Lying in bed Anthy looked up at the ceiling. Please don't let me have that dream again, she begged in her mind. Turning on her side she tried to figure out what to do, she knew it was wrong to have tried to duel against Utena. There was no way she could defeat her, and if she did it meant that she would have to hurt the one person that had been nice to her the whole time. "Maybe I am just not meant to be free from this life." she whispered, holding back the tears. But deep inside she knew that wasn't true, she had to find a way, she just had to!
"Well isn't there any way that this can all be turned around?" Utena asked Miki Kaoru. The two stood outside near the garden with the sun shinning high above them. "It isn't fair to Himemiya." she said, feeling pain for her friend's entrapment in all of this. But she herself was trapped in a way as well...that's why she wanted at least one of them to be free. "If I had won the duel then possibly she would be free right now." Miki explained. "That's not true! She is treated like an object in all of this! A prize! And no matter how the winner treats her, she will always be treated that way in the end!" Utena cried, making a fist. Just who started this all anyway? She wondered. If only there was a way to... a thought struck her. "Can't someone take her place?" she asked, feeling hope. Miki just stared at her for a moment. "You aren't trying to say that..." he began.
It was worth a try, if she could convince the Student Council to use her as the Rose Bride instead of Anthy then maybe everything would be better. But what about the power Himemiya has? She realized. Shaking her head, Utena stepped out of the elevator. "That doesn't matter. I can just take the Sword of Dios from her one last time and keep it with me." she said to herself. The Student Council was gathered around a patio table, in all there were four of them, Miki Kaoru, Juri Arisugawa, Kyouichi Saionji, and Touga Kiryuu. "Miki told us about your plan Tenjou, and I highly doubt it will work. It is Anthy's destiny to be the Rose Bride." Saionji said standing up from his chair. Stepping forward bravely, Utena spoke, "Of course you would say that Saionji. You just are afraid that if I take her place you won't be able to prove yourself against me." Anger flared up in Saionji's eyes. "Why you…" he stuttered. "That doesn't matter though Utena, since we know that Saionji can not defeat you anyway. None of us have been able to yet in fact." Touga said, with a charming smile. "Well then if you are sick of losing against me then listen to what I have to say and let me take Himemiya's place." she said, feeling more confident.
The challenge was delivered to Anthy later that day. Shock swept through her. SHE had been challenged to a duel. It didn't make any sense to her. ChuChu jumped around her feet as she read the letter out loud, "Meet me in the arena after dark, there we will duel for the Rose Bride. And it is signed by Touga… What is going on?"