Made in Abyss Episode 09

The Great Fault is the ninth episode of the Made in Abyss anime series.

Synopsis
Riko and Reg descend through the 3rd layer, the Great Fault, which features a long, vertical shaft. The trip is made more dangerous by the Madokajack constantly seeking prey. Fortunately, there are plenty of Neritantan who make nests in holes along the shaft. Riko uses them as distractions to draw the predators away. Riko and Reg run into the very same Crimson Splitjaw that Reg saved Riko from previously. Reg recalls Ozen's warning: using the Incinerator causes Reg to pass out within ten minutes, and for two hours afterward, it is impossible to wake him up. This would leave Riko completely unprotected.

The two decide to retreat by using a close cave system. In doing so they accidentally stumble into a nest of a Madokajack and with no other choice, due to being in an enclosed space, Reg uses his Incinerator to kill the creature. After he passes out Riko gets hungry and drags him along with her, in order to create more distance between them and the Crimson Splitjaw. During Riko's journey through the cave system, she gets even hungrier and ends up following the smell of Baracocha fruit emitted by an Amakagame and ends up falling in its feeding opening. Riko is able to cut her way out of it by using a small dagger. A group of Neritantans are attracted by the Baracocha smell, which is stuck on Riko, and they try to eat her. Riko gets into a wild chase and she manages to get rid of them. [Anime only]

Riko manages to get to a more open spot, suffering the 3rd layer's strains of ascent in the progress, from which she and Reg will be able to descend to the 4th layer. During the hallucination, she and Lyza ascend back to Orth in the gondola, where all of Riko's beloved friends and mentors appear, cheering for her. Riko is very happy to see them, but she doesn't see Reg. Lyza tells her that he is still in the Abyss and she doesn't have to worry about the Curse anymore. Riko is distraught at this and tells her mother how much she needs Reg. After that, her hallucination ends as she screams, bringing back her consciousness. [Anime only]

Moments later, the Crimson Splitjaw shows up again, due to having tracked their scent. Riko gets ready to fight it with the Blaze Reap but luckily Reg wakes up, after seeing the situation, leaps forward and hits the Crimson Splitjaw with the Blaze Reap. [Anime only]

The resulting chain of explosions from the hit [Blaze Reap isn't used in the manga] cause the Crimson Splitjaw to fall off the edge into the shaft.

Afterwards, Reg and Riko continue onwards and soon can see the scenery of the 4th layer.

Adapted From
The Great Fault]]
 * Volume 3, [[Made in Abyss Chapter 018|Chapter 18: The Depths' Third Layer

Character Appearances

 * Hablog (Hallucination)
 * Jiruo (Hallucination)
 * Kiyui
 * Laffi (Hallucination)
 * Lyza (Hallucination)
 * Marulk
 * Nat
 * Ozen
 * Reg
 * Riko
 * Shiggy

Bestiary Indexing

 * Amakagame [Anime only]
 * Crimson Splitjaw
 * Kazura Squid (Eggs)
 * Madokajack
 * Neritantan

Trivia

 * The Anime adaptation of this episode is slightly different from the Manga and in the Movie; leading to more visuals of the 3rd layer, Shiggy talking about the 3rd layer's strains to Nat, and Riko being affected by the 3rd layer's strains of ascent.

Background Music

 * Hanezeve Caradhina
 * Abyss of the Sea
 * Swings and Roundabouts
 * Serphent Call
 * Rafters
 * Jungle Run
 * In the Blind
 * Relinquish
 * Made in Abyss