In six days, Shuu and Gai and Inori/Mana intertwined tales will be settled.
First of all, I dislike the idea that the writers after going with too much long-winded subplots at every direction they chose to make Mana sort of the final boss, or at least the Mother of all Infections.
Probably, destroying Gai or Shu literally stripping Gai off his King's power will hold the key of sorts to prevent Mana to initiate the coming of the third humanity.
I use those biblical terms given how this series uses them as analogies to compliment the scientific terms of evolution and selection.
Given how Adam was the father of the first mankind, then followed by Noah becoming the father of the second mankind (the current humanity), Gai chose to be by Mana's side, hence, initiating the coming Apocalypse that will be followed by the coming of the third mankind.
As far as the episode goes, Shu vs Yuu was ok. I didn't feel the fight outstretched or rushed. Shu at the end manages to defeat Yuu due to his heart understanding and knowing of Inori's true heart, which isn't a fake as everybody else, particularly Mana, claims so.
Yuu's defeat was just a defeat and not a death in a sense of a big loss for Daath, but he acknowledged Shuu's foolishness to try to stop the fate from fulfilling.
Now, as many of you posted, I do agree that Inori's song delivered a touching drama scene. Her thanking Gai for letting her meet Shu, and her coming to understand Shu's heart better than anyone else not only made her more human but more beautiful and innocent from the inside.
As for Mana's reborned form through Inori, well I wasn't expecting a sort of a Giant Rei sprouting from the cocoon, but for a wild touch to let my imagination running I was hoping she would have sprouted crystal, butterfly wings from her back to keep more in touch with the themes of change and evolution literally.
So from here on towards the end where does the story goes.....
1) I will love to witness Shuichirou's death at the hands of Haruka. Honestly, the guy's lame and flat, and all he has been doing during the series run is nothing but playing the spectator from the sidelines at the top of his peak, and stargazing the evolution to come from the Apocalypse virus.
2) Well, Darryl as being annoying to me for most of the series scored some points up, since he replies to the lieutenant he's intending to choose how he's going to die, so I would be expecting a brief but satisfactory fight to the death against Ayase.
Maybe he could survive, if Tsugumi interferes or saves his life.
3) If I connect the little flower bloomed from Inori's last tear before she was consumed by Mana and that particular shot in the opening where Inori embraces Shuu as they're about to be consumed by the Virus but....