Fushi borrows Funa's form in an attempt to save Mizuha.
And your idea was to throw these things around?
I was using it.
And I won.
Fushi returns home to his friends.
I don't think they're happy.
Where One Belongs
Ow...
Hey, Gugu?
This wound?
I did that "plastic surgery" thing.
Your mask was broken.
Oh, I fell down the stairs.
My clothes got completely torn up.
Hairo fell with me, too.
Gross!
Are you bleeding?!
Did you get a cut in your mouth?
Your dentures broke when you fell with me, right?
Something must have happened, right, Gugu?
Are you all right? Can you eat okay?
Sorry for making you worry.
I was out on some errands, and Gramps and Aiko both happened to be out, too.
No, uh...
I'm just glad you're back.
I should let Bon-san know.
Where is Bon?
He's out of town. Overseas business trip, apparently.
Oh, Fushi, you're back.
Messar.
How did everyone end up like this?
Huh? They're all fine.
But...
Does it look like they've changed while you'd run away from home?
They aren't used to this world that they got whisked away to.
They're trying to live their lives here.
That's all.
That's it? That's why they're so down?
No one's dead. They're doing better than they were before.
Not that I'm fazed at all.
True, you haven't changed at all.
Because I'm clear-eyed.
Take a good look at your buddies.
Gugu, I just made this.
Ooh, thanks.
Sorry if it isn't quite right.
About your injury...
I think you were lying about falling.
Ow!
It kinda rubs against my wound.
Sorry.
How about this one?
It's really fluffy.
What's up with this weird-ass thing?
It's the crayfish mask Rean made.
Takes you back, doesn't it?
Rean made it?!
Yeah.
I just called it weird-ass!
Rean made this?
For me?!
Oh, right.
She never had a chance to give it to you.
How's it look?
Good, good.
Yeah?
Rean made it, huh?
Yeah.
Man, I want to go back to Takunaha.
Are you serious?
Wh-Why?
Did you not like Yanome?
That's not it.
You brought me back to life in Takunaha, remember?
Booze Man's shop was still around.
It brought back some memories.
I'm just kidding, though.
Night.
Maybe this wasn't a good place for them.
Fushi, I got a message from Bon-san.
He says to look at this.
The International Weeding Federation says they're going to get rid
of all the roots you've spread over the past 500 years.
The roots in Renril have stopped growing.
Now's our chance to finally do away with them.
No, the great tree is still alive.
Oh, it's Bon.
I see you're a Fushi fundamentalist.
You're as silly as the roots.
Your ideology is a curse.
I'm not a curse!
There's more I can do!
The idea that the roots have stopped growing
is a lie spread by the Church of Bennett.
Yes!
That's right.
I can keep going!
Welcome.
I'm working right now.
I came to ask if something happened to you and Gugu.
Like he said, we fell.
By the way, do you have enough dentures?
Yes, I have the ones from before.
You don't need the newest ones?
Gugu's never been able to fit in at school.
What's up with the mask?
I have an injury.
Let's see.
Come on! Lemme see.
For better or worse, people were fascinated by him.
He struggled with all the people following him around every day.
Too bad we aren't in the same grade.
Maybe they'll be satisfied if I show them.
Kinda normal... I guess?
Hey! Stop bullying the new kid.
I'm not, Sensei.
I was just fascinated by his mask.
But the rumor spread further and brought even more trouble.
The hell's with your bird mask, kid?
Acchan runs the show around these parts.
You've got some nerve wandering around without so much as saying hi!
Who's Acchan?
You being smart with me?!
Ow!
This guy's bad news, Acchan!
You've gone and done it now.
Dude, I haven't done anything.
You trying to be the town mascot or something?
You! Stop!
What was that?
It's cracked!
Look what you've done to my mask!
Apologize!
Relax, Gugu!
You're going to cause trouble for Kazumitsu!
Take that!
Are you serious?
It didn't do anything!
Why?!
All right...
I guess I'm getting involved.
Thanks.
That went on for days.
Eventually, we were captured by people in blue.
That's the story up to yesterday.
Gugu said he wanted to go back to Takunaha.
It's a good place for sure.
But...
Is it not nice living here?
I'm not sure.
Either way, I'll be leaving that home within a year.
Why?!
There's a place to sleep and the food is good.
I can't keep acting like a kid forever.
If you think about how many years I've lived, I'm older than Kazumitsu.
I don't get it.
Is that place not good enough?
What's wrong with it?
School?
Or me?
Calm down. Please.
I'm not leaving because I hate it.
This world you've brought us to is so fun.
I just want to go explore some more.
Where are you going?!
I can do more.
You're serious about wanting to go back to Takunaha, aren't you?
Do you seriously think Fushi's going to see you off with a smile?
I'm sure he already knows.
I didn't want him to see me messed up after the fights.
I can't believe he'd come home out of nowhere.
Damn it, Fushi...
Just tell him everything that's pissing you off.
I don't want to be that brother.
You sure?
That's what I would prefer, if anything.
A big brother ought to understand his kid brother better.
Is Fushi-san not home?
He's not here.
I told him about our injuries, and he ran off.
I thought he'd be here.
It's just us and the animals here right now.
Can anyone help me find Fushi?
Okay, you.
They understand words?
I'm gonna go get Fushi.
Is he really here?
It's another fight.
That masked guy again?
Sheesh.
Why are you—
Ow, ow, ow!
Hey!
You're Fushi, aren't you?
What are you doing? Stop!
Gugu?! Why are you here?
What are you yapping about?
Move!
Run! This way!
Hold up, asshole!
What the hell are you doing wearing my mask?
Sorry.
I know that face...
Nando!
Yeah.
I knew it.
Why Nando?
His body's the closest to yours.
What kind of reason is that?
I wanted to know how you've been living your life.
I asked around in town, and those guys jumped me.
I hate anyone who hurts you.
I couldn't hold myself back.
Sorry, Gugu.
I've been putting you through so much pain.
I had no idea.
I get it.
You've been tilling soil for us potatoes.
Potatoes?
Never mind.
Takunaha's better than here.
Yeah.
Booze Man's shop had barely changed.
I was staring at it in awe, and...
Hello.
The guy at the shop looked just like my brother.
I realized my brother had protected it.
H-Hey.
I... My name is Gugu. I'm a servant here.
Listen up, Fushi.
Since you're going to be living here, you need to learn the work.
I'll work here, too.
So it's just like it was back then.
Yeah.
That mask...
Oh, this? It's tacky, huh?
I just bought it earlier.
Nah, it looks great.
It's the festival tomorrow, after all.
Please come in.
That's Rean Cropp.
She used to run this shop.
Supposedly, she never got married. She was waiting for her love to return to her.
My ancestor had that picture made a long time ago.
Your ancestor?
Here.
This is the brewery as it was before.
It hasn't changed much, huh?
This man's my ancestor.
The one in the middle is the founder.
And this is Rean Cropp.
And...
Here you are.
Welcome home, Gugu.
Just kidding.
That's an impressive mask.
You have the same figure, too.
You'll be popular at the festival.
Right! The festival!
I've been so excited for it!
Of course.
You should come by tomorrow, too, if you'd like.
So I have a grandkid now.
Oh, my.
I wouldn't mind having another one.
What was this festival about again?
What, you're in that outfit, and you still don't know?
Are you a tourist?
Yeah... kinda.
It's for Gugu the Beast.
Beast?
In the legends, this is the land where he was born.
Long ago, Takunaha was attacked by monsters.
The fire-breathing beast, Gugu, defeated all of them.
So we remember him every year.
Look, it's Gugu!
Gugu!
No one would hurt me.
They all welcomed me.
It was like Nii-chan, Rean, and Booze Man left it all behind as a gift to me.
My memories in Takunaha hadn't ended yet.
They're still going.
My brother, my family, my home, my life...
I could see all of it happening there.
But I'm not going to leave behind my kid brother.
And I have no intention of hurting you.
Relax.
No matter how many shitty people there are here, I'm not going to Takunaha.
What's up with that face?
Did I say something stupid?
Sorry I'm a weak brother for getting all emotional about Takunaha.
That's not it.
I just realized I need to do more.
Look, Fushi.
That's a weird dog.
All right.
I gotta get my shit together, too!
Morning.
Take your seats.
I guess no one else is absent except Mizuha, with a cold.
Fushi-kun!
You made it to school. Good for you.
I'll have you take the final exam later.
Gugu might be going back to Takunaha.
Hairo said he'll be leaving home eventually, too.
What about you?
Are you leaving, too, Tonari?
I haven't made any plans yet.
Are you studying for something?
No. I'm just reading because it caught my interest.
I love how there are so many books here.
I might end up leaving if I find something interesting.
It seems like everyone's having a hard time living here.
No one would have thought of leaving if I'd made this place better.
You might be right.
So that's why you're so anxious.
No matter how much of a paradise you make this place,
you aren't getting rid of people's troubles or anguish.
We're all human, after all.
I see. You'd prefer a world without suffering, like the Nokkers do.
N-No way!
I'm not like the Nokkers!
I just want to grant everyone's dreams.
And that's... And yet...
We'll make them come true on our own.
Anyone chasing a dream has to deal with setbacks and suffering all the time.
You're suffering because you're trying to grant all of our dreams.
We're all in the same boat.
You gave me a young body, but it came with all the problems you'd expect.
It's all such a pain.
Can I solve those problems for you?
Maybe you can.
But I'm not telling you.
These problems are all mine.
They're precious to me. I want to keep them to myself.
My third life is quick.
The days go by fast.
The same goes for all of us. We're all looking for our own lives.
But you don't need to be in such a hurry!
I can keep you alive forever.
Aren't you interested in everyone's lives?
Have you ever considered how they felt as they died, or how they plan
to live from now on?
S-Sure.
You have?
Well, that's good.
Ten more minutes.
Shoot...
See? I told you you shouldn't work until your other arm's better!
I'm sorry.
That's it! Keep it up!
Inhale!
Now! Hold your breath!
We did it!
Well done!
Why do I feel this way?
My heart's aching.
They were smiling.
They seemed happy.
So what's wrong with that?
Why does my chest ache so much?
March couldn't even write.
She couldn't even hold chopsticks.
Is she going to end up like the people at school someday?
Bye-bye.
See you tomorrow.
So much homework today.
I know.
Let's do it together.
Bye-bye, Fu-chan.
Hey, did you watch Monaniji yesterday?
Bye-bye, Fu-chan!
Bye-bye, Fu-chan.
Bye-bye, Fushi.
Later.
Goodbye.
Bye-bye.
No...
Preview
Those who passed on and those who were left behind.
The moment Fushi fell into his slumber.
The final moments of his friends.
Bon tells it all.
The day of departure nears.
Leaving Alone