Made in Abyss Season 2 Episode 07

The Cradle of Desire is the seventh episode of the Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun anime series.

Synopsis
After an unknown creature snatches one of the Interference Units, Ganja is forced to retreat to safety. Ganja restrains the Interference Units, thinking that they were led into a trap.

The Interference Units apologize for endangering them using fluent human speech, to the surprise of Ganja. The Interference Units have acquired their language by observing them and predicting their language. Wazukyan decides to trust them and removes the restraints placed on them.

They also consider trying to travel back upwards via the altar but an attempt of using the altar narehate to activate it and sending some members of Ganja back up as test reveals the consequenses of the 6th layer them when it returns back down a few hours later.

After that, Waukyan gives a speech to them which makes them content with the fact they are not returning to the surface and Ganja decides to set up a permanent camp. Ganja requests the Interference Units to locate sources of drinkable water. However, due to the units not requiring water, they are unable to judge the safety of the water sources they provided the locations to. Ganja therefore has to inspect the places personally. Of the five proposed locations, two are swarming with dangerous beasts, one is contaminated with mining residue, one has insurmountably hot water, and only the last is deemed safe.

Belaf discovers that their guide, the child, can read unknown glyphs in the Abyss. Vueko tells Belaf that the child's name is Irumyuui. Belaf tells Irumyuui to continue to study their language, as she will be essential to their survival in the Abyss. Irumyuui begins to study the language with Vueko and is quick to pick up the language.

Later on, Irumyuui adopts a Hermit Rat found in a hat. Belaf wants to study the way the creature lives, to see how to better survive in the Abyss.

After securing their water supply from what appears to be a fresh source, the group subsequently acclimatizes to life in the 6th layer. Irumyuui reveals to Vueko that she was considered a cursed child in her tribe due to being barren and thus was to be a sacrifice to the Abyss, rather than a guide for Ganja. Vueko, having experienced a similar fate in the past, is also barren, and sympathizes with Irumyuui and develops a mother-like bond with her. As the two embrace, Vueko notes that she wanted to find light in the darkness, but what she found instead was Irumyuui, who is darkness. But she is a very warm darkness.

Time passes and life is good. There are good meals and laughter. Sadly, though, Irumyuui's hermit rat gets snatched away by a predator. But life moves on and Vueko makes a necklace for Irumyuui as a comfort.

One morning, Vueko wakes up and realizes Irumyuui has diarrhea. Inspecting her feces, she notices transparent insect eggs therein. Pakkoyan then comes and urgently requests Vueko's help. Pakkoyan takes Vueko to a tent full of sick people. Eichem, one of the members of Ganja, has toes that have melted and hardened like lead. The same disease that Irumyuui is infected with seems to have a mass spread of among Ganja, as all the infected have diarrhea. There is not enough water to treat all patients, and thus Belaf, Ajapoka and several other members embark to gather some.

Meanwhile, the food-scavenging group returns with considerable losses, counting only three members who die shortly after arrival; they transformed into tree-looking beings.

The group who departed the camp arrives at the watering hole. Belaf becomes doubtful of the water and asks Ajapoka to get a sample of rock from the lake bed. He then realizes it is not rock, but the hardened remains of a giant creature. Not knowing of any other possible source of safe water, they decide to bring water from the hole back and to warn the rest of Ganja about its true properties.

Back at camp, Wazukyan shows Vueko an egg-shaped Relic from one of the food-scavenging group member's bags and asks her if she knows what it is. Vueko does not know its purpose, and Wazukyan contemplates whether the Interference Units would know. Vueko, remembering these events, comments that the discovery of the egg-shaped Relic was the turning point for all of these events.

Belaf, Vueko, and Wazukyan discuss on what to do since their "Pseudowater" appears to be either infected, or some unknown creature of the Abyss. They note that it should have been safe to drink since they boiled the water first, but the creatures of the Abyss seem to be resilient. Wazukyan is impressed with their ability to survive. They decide to continue using it anyway, as a stopgap from dying of thirst.

Wazukyan inquires to the Interference Units about a stone relic found by the scavenging team, which is revealed to be an Artifact called the Cradle of Desire. The Artifact is said to be able to grant the user's deepest wish when touched, if the mind of the holder is not "messy or complex," as it tends to be the case with mature humans. The fate of the food scavenging team was due to the state of their minds. They also mention that if Ganja wishes to use the Cradle of Desire, then a juvenile person is preferred.

After seeing that Irumyuui is still suffering from the effects of the water, Vueko requests to have Irumyuui use the Cradle of Desire to try and save herself and the others. The Interference Units say that there is a high chance that giving the Artifact to Irumyuui will grant her wish. Wazukyan gives Vueko permission to use the Artifact on Irumyuui and tells her that Belaf is now sick as well. He tells Vueko that he believes this will bring them salvation.

The day after Irumyuui was given the Artifact, she is all better and doesn't feel any pain. But the Artifact has now fused with her body, being implanted in her chest. Irumyuui is also still disfigured from the illness caused by the water, with a demented left hand. As time progresses, Ganja puts their efforts into supporting Irumyuui and Vueko, hoping that they will become healed by Irumyuui's wish.

However, as time goes on, more and more people die. In order to help, the Interference Units attempt to gather water from sources higher up in the Abyss. However, none of the water is drinkable, and it contaminates the drinking barrels, making them unusable.

As time passes, Irumyuui becomes more and more metamorphosed and no longer feels pain. It makes Vueko cry to see how Irumyuui has changed, and she hopes that she made the right decision by making Irumyuui use the egg.

One day, Irumyuui gives birth to a creature with a similar appearance to a Hermit Rat. Vueko is horrified but supports Irumyuui, as she doesn't know what else to do. The next day, the baby dies due to it not having organs for ingesting food. Vueko gives the child a funeral while wondering if this was what Irumyuui wished for: to be a mother. If that was Irumyuui's wish, then who answered it?

Irumyuui then proceeds to give birth to more and more of these "children", which all promptly die due to not having organs for ingesting food. This causes Irumyuui a great deal of grief and Vueko tries to comfort her, as Irumyuui never gets used to the pain of loss. Eventually, Vueko finally falls ill like everyone else. She wakes up to find diarrhea in her bed. While being sick, she is unable to continue looking after Irumyuui. All she wants is water.

One day, Vueko wakes up to find Wazukyan feeding her some form of broth with a scent of fat. It's the most delicious thing she's ever tasted. After eating the broth, Vueko passes out.

Upon awakening, Vueko finds that she is completely healed. She finds Wazukyan and is overcome with a sense of dread over what he fed her. She panics for a moment. When she tries to question him, he interrupts her, revealing that everything is alright, and that the others have been healed as well. He says, "I told ya, didn't I? That kid saved everyone."

Adapted From

 * Volume 7, Chapter 47: The Secret of the Village
 * Volume 8, Chapter 49: The Golden City
 * Volume 8, Chapter 50: The Cradle of Desire

Character Appearances

 * Ajapoka
 * Belaf
 * Interference Units
 * Irumyuui
 * Minor Characters
 * Pakkoyan
 * Vueko
 * Wazukyan

Bestiary Indexing

 * Hermit Rat
 * Pseudowater
 * Unknown Creatures

Background Music

 * DANCE: nArEhAtE
 * The Golden City
 * Mori
 * Princess & the Village
 * Ouni
 * BIRD_(n); CAGE.
 * Radio Requiem
 * vs. Organic Machine
 * VOH ft. Takeshi Saito