Wow – after a very silly start, episode 7 of Kuroshitsuji certainly got intense. While still generally maintaining the more absurdist and less gritty tone of the second season, we definitely saw some of the grisly violence and bleak view of human nature from the first.

Seems to me that Sebastian is clearly stronger than Claude. I mean – Claude simply refuses to fight fair in any of his matchups with Sebby. He uses his three puppet akuma, when they’re disposed of the monocular maid, and finally a demonic blade pulled from a very odd place. All Sebastian has are his own skills and some tableware, yet he manages to dispense with all challengers and fight the armed Claude to a draw – until being caught up in the latter’s web (literally). For the first time in a while, Sebastian got seriously nicked.

But then the focus turned to the real heart of the episode, Ciel. Already having showed his cold-blooded side by blowing the head off the woodsman who burned down the Phantomhive Estate, Ciel challenges Alois to a duel. While the butlers rage outside the boys duel inside, under the watchful eye of the sickening Viscount Druitt. Alois appears to have the early advantage, but it’s a ruse by Ciel – who stabs Alois in the gut and is stopped from dispatching him only by Claude’s hand.

Alois once again shows himself to be a vile little toad in this ep – begging and pleading for his life after being wounded by Ciel. The look in his eye as he saw Claude’s expression upon tasting Ciel’s blood was priceless. He looked like he’d caught his lover cheating on him – and Alois very quickly became an afterthought in Claude’s mind once Claude got a taste for what all the fuss was about with Ciel’s soul. In the process we get another small hint – Ciel’s soul is indeed the holy grail for demons – pure, untainted white despite knowing blood, death and darkness.

Apparently Alois is going to be just fine, as it seems by the PV we’re getting an Alois-centric ep next week. But I suspect Claude will now see him only as a tool to obtain what he really wants, Ciel. While Alois seems increasingly pathetic Ciel remains, despite his cruelty and steel, somehow noble and proud. And Sebastian appears to always be the one in control, even in his battles with Claude – he understands more than anyone else and uses it to his advantage. Clearly, they remain the dominant pair in this series.