spell on her is no longer effective, but she came back on her own volition. Melona is skeptical, but Airi refuses to break from the tickle torture and swears loyalty to the Swamp Witch, and is allowed to join Melona.

In Gainos, Melpha is alone in the church again after Aldra left with Tomoe on a journey. While praying to the heavens, Melpha hears Nanael's voice ordering her to go to the Swamplands. Melpha follows the order and journeys to the Swamplands where she begins revitalizing the land with her Holy Poses. Airi and Melona detect the intrusion, and Airi flies in to confront Melpha while Melona chooses to watch from a distance. In the battle, Melpha blasts off Airi's clothes with a Holy Pose, but Airi traps Melpha with her spirits. Airi then goes in for the kill, but Melpha detects that Airi is feeling unsure about something. Airi ignores Melpha's advice and proceeds to ingest some of Melpha's life force, but it counteracts because of Melpha's good spirit and she attempts to escape only to fall unconscious on a platform.

While unconscious, Airi dreams of spending time with Rana, but it is not enough to make her go back to him. Airi wakes up and finds Melona watching over her, and the two decide to go fetch Menace to reform their group once again. Sometime later, Melpha has returned to her church and reports to Nanael that she has purified some of the areas of the Swamplands, but Nanael is disappointed in her since she was unable to defeat Melona and Airi.