Violet Evergarden (ヴァイオレット・エヴァ―ガーデン, Vaioretto Evāgāden?) is the seventh and final chapter of Violet Evergarden Volume 2.
Summary[]
The intercontinental railroad connecting the north and the south is finally complete, and Violet Evergarden is among its first passengers. However, it is soon made clear when the train failed to stop at any of its stations that it has been hijacked by a hostile group. The army is soon made aware of the situation.
Gilbert, now colonel, was discussing what to do with his old unit with his former superior Laurus Schwartzman when the two are summoned to a meeting regarding the hijacking. The group who hijacked the train is from Rohand, one of the northern countries, and are demanding the release of one of their comrades from Altair Prison in exchange for the passengers. Laurus and another colonel, Ahmar, clash over where to ambush the train. Gilbert, who knows that Violet is a passenger on the train because of a picture in the newspapers, inwardly struggles against his desire to rescue Violet and his fear that she will become a tool again if she finds out he's alive. He ultimately decides to do what he wants to do and proposes a infiltration plan with him leading the Special Offense Force. His plan is accepted.
In Leidenschaftlich and elsewhere[]
Gilbert assembles his unit and asks Dietfried for a large battleship to be dispatched to the port in the north where the train is ultimately headed. Gilbert, to his anger and shock, learns that Violet knows about his survival. Dietfried tells him to go fetch her because she's waiting for her master. Gilbert then calls Hodgins, who had already called the army before once he learned about the hijacking, to offer help. Gilbert reveals that he is about to set off to attack the train, meaning he'll be meeting Violet for the first time since the end of the war. The two friends discuss the choices they made to protect Violet that ultimately led them to this point. They exchange information on the hijackers and discuss the geopolitical tensions surrounding the situation, concluding that there is a third entity who helped the hijackers and is gauging Leidenschaftlich's power by seeing how well they can handle this situation. Gilbert wants to make the enemy regret attack Leidenschaftlich and asks Hodgins to buy the land at one of the water supply stations that the train is expected to pass by and destroy the railroad there to stall the hijackers. Gilbert will supply the money. Hodgins is amazed at Gilbert's extreme plan, but agrees.
Hodgins goes to the Leidenschaftlich National Estate Purchase Agency to convince its branch manager, John Wishaw, to allow him to buy the land. The land, including the train station, is privately owned by the village head, Miss Ian. Though the train station is considered public property, it is actually privately held by the village head’s family. Hodgins presses John by using his persuasive abilities, explaining the dire situation of Ritorno’s declining population, and offering employment for the villagers should they agree to sell the land. When John expresses hesitation about selling the land just for it to become a battlefield, Hodgins stresses the urgency of the situation and appeals to his emotions. He asks John to present the plan to the village chief.
After the contract is signed, Hodgins gives Lux instructions to prepare the postmen for action. They will destroy the station to force the train to stop and protect the escaping passengers. Hodgins promises Lux that he will make sure nothing happens to the postal company and prepares to fly over to the station on an military airplane. Lux wants to help, but Hodgins tells her to wait for his return.
Cattleya is attempting to get to the station after hearing about the hijacking, but there is no more room on the last shared carriage to the village. Luckily, a young man offers to give up his seat for her, which she gratefully accepts. Having heard Cattleya mention Violet's name, he tells her that Violet had also written a letter for him once and that they had a "deep relationship." He was planning to go see her, but after hearing about the situation in Leidenschaftlich, decides to wait another time. When Cattleya asks his name, he tells her that his name is Edward Jones and leaves, with no one knowing that he is a fugitive formerly on death row.
In Ritorno, Benedict and the other postmen prepare the explosives and blow up the train tracks at twenty minutes past eight.
On the train[]
Meanwhile on the train, the hijackers are forcing the head engineer, Samuel LaBeouf, to drive the train all the way to their country. They had already killed three staff members. While the train is stopped, Violet disarms the hijackers and helps the passengers escape. She knows that with the train emptied of civilians, the army can now attack the train without hesitation. Violet, wanting to help Gilbert, stays behind on the train as she knows a battle will be coming up. She fights off the hijackers as they discovered what happened in her car, aiming to take control of the engine and stop the train. She faces off against the leader of the group, who expresses his bitterness over the end of the war and his comrades' treatment.
A short time later, Gilbert and his men are high above the train, preparing to hijack it. After seeing a smoke bomb explode on the tracks ahead, they take that as the signal to begin the operation. One group will infiltrate the train, while the other will provide cover once the train stops. After landing on the train, Gilbert encounters a terrified Samuel and asks him to make an emergency stop before entering the next water supply point at Ritorno when he sees the signal. Just then, he hears shouts and gunshots from on top of the train. Knowing that it's Violet fighting against the hijackers, he goes towards her.
Violet about to be stabbed.
Around the same time, Violet realizes she had lost her brooch and finds it next to the group leader's boot. Seeing that it's important to her, he throws into the air. Violet manages to grab it, but her left arm is shattered by the group leader's bayonet. She knocked onto her back. As the group leader's sword approaches her chest, she thinks back on her time with Gilbert and wishes she can meet him one day to respond to his last words to her. But right at that moment, Gilbert comes to Violet's rescue. The group leader aims his gun at them and Violet begs Gilbert to leave her behind, but he refuses. The two pledge to never let each other go.
Gilbert and Violet reunite in battle.
The explosion on the tracks happens at that moment, forcing the train to come to an emergency stop. The hijackers' leader is struck by the debris. Gilbert's men fight against the hijackers to take control of the train, while the postal company's employees are helping the passengers to safety. In the midst of the battle, Gilbert drapes his jacket over Violet's shoulders. She wants to help him fight, as she is his tool, but he tells her that she isn't his tool, but someone to protect. Seeing her conflicted emotions, Gilbert confesses that he isn't a good person and that he ruined her life, but he loves her as a person, not a tool. Though he is no longer her master, he wishes to stay by her side. Violet cries for the second time in her life and tells him that she has come to understand his words a little bit through the letters she writes for other people, including what "I love you" means. Gilbert assures her that it's fine if it takes time for her to understand and that he'll wait until that time comes. He tells her he loves her once more.
Characters[]
- Violet Evergarden
- Lux Sibyl
- Oscar
- Leon Stephanotis
- Cattleya Baudelaire
- Gilbert Bougainvillea
- Laurus Schwartzman
- Gilbert's sister (mentioned)
- Ahmar
- Samuel LaBeouf
- Dietfried Bougainvillea
- Claudia Hodgins
- John Wishaw
- Edward Jones
- Idris
- Benedict Blue
Trivia[]
- Elements of this chapter are adapted into Episode 12 and Episode 13 of the anime.