Episode 3

The Ghost of Mater (マテールの亡霊, Matēru no Bōrei) is the third episode of the D,Gray-Man anime.

Short Summary
Despite their reluctance, Allen and Kanda are sent on a mission to southern Italy together. Their task is to collect a piece of Innocence which is said to be somewhere in the ancient city of Mater, where the Ghost of Mater resides.

Meanwhile, a group of finders already in Italy have managed to secure the Ghost of Mater, even laying down their own lives in order to protect it from a wave of Akuma. While Kanda retrieves the Ghost of Mater, Allen begins his battle with a newly evolved level 2 Akuma.

Long Summary
Allen meets Jeryy in the dining hall and overhears an altercation between Kanda and a couple of finders. While the finders are upset because they are honouring a lost comrade, Kanda finds their whining annoying, telling them that finders are simply there to assist. The situation becomes violent when Kanda grabs one of the finders by the throat. But before it goes any further, Allen intervenes. He tells Kanda he needs to watch his mouth, but Kanda insists that Allen is just weak. It is clear the two have developed a mutual dislike of eachother. At that moment, Reever, along with Lenalee, come by and tells the two they need to go to receive their next mission.

Upon arriving at Komui’s office, Reever has to rouse a sleeping Komui by telling him that Lenalee is getting married. This is just a tactic to get him to wake up because it is one of the only ways he will respond. After Lenalee brings her brother out of his state of panic with a strike to the head, Komui tells Allen and Kanda they will be working together for the mission. Unsurprisingly, the two are reluctant.

Komui then briefs them on their mission: they must head to southern Italy to retrieve a fragment of Innocence and intercept an Akuma who is already on its way to get it. With that, Allen is given his exorcist uniform and is surprised to see Timcanpy emerge from his sleeve. He, along with Kanda and finder, Toma, are seen off by Komui, who tells Allen that Timcanpy had shown him his past.

The trio manage to board the train, and while Toma waits outside their compartment, Allen discusses the case with Kanda. Their target is the Ghost of Mater, who is located in the ancient city of Mater. He begins to wonder what a ghost could have to do with Innocence, and Kanda is none too concerned with explaining it to him. Instead, Toma explains from outside the door that unexplained phenomena are often ascribed to Innocence. He also explains that Innocence has gradually altered its own biology, but the reasons behind why it always finds its way into human hands it currently unknown. In conclusion, if there are strange, unexplainable occurrences happening, then it is very likely that Innocence is somehow involved. It is ultimately the finders’ job to seek them out.

With that, Allen leaves the compartment and officially introduces himself to Toma, who asks him if he has ever heard anything about the Ghost of Mater. He explains that the ghost is a former resident of the city who lived there before the city fell into ruin. In an attempt to relieve its loneliness, it would draw people to it. Toma then goes on to tell Allen that while many of the claims they hear are fake, the finders still investigate each and every one and if they find solid proof of Innocence’s involvement then they must immediately report it. Kanda pipes in saying that is when the exorcists finish the job.

In the meantime, a group of finders in Mater have captured a couple of Akuma with their barriers, however, they did not manage to capture them all and they are promptly wiped out. Another group of finders are located with a man and girl. While the girl refers to the man as Guzol, the finders refer to one of them as the Ghost of Mater, who they say they must protect at all costs.

Allen, Kanda and Toma make their way to rendezvous with the finders, when Allen detects three Akuma. He explains to the others that his left eye is able to see the souls that dwell inside them. Kanda tells him he should have told them that in the first place and maintains that he and Allen are not partners - he will not save him even if he was in danger.

Meanwhile, the surviving group of finders try to fend off an Akuma but sadly do not last, allowing it to start approaching Guzol and the girl. Allen, Kanda and Toma reach the area and find that all the finders are dead, and they had used their barriers in order to protect the Guzol and the girl. However, Allen notices a survivor and attempts to save him, but to his distress, an Akuma begins to attack the finder, injuring him severely. Angered, Allen destroys it. However, this just draws the attention of another Akuma. With this, Kanda steps in and destroys it.

Kanda then approaches the finder, who is near death, and asks him for the code to deactivate the barrier surrounding the Ghost of Mater. The code is “have hope”. With this, he retrieves the Guzol and his companion from the barrier.

Meanwhile, Timcanpy serves as a distraction to get the Akuma’s sights off Allen, but when he finally goes to attack it, the Akuma successfully dodges and fires a barrage of bullets. Allen is blown back against a building and he begins to witness the evolution of the Akuma, which --to his amazement-- has developed the ability to speak.

He calls for Kanda, but he refuses to help, telling Allen that it was acting on his emotions that got him in such a situation in the first place. Allen accepts this, and is content in the knowledge that Kanda has retrieved the Innocence. Kanda then orders Toma to keep an eye on the newly evolved Akuma. As he takes his leave, Kanda thinks to himself that Allen will not be able to handle it.

Allen begins his battle with the Akuma, but soon finds he is being attacked by someone who looks exactly like himself.