Ep 2. Guild

In Angel Beats! Season 1 Episode 2, titled "Guild," our protagonist, Otonashi, awakens in the afterlife and is tasked with understanding the rules of this new world. Along with a group of other deceased teenagers, he discovers that they are all stuck in a sort of purgatory and must fight against the Angel, a mysterious and powerful being who enforces the laws of this realm.

The episode begins with the group of students, who now call themselves the SSS (Shinda Sekai Sensen), trying to come up with a plan to take down Angel. They decide to recruit a skilled hacker, and they hear rumors of a group called the Guild who might be able to help them.

Yuri, the leader of the SSS, sends Otonashi and another member named Hinata to infiltrate the Guild and convince them to join their cause. Upon arriving at the Guild's base, they quickly realize that the group is made up of mostly NPCs (non-player characters) who are not sentient and just there to provide support for the main players.

The Guild's leader, Christ, is a skilled strategist who initially agrees to help the SSS in their fight against Angel, but he soon realizes that the SSS is not as strong as they claim to be. He reveals that there are actually multiple Angel clones, and the one they have been fighting is just the weakest of them all. He explains that the clones are created to keep order in the afterlife and that if the SSS continues to rebel, they will face consequences.

Despite Christ's warning, the SSS decides to go through with their plan to take down Angel, and they launch an attack on her. However, their plan fails, and Angel easily overpowers them. Otonashi is almost defeated but is saved by Angel, who reveals that she is not actually their enemy and that her true purpose is to help the students in the afterlife move on.

The episode ends with Otonashi questioning his own existence and wondering if he really is dead. Angel tells him that he must find his own purpose and that he should use his time in the afterlife to do things he never had the chance to do when he was alive.

Overall, "Guild" is an action-packed episode that delves deeper into the dynamics between the SSS and Angel. Viewers are left wondering about the true nature of this afterlife and what the ultimate goal of the SSS really is. The episode also touches on themes of purpose and identity, leaving viewers with plenty to ponder.