Episode 5 - This Is a Hot Water Town, Uminari Hot Springs
It's the holidaysnote , and Nanoha's family is taking their annual trip to a hot springs resort. Alisa, as well as Suzuka and Shinobu and their maids, are along as guests. Nanoha is still preoccupied about the girl in black she fought last week, but Yuuno advises her to just enjoy her vacation.
The girls enjoy the hot spring baths along with an embarrassed Yuuno, while Nanoha's parents take a walk outside and reflect on their peaceful family life. Later, Nanoha and her friends are exploring the inn when a curvy woman with long reddish hair comes up and rudely accosts her. When Alisa calls her out, the woman laughs and says she must have mistaken Nanoha for someone else. Then, however, she speaks telepathically to both Nanoha and Yuuno, warning them to stay out of the way for their own good.
Alone in the bath later, the woman communicates with the girl in black, addressing her as "Fate". She reports that she doesn't think Nanoha is anyone to worry about. Fate replies that she's tracking another Jewel Seed, and they should be able to retrieve it that night. The woman, whose name is Arf, acknowledges this and goes back to relaxing in the bath; as she does, two wolf-like ears pop out from under her hair.
After going to bed that evening, Nanoha and Yuuno wonder if the woman is connected to the girl in black. Yuuno starts to suggest that maybe Nanoha should stop getting involved, but Nanoha tells him firmly that the Jewel Seeds are now her business too, and she's determined to see it through.
Meanwhile, Fate and Arf have located the Jewel Seed in a nearby stream. Nanoha and Yuuno sense it as well, and head to its location. However, Fate has beaten them to it, and has just finished sealing it when they arrive. Yuuno asks what they want with the Jewel Seeds, but Arf says it's none of their concern. Then she transforms into a large wolf-like beast, revealing herself to be Fate's familiar, and moves to attack them. Yuuno blocks her with his magic and teleports the two of them away, leaving Nanoha to confront Fate.
Nanoha asks if they can talk things over, but Fate says that wouldn't change anything. Instead, she offers a wager: one Jewel Seed to the victor. Then, without waiting for an answer, she attacks. Nanoha puts up a good fight, but Fate is too fast and skilled for her, and Nanoha quickly ends up cornered with Fate's magical blade at her throat. On its own initiative, Raising Heart releases one of its previously-captured Jewel Seeds and allows Fate to take it.
Calling Arf back, Fate warns Nanoha not to cross paths with them again. Nanoha asks for her name; hesitating slightly, the girl identifies herself as Fate Testarossa. Before Nanoha can introduce herself in return, Fate and Arf disappear.
Tropes
- Busman's Holiday: Both a Jewel Seed and her new rival just happen to show up right where Nanoha's family is vacationing.
- Glowing Eyes of Doom: There are several shots where Fate is drawn this way in silhouette. She is not portrayed like this in any other episodes.
- Gratuitous English: For no obvious reason, the return-from-break eyecatch features Arf getting hit on the head by a sign and exclaiming "Oh, no!" in melodramatic English.
- Hot Springs Episode: Exactly what it says on the tin.
- Male Gaze: Besides the obligatory bath scenes, this episode seems to go out of its way to contrive shots of various female characters' rear ends.
- Mythology Gag: There's a brief scene of Shirou and Momoko talking about how peaceful their life is now, and Shirou assures his wife that "from now on" he's going to be nothing more than Midori-ya's owner. This is an allusion to his character as portrayed in Triangle Heart 3, implying that something similar may be part of his backstory here.
- New Powers as the Plot Demands: Yuuno reveals the ability to teleport himself and other people. Given how much time he and Nanoha have spent running from one location to another, one might think this would have come in handy before now.
