DOGS AND RAINDROPS, PART 1
So it started raining after all.
Kanshi.
Yeah, I'll be right back.
Where's Kan going?
On rainy days, we have a look around the school.
Let's not make any side trips today and go straight home.
Ms. Ibuki's prophecy...
Dogs, raindrops, school...
We need to be especially cautious at school on rainy days, and can't let our guard down.
The enemy uses magic, so they probably won't suddenly show up and attack.
You're Nico Wakatsuki and Morihito Otogi, right?
Who're you, huh?
I am a witch.
She did suddenly show up!
Ouch.
You didn't do what I asked so you had to get hurt.
Hurry up and take those off.
Those rare sneakers are practically wasted on you.
You're Muto, right? We went to the same middle school.
You weren't like this at all back then.
You can say it's my high school debut.
I've been reborn.
Hey, you wanna try some of this, too?
I've got some great medicine, you see. It amplifies your power and desires.
If there's something you want to do, you can make that happen with sheer force.
No thanks.
All right. Then, give me those sneakers!
What's wrong with you?
Kanshi?
That hurt!
Apologize to Keigo.
Who the hell're you?
I'm sorry!
Cut me down! Please!
Really? Sure. I'll get a blade.
I'm not some kind of fish! Why're you being so scary?
Are you all right, Keigo?
Huh? What do you mean?
It's not like I was about to get hunted for my sneakers or anything.
Don't be a poser.
I was really scared! Thank you, Kanshi.
Your name's Muto?
What is this?
Where did you get it from?
That's a candy called "drops."
It's rumored to remove inhibitions.
MEMBER INFORMATION
NAME
ADDRESS
You enter your address on this secret website and they get mailed to you for free.
We can just report such a dangerous drug to the police, right?
It'll be useless to do that.
If someone examines it, they won't find any dangerous substances.
Because it's just a normal candy that you can buy anywhere!
Normal candy?
That's ridiculous. Then what's with the removing inhibitions part?
How the hell should I know?
Why would they use normal candy?
Group hypnosis?
No. Is this magic?
Who's distributing these drops?
S-Some guy named Wolf.
He's probably one of the students, but no one knows his real name or what grade he's in.
He just sends us things through the mail. Like if we run out, we can just order more.
And that we'll meet up somewhere on school grounds.
Just on school grounds?
So he's not after money. What's he trying to do?
Everyone who uses the drops knows how scary that guy is.
If Wolf wants to summon us, then we all gather!
I've heard the rumors, too.
People using these drops and being reckless are called "Dogs."
What? Did you say "Dogs"?
This isn't much, but...
Oh, thank you.
Hey, Nemu. Isn't this house huge?
Moi's grandfather expanded it for his students,
so there's lots of rooms and even a bath upstairs.
Yes, I've already been in the bath.
Maybe you can sleep over sometime, too.
Nico, that's enough chatting for now.
You knew about her, Nico?
That there's a witch family in the next town over.
Yeah, my mom told me about the elite witch family, the Miyao Family.
But I didn't know there was such a cute witch girl!
It's nice to meet you, Nemu!
I've already met you, though.
I can't say that they took turns petting me as a cat.
I still can't trust you, though.
We have enemies that are after Nico.
And I have to be cautious because you could be one of them.
I see. Ibuki Wakatsuki is an oracle,
and it seems like there's already been a prophecy.
Do you know about the enemy?
Yesterday, for the first time in my life, my Alert rang out.
It's a spell that warns you when a warlock is nearby.
Warlock?
You don't know anything?
My mother did tell me about the Alert spell.
In witchcraft, there's white and black.
The witch, who uses white magic to uphold justice.
The warlock, who uses black magic for evil.
They've been in opposition since ages past,
and there was even a great battle in Japan that happened a long time ago.
In the end, the warlocks were all defeated.
Since then, in order to recognize when a warlock appears,
all witches have the Alert spell cast on them.
So they won't fall to the darker side.
We're also taught this at a young age thoroughly.
Because of this, there should be no warlocks in the present time.
Or so we thought, but it's not that strange for white to go black
because of their mental state or external stimulation.
They could blend in within human society,
or it's also possible to use magic and hide themselves.
And you're saying that Alert rang yesterday.
I didn't see what they looked like,
but they were plotting something with a man in a run-down house.
Saying, "Capture Nico Wakatsuki."
Why is Nico even being targeted?
Do you not know how powerful she is by being around her?
How powerful...
Ms. Nico Wakatsuki.
Just call me Nico.
Nico, you possess an unbelievable amount of magic power.
The enemy is most likely after that.
Nico Wakatsuki is the Witch of Thousands.
She possesses 1,000 spells, and will save 1,000 people.
A special witch that comes once in a thousand years.
The Witch of Thousands.
It stopped raining.
The rain had nothing to do with this.
Looks like you had some fun with one of my pets.
So you're Wolf? You look pretty gruff.
I thought you'd be a cute old lady since I heard you were passing out candy.
Let's go somewhere else.
Oh my, what an aggressive invitation.
But I don't hate it.
You're not that bad.
You're pretty strong.
What's with this guy? He's not normal.
Is it the effects from that candy?
Candy... Drops... Rain drops.
Rain.
"Dogs and Raindrops." So he's the disaster!
Tell Morihito Otogi that he's next.
Wait.
You know about us. Who are you?
Give up already. You can't beat me in a fist fight.
It's because of the candy, huh?
I can't lose to a guy who's been doped up.
I need to prove that tengu are strong, or else Pops will be pissed!
Morihito is a good guy, but I don't want to lose to him.
And Nico and I cheered each other on during our training days.
I'm gonna protect them!
And what are you shouldering, huh? Tell me!
You smell real good now. Come at me, then!
He disappeared? Where did he go?
A tengu's cloak. Put it on, and you disappear for seven seconds.
He ran away.
Of course not, you idiot!
I need to get you at least once or else I won't be satisfied.
Yeah, you're pretty good. I've never felt like this before.
My reason to fight? It makes my blood boil, and that's it!
You damn battle freak.
I think you may not know about a lot of things
because your mother didn't want to put unnecessary stress on you.
Because anxiety and fear give birth to warlocks.
Moi.
Will my magic hurt people?
Ms. Nemu Miyao.
Do you tell everyone around you that you're a witch?
No. In the past, it seems we were more open about it, but nowadays we keep it a secret.
Even my mother's work is a secret business that only her valued clients know.
When Nico was a child, she told her friends that she was a witch.
As a result, she was feared and went through some tough times.
In the end, she accidentally destroyed half her house because of it.
I grew up in a similar situation,
but thanks to Ogre Qigong training, I'm able to stay mentally stable.
But I think Nico has always been afraid of her own power.
Back then, I wasn't able to fully protect her,
and that guilt has been a thorn stabbing at my side.
Moi.
But this time, I'll protect you, Nico. So don't worry.
Okay.
Oh, let me bring some snacks.
Huh? Is this what a witch and familiar are like?
Does it really have this many "I'll protect you" vibes going for it?
You're kidding me, I want something like this, too.
What was that sound?
Oh no!
- Kanshi! - Kan!
Healing magic is the most difficult form of magic.
The older the wound is, the harder it is to heal,
and trying to heal new wounds still consumes a lot of magic power.
Thanks, the pain is already receding.
I'm sorry. It looks like this is my limit.
Are you all right?
I prepared some snacks.
Familiars are so great.
Wolf?
Who is that guy? And why did he beat you up like this?
I understand the prophecy now. He's definitely the one who's after Nico.
And then, I think the one behind him is an enchanter.
I've been wondering, but why is there a super pretty girl here?
This is Ms. Nemu Miyao.
She's also a witch, and she found out about Nico's danger and came to tell us.
Pardon the intrusion.
Oh! It's nice to meet you.
THIRD TIME HERE
Enchanters specialize in imbuing objects with magic.
I think they changed the candy into magical medicine
so they can create humans to control.
It's difficult to imbue a lot of magic at once,
but if you mix it in with candy, and slowly consume it, then it's possible.
If you get a large amount of people to consume it over a period of time,
then you can create a puppet army.
The man named Wolf is probably the first experiment
for creating a more powerful and brainwashed person.
He'll grow his army through violence and fear,
and once the magic gets through to everyone, that's when the witch controls them.
And they're all gonna attack Nico, huh?
Yeah, because if the warlock gets close, the Alert will go off,
so they're using humans.
I understand what I have to do now.
Ms. Miyao, can you tell us where you found that run-down house?
It might be the warlock's hideout.
I wasn't paying attention that time, so I don't know where exactly it is.
But I understand, I'll look for it once more.
Kanshi, you stay home and rest.
Nico and I will go to school tomorrow.
Wouldn't that be dangerous?
Nico will be safer if she's with me.
Stay by my side and don't ever leave.
Okay, got it!
He's quite coolheaded.
Does he seem like that to you?
What?
I'm sorry! I'll give back the money that I stole!
Where...
Huh? It's right here.
Where's Wolf?
MORIHITO EXCHANGED HIS PRECIOUS CASH TO FIX THE WALL "WITCH RECOVERY!"
Get back here, you drop addict!
Damn it, I don't know anything about Wolf.
Okay, let me back you up!
Go, new spell! Slime Lotion Gel Amoebas!
Slippery!
Hey, don't interfere!
Looks like you didn't know that I went to skating classes when I was a kid!
How the hell could we know?
Keigo Magami?
Looks like you didn't know that I was a former figure skater!
Okay, hold him down just like that!
I have intel that tells me you saw this Wolf guy.
Tell me everything you know.
I-I only saw him once.
He was beating up a guy who tried to resell the drops. Then he said to me...
Go tell the other Dogs what you just saw.
Yeah.
Setting an example to spread fear.
That's all I know.
What did his face look like?
Huh? Something like this.
So you never went to art classes, huh?
Oh yeah, he said something to me at the end.
I'm going to call for a summons soon.
I can go now, right?
You being a figure skater really helped us out.
You're really good at sliding away from things.
Am I being dissed right now?
I heard everything from Kanshi. He got all beat up because he saved me.
Can you please let me help you guys out?
We're thankful for your offer, but there's a witch working in the background.
Best not to get involved.
I got connected to Wolf through text messages.
What did you say?
I entered in my address at that one website.
I know it's risky, but now it's easier to get information.
Why would you do such a dangerous...
Why are you going that far for us?
After I quit skating, I was basically a piece of shit.
When I was a second year in middle school, Mom drove us to an important tournament.
We got in an accident, and my leg got really injured.
It doesn't affect my daily life, but I retired from competing because of it.
After I quit, I didn't feel like doing anything.
I was just staying inside my own little world, and thought I didn't need friends.
And before I realized it, I became this lonely hipster guy.
He called himself that.
But lately, after hanging around you guys, things have been fun again.
It makes me really nervous to say this, but you're...
m-my friends.
And if you could find it in yourselves to trust me, then I'd like to help you out.
All right.
If any information comes in, let us know, Keigo.
It's from Nemu.
HELLO, THIS IS MORIHITO OTOGI. MY APOLOGIES FOR SUDDENLY VISITING YOUR HOUSE EARLIER. I STILL CANNOT FIND THE RUN-DOWN HOUSE. I'M SORRY THAT MY MEMORY IS SO FUZZY. TOMORROW IS MY DAY OFF, SO I HOPE TO CONTINUE MY SEARCH.
She still can't find that run-down house,
but she'll keep looking tomorrow.
I'm really grateful that Nemu and Keigo are helping us out.
I wonder what I can do, too.
Nemu had told me.
It's forbidden to use magic with hostility, so witches in training
have a limiter placed on them.
That means Nico can't participate in the fight with her magic.
Makes you really understand why witches use tengu and ogres as guards.
I've searched this much and still can't find anything.
What I can think of is...
That space was created by magic.
If there's magic that can create such a space, then you can place the door anywhere you want.
Somewhere a human wouldn't normally touch.
Like in a lower position on a telephone pole or a wall.
What if my cat self coincidentally touched it and went through it?
I should be looking for a sigil of a door.
Taking advantage of this pocket space to go wild, eh?
Are you getting restless?
It's because you make me do boring work like gathering Dogs.
Soon, that will come to an end.
Bring those 50 Dogs along with Nico Wakatsuki.
We commence tonight!
Oh no, tonight?
Oh look, a kitten has wandered in.
You're a witch, aren't you?
But why are you a cat?
I see, from the Miyao Family.
What was a witch doing here? Is she connected with Nico Wakatsuki?
I'll have to kill her.
What, are you going to stop me?
It's my choice if I want to save a cat or not.
I have nothing to do with the battle between the white and black.
You're quite the cheeky one for a being a familiar.
A familiar?
It's a pill imbued with magic.
I'm having her fall asleep so she won't get in the way of our plan.
So she returns back to normal if she falls asleep?
Just toss her somewhere. I need to seal this area.
Now, let us begin our plan.
Gather the Dogs and make them attack Nico Wakatsuki.
You'll be dealing with that ogre.
Finally. I've been waiting to fight that ogre!
A berserker, just as the legends say.
They have a wolf familiar.
They're going to control the students and make them attack me.
It's quite the large-scale operation.
They'll use the Dogs to attack Nico, and probably have Wolf fight Morihito.
Morihito, Wolf is strong.
If you fight him one-on-one, you might be evenly matched.
You went with a strategy that you don't specialize in, and went for a fist fight.
And you did it for me, so you can see how strong he is.
No, I was probably just being stubborn. Didn't know he'd be that strong.
We have a winning chance.
Wolf has confidence in one-on-one fights, so if we were to make him lose...
It would be by fighting him together.
So Nico, please support me with your magic.
He should get scared if he sees us working together.
I'm going to support Moi?
Okay, I'll do it!
Kanshi, you look for the enchanter.
If we neutralize her, then that should dispel the effect on the Dogs.
All right, got it!
It's Keigo.
There it is. Wolf called for a summon.
The Dogs are gathering at Kojo Park. And then they're gonna head here.
So it finally started, huh?
- It's a raid! - Capture the witch, Nico!
Kill the ogre!
Moi, what should we do?
We won't let them get here.
We'll go to them, and move according to our plan.
Follow me, I'll take you there.
Thanks, Keigo.
Let's go! It's the final battle!
I-I'm getting really nervous.
This is finally it, we're storming the castle! I'm shaking in my boots.
You know...
Being born as a tengu, I've always wanted to be normal.
I never wanted this power.
Yeah.
But then, by watching you...
I realized that power is meant to be used for other people.
If you're going to use your magic to help other people,
then I'll use my power to help you.
And that time has come.
So don't worry!
Yeah.
The moon is getting blurry.
Morihito, if you get injured, can Nico heal you with her magic?
Nico can use magic that aids a person's recovery.
So she can mostly fix newly made wounds, and that's about it.
I asked about the injury you got from the past,
but healing old wounds is a different kind of magic that she can't do.
Huh? What? Awe, I didn't say anything like that.
It has nothing to do with me, and I don't have any regrets about ice skating.
I see. Sorry.
Whoa, woops.
Sorry, my shoe lace got untied, so go ahead without me.
- Okay. - All right.
Huh?
Where are Morihito and Keigo?
Thank you...
for trusting in me.
I have to be aware of team ups, so I needed to split you guys up.
I can win if it's just us.
Keigo Magami. What are you...
You're Keigo Magami, right?
What is this? What did you do to me, old man?
This is my puppet.
I need your strength for a certain plan.
Make a contract with me as a familiar.
What? I have no idea what you're saying.
Of course, this won't be for free.
I can grant you one wish.
I am a witch, you see.
There's a wish that I really need granted.
When witches are born,
there's a custom to make a cure-all medicine from their umbilical chord.
It's something you can use once when you have a dire emergency.
When the plan is complete, I'll give you my bottle.
I signed a contract with her.
Either the enchanter dies, or I die when I disobey her orders.
And so, for the sake of the plan, I got close to you, and had you put your faith in me.
Are you from a family of familiars?
It's a story from long ago that if we look at the full moon, we transform.
But nowadays, werewolves transform when we look at any crescent shape.
A werewolf!
Ogres lost their horns,
and tengu lost their wings.
Werewolves don't become wolves.
We get stronger, more aggressive,
and become a totally different person.
I'm ain't scared of no wolf, nope, no wolf.
No, no, hold on.
Things are getting pretty serious, so it's not that kind of atmosphere.
What? I can't joke around? You gotta tell me beforehand, I feel so embarrassed.
NEXT EPISODE DOGS AND RAINDROPS, PART 2
Next episode, "Dogs and Raindrops, Part 2." Please look forward to it.
Oh, she flubbed it.