The Flower that Blooms in the Valley of Ruin

"If the world is spiraling into Ruin because of my own actions..then it is MY responsibility to try and stop it from destroying everything"

- Casshern

The Flower that Blooms in the Valley of Ruin (滅びの谷に咲く花, Horobi no Tani ni Saku Hana) is the ninth episode of Casshern Sins. It originally aired on November 19th, 2008 and the Funimation dubbed version on July 21st, 2012.

Plot
There is a young humanoid girl lost in the happiness of a beautiful place, in a planet dying of Ruin. Meanwhile, Bandits fooled into following Dio in a new Robotic Army are slaughtered by Casshern, some driven by the possibility that Luna may actually be alive and some driven by the rumor of devouring Casshern. They crash into an unknown place, only leaving Casshern, Friendor and the leader of the group that attacked them, Bolton. Bolton, who remains very damaged is greeted by the strange pink haired girl named Niko who offers to help he and Casshern heal by doing mundane things such as wrapping them. Casshern remains confused by why she does what she does until Ohji arrives to explain that her brain circuitry is fried beyond repair, leaving her stuck in a state of fantasy much like a human baby.

Ohji explains that the area they are in is nicknamed the valley of Ruin, a graveyard for Robots far before the Ruin began. Even so life continues to bloom at the top of the valley watched over by the ever so odd Niko. She continues to worry about both Bolton and even a Robot who has already consumed by the Ruin, Ohji explains how she has done this for years, with dolls and dead robots as her only company. Ringo makes friends with Niko, compatible due to their youth as humanoid robots. Lyuze arrives in the valley and reveals she knows Niko from her time as a care taker to Luna and once again Lyuze claims Casshern for killing Luna, which directly caused Niko to end up in the Valley of Ruin.

After overhearing Lyuze, Bolton explains a story about how Luna could give life to Robots and Humans alike, and how she still alive. He explains how it drove most of his comrades to join Dio's army, in order to search for Luna as a way out of dying from the Ruin. Enjoying themselves, Ringo and Luna are surprised to find that Bandits have infiltrated the valley, Casshern, Friender and Lyuze rush to their side to fend off the marauders. A single Bandit is able to break through their lines and makes it to Niko who begs for them to stop, only to be injured and nearly killed, if not for Bolton's efforts to protect her. Niko is fatally injured by the assault and before she passes on she wishes to help Casshern one last time by tending to his already healed injury. Bolton promises to watch over Niko's grave until Casshern returns, Casshern returns the promise with his word, a promise that he will find Luna and bring her back to the Valley of Ruin. Bolton is last seen weeping in grief over Niko's death.