01x24 - Episode 24

[bunniefuu]

I have my suspicions.

Was Natsuno ever really...

...summoned to the Goshikido?

About a year after the downfall
of the Goko Clan,

I went to a hidenin where I had heard

HIDENIN
Natsuno was staying.

Miss Natsuno...

Stay with me, Miss Natsuno!

When I went to see her,

Natsuno was...

...gravely ill and on the verge of death.

Every night, something crouches
beside Miss Natsuno's bed.

I'm worried it might be a plague god
that has come to take Miss Natsuno away.

So I protected Natsuno with a barrier
and waited for the plague god.

Seiryu, Byakko, Suzaku, Genbu,

Kochin, Teidai, Bunno, Santai, Gyokujo.

Banish!

Natsuno?!

Natsuno...

Why would Natsuno do something
that would break the barrier?

I don't know if she was being manipulated
or if she did it of her own free will...

Master Kamon, is that when
you got that scar by your eye?

Yes. It won't go away.

Um...

Someone who was summoned to
the Goshikido getting weaker from an illness...

Doesn't that seem kind of?

Right. Something about that
doesn't add up.

But the fact remains that
Natsuno is alive.

It's not just the curse
of the Goshikido...

Is some other power
keeping Natsuno alive?

TRAVELING PERFORMERS

NATSUNO

What a disaster...

What is that?

It looks like a mummy.

So they're the ones
that did this?

Wow! They're so pretty!

You have such a way
with flowers, Mr. Kuchinawa.

KAMON

KAMON
I just adore them.

The wind is getting chilly.

You should go inside, ladies.

Okay.

We'll see you at dinner.

Well, now...

I never thought you'd be
the one to come to see me...

Natsuno.

What happened?
You're pretty banged up.

I was badly outnumbered.

So I thought I'd ask for a little help.

Besides... You owe me one, Kamon.

Right...

You did help us on our little outing
to Shiranui's shrine.

I heard a disturbing rumor.

About a traveling theater troupe.

A traveling theater troupe?

Yes.

Apparently, they seek out

DEDICATORY PERFORMANCE
remote, isolated villages

DEDICATORY PERFORMANCE
and put on performances there.

DEDICATORY PERFORMANCE

But after the troupe leaves,
the entire village disappears.

What do you mean?

Are you saying all
the people disappear?

Well... I wanted to find out for myself,

so I went to a village where the troupe
was rumored to have made a stop.

The people weren't just gone.

They were buried under a landslide.

There hadn't been any heavy rain
in the area recently, either.

It looked as though a huge hand
had gouged out the side of the mountain.

It's an interesting story, but...

Natsuno...

Why are you looking into that troupe?

Does this have something to do
with what happened at the prayer hall?

BENIKO

BENIKO
Good evening.

I've brought them.

Thank you, Beniko.

Mao...

Sorry. I called them here.

Why bring Mao into this?

Natsuno, we think

there may be a sorcerer
manipulating things behind the scenes.

A sorcerer?

MAO

MAO
Someone summoned you to that prayer hall,

Someone summoned you to that prayer hall,

where you were showered with dirt.

I was caught in it too,
but I felt nothing.

But you lost consciousness and collapsed.

NANOKA KIBA
And afterward, you left without

looking into it any further.

Natsuno,

I think you know who
cast that spell, don't you?

While we're at it,
I should also apologize...

I also told Mao about
what happened at the hidenin.

You don't sound very sorry.

That earthen doll...

Who was controlling it?

Could it be the same sorcerer?

I don't know anything about that.

HIDENIN

In the beginning,

it was a tiny earthen doll.

It came to my bedside
while I lay gravely ill.

"Do you want to live?" it asked.

"I want to live," I answered.

And so, I entered into something
like a pact with the earthen doll.

A pact?

The earthen doll would keep me alive.

In return, I would search for
what the earthen doll wants.

Um, Natsuno...

If you're alive because of the pact
with the earthen doll,

then what about being summoned
to the Goshikido?

I do have memories of it.

But I don't know whether
they're really my own memories.

Natsuno...

Those who were summoned to
the Goshikido became immortal.

But you were on the verge of death
because of an illness.

It doesn't add up.

Well... Perhaps you're right.

After all...

Every 100 years, a messenger appears

and performs a new Earth treatment
on me, which keeps me alive.

Then this time, because the spiritual
healer who was supposed

to serve as the messenger was k*lled,
they had to resort to that method?

Still...

I want to honor my pact...

No... My promise with the earthen doll.

The traveling theater troupe that
wanders from place to place,

leaving villages destroyed in its wake.

They may have

what the earthen doll is looking for.

KISARAGI YUKINOJO TROUPE

KISARAGI YUKINOJO TROUPE
This is my first time seeing a play.

Can't believe they came all
the way out here to the mountains.

What a blessing!

Hold it right there!

I'm not handing
this young lady over to you!

Oh, yeah?

I came here prepared to fight!

Boss, Heiza's back.

What happened? Just you?

Where are the others?

Well... As we were
cleaning up the village,

a strange female ascetic showed up.

We tried to get rid of her...

But she was quick and kept dodging us.

She took us down instead.

I was the only one
who barely made it out alive.

Heiza, you idiot!
You let her follow you here!

Huh?

Dammit... I've lost.

If you're going to k*ll me,
just get it over with!

This is kind of boring...

Huh?

Don't you worry!

I'll finish you off right now!

Along with every villager here!

Now, let your screams of
torment fill the air!

What's happening?!

Ayakashi?!

Is this part of the show?!

So they use their village plays
to gather people and drain their life force.

They seem like pretty
low-level ayakashi, though.

Even so, there are enough
of them to form an entire troupe.

All right, Mao, Nanoka, Kamon...

I'll leave the small fry to you.

Huh?

W-Wait a sec!

Natsuno...

So many!

Nanoka, I need you
to protect the villagers.

R-Right.

Take this, Miss Nanoka.

OTOYA
Otoya, where did you get that sword?

I borrowed it from an ayakashi.

It's heavy! This is a real sword?!

But it's just a stage prop.

You seem to be better with
a sword than with spells, so...

Yeah. I feel a lot better with this.

This tongue...
It's almost like a leech.

I've seen enough! I'm afraid!

Everybody, run!

No! You're safer together!

Miss Nanoka is amazing.

No!

It's sucking my blood!

Nanoka!

Oh?

It melted because
of Miss Nanoka's Byouki blood.

Are you alright, Nanoka?

Look what it did!

It left bite marks on me!

I hope I don't get sick...

How dare you interrupt
our performance!

What a rude bunch you are.

That must be the leader
of these ayakashi.

Since we're already being rude,
why don't you show me

that right hand of yours?

Right hand?

Who the hell are you?

Because of her pact
with the earthen doll,

what Natsuno has been
searching for

is that thing's right hand?!

I'll show you my right hand
if you want to see it so badly.

However...

It'll cost you your life!

Monster!

Die!

What the...?!

Mao, capture it!

Capture it?
You mean you want it alive?

Yeah, I want to get
a good look at it!

Damn you!

So that isn't actually your hand?

You've been using your underlings
to attack villages

and feeding the blood and
life force they drained

from people into that right hand.

So what of it?!

Well, not that I really care.

A giant leech?

Is it dead?

Eek! What is that?!

So it's a demon mite.

k*ll it, Mao.

So this ayakashi was a parasite
living inside the leech ayakashi?

Yes.

Either way,
this was a complete waste of time.

It was just some worthless ayakashi.

But Natsuno...

The fact that you suspected
this troupe means

the right hand you're searching for

is also surviving by sucking
the life force out of people?

Well, a right hand can't survive on its own
without feeding on life force.

Still, I've never seen it resort
to anything this horrific before,

so I'm glad this wasn't it.

Before...?

Something about this doesn't make sense.

Does that mean you've tracked down
other right hands before?

Or...

Yes.

And not just right hands.

Over the past 900 years,
I've collected all sorts of body parts.

A torso.

A left hand and legs.

A spine and even internal organs.

Some of them

lived as parasites on
forest animals and trees,

while others lived in symbiosis
with docile ayakashi.

Why are you collecting
all those body parts?

It's like somebody is trying
to build a human.

The thing is...

When I track down
and capture a body part,

everything before and after
that moment is a blur.

The parts I retrieve
disappear before I know it.

But I know which part
to search for next.

Doesn't that mean your memory
is being manipulated?

Well, you're probably right.

Now I'll have to search
for the right hand again.

Natsuno.

You said you don't know
who is behind

the earthen doll
you made the pact with.

I'll find out eventually.

Once I find the right hand,

I'll have all the parts.

MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL
ENTRANCE CEREMONY

Time flew by while
I was with Mao and Otoya.

Nanoka!

Let's walk home together.

Okay!

HARUKA - YUI NAKAGAWA - HITOMI
That new uniform looks good on you!

If you ever end up
in the hospital again,

we'll take notes for you
and help you catch up.

So don't worry!
You can count on us!

Here's to another great
year together, Nanoka!

Yeah! Thanks!

You guys are lifesavers.

There's nothing like
having good friends!

FIFTH STREET SHOPPING

Uh...

I thought I should let you know...

I'm a high school student now!

Huh?! That's your reaction?

Umm... So...

You entered a girls' high school?

Girls' high school?

No, it's co-ed.

It's an integrated middle
and high school, so I just moved up.

Well, never mind.

Come with me to
an exorcism, Nanoka.

We'll get something to eat
and I'll buy you something you like later.

Wait, is that...?

A celebration.

You moved up to high school,
didn't you?

Yay!

Thank you!
I can't wait!

She seems so happy.

Nanoka really is adorable.

NEXT TIME

About five days ago,

my daughter Shoko
collapsed at school.

It hurts! It burns!

My face!

There's this strange
younger student...

When we're done,
I'll treat you to some mitsumame.

Hey, why don't we become
real friends?

Who are you?

It's been bothering me...

What are those glimmering lights

I've been seeing in the sky
ever since that day?

Next time: "Ghouls and Rakshasas."